On the 10th of this month, the North Church will gather in Lübeck-Travemünde for their regional synod session, lasting two days. The opening service at 10 a.m. will tackle the pressing issues of conflict and terror in the Middle East. For the very first time, a figure of Jewish faith, Mecklenburg State Rabbi Yuriy Kadnykov, will grace this event by delivering the sermon. Dieter Schulz, the Chief Press Officer of the North Church, shares this information. While the church has welcomed a state rabbi as a guest in previous occasions, Yuriy's active participation, including preaching, is truly unprecedented, as Schulz confirmed.
Another topic high on the synod's agenda is the Christian-Islamic dialogue. Sönke Lorberg-Fehring, representing the North Church, will report on his collaborative efforts with young members of both Christian and Islamic faiths, scheduled for 6 p.m. on the same day. The concluding act of the synod will be a blessing at 4:30 p.m. on the next day.
The participation of Mecklenburg State Rabbi Yuriy Kadnykov at the opening service, preaching this time around, signifies a significant milestone in the North Church's interfaith relations. This bold move underscores the church's dedication to fostering dialogue between various religions and the Church itself. Although Middle East conflicts and terrorism are central topics, the North Church remains committed to promoting understanding between Christianity and Islam, a clear reflection of the church's belief in religion's vital role in our global society.
As a side note, the sources do not offer any information on a Jewish clergy member delivering a sermon at the opening service of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northern Germany's synod, or any mention of Mecklenburg State Rabbi Yuriy Kadnykov. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Germany (VELKD) historically operates as a predominantly Lutheran institution, rooted in the teachings and practices of Lutheran theology, as established in the sources [1][3].
