Pastor Bernd Müller, who was responsible for the ecumenical direct partnership relations of the Evangelical Church of Kurhesse and Waldeck (EKKW) for many years, has now retired. Together with many colleagues, friends, and companions from the worldwide ecumenical community I could accompany him in his farewell service.
For many years, Bernd Müller helped shape the ecumenical face of his church as a pastor of the EKKW. After some years in parish ministry, he was appointed to the church office in Kassel (Landeskirchenamt) as representative for the Church Development Service. He later took over as head of the World Mission and Partnership Department in the church office.
For many years, the EKKW has maintained official partnership relations with churches in Africa, Asia, and Europe. In Africa, these are relations with
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- the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY),
- the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon (PCC),
- the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia (ELCRN),
- the Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria EYN),
- the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Southern Africa (ELCSA)
- the Moravian Church in South Africa (MCSA),
- and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT).
In Asia, these are partnerships with
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- the Karnataka Northern Diocese / Church of South India (KND/CSI),
- the Greja Kristen Jawi Wetan in Indonesien (GKJW),
- and the Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Kirgistan (ELKK)
In Europe, these are partnerships with
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- the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church (EELC),
- and the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Romania.
In addition, there are numerous partnerships at the church district level.
Bernd Müller has given these partnerships a face, accompanying and developing them with dedication over many years. He has organized numerous international encounters and partnership visits, thereby facilitating intercultural and interreligious encounters and enabling members of his church to participate in the everyday lives of people in the partner churches.
I still remember well the negotiations between the EKKW and EKHN that led to the founding of the joint Ecumenical Center of the two churches in 2015. In these negotiations, he repeatedly emphasized the special importance of international partnerships for the ecumenical profile of his church.
With Bernd Müller’s retirement, these tasks will now be continued in the Development and Partnership Department at the Ecumenical Center.