WCC congratulates new chairperson of Evangelical Church in Germany

Bishop Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm is the new leader of the EKD

Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, the new chairperson of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), has been congratulated by the general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit.

Bishop Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm is the new leader of the EKD, a member church of the WCC, elected today at its synod in Dresden.

Tveit said in his message: “The role of the chairperson of the Council of EKD is very significant not only within the fellowship of churches in Germany, but also within the WCC. We are deeply thankful for the work of the outgoing chairperson, Dr Schneider, and his support of the WCC.”

Tveit added: “We welcome the newly elected chairperson, Bishop Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, and pray for God’s blessing and strength in this very significant task for the churches in Germany. His personal capacities and commitment to lead in the work for justice and peace are widely recognized.”

“His contributions to the WCC, particularly in leading the work on the unity statement at the 10th Assembly in 2013, and also on many other occasions, are encouraging, and make us look forward to a close cooperation and to his leadership in this new capacity,” he added.

Bedford-Strohm, who was born in Memmingen in 1960, succeeds EKD chairperson Nikolaus Schneider, who now finishes his term of office. Since the end of 2011, Bedford-Strohm is leading the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria as its bishop.

Tveit concluded: “I know Heinrich as a strong and warm church leader in the ecumenical family who is always eager to show how the gospel is uniting the churches and also relevant in the public sphere. He, like the Apostle Paul, is ‘not ashamed of the gospel’ (Rom 1:16).”