Jüterbog's pastor Wiarda moves to the sea: a farewell to melancholy

Jüterbog's pastor Wiarda moves to the sea: a farewell to melancholy

Jüterbog, Brandenburg, Deutschland - On July 17, 2025, the Evangelical parish of Jüterbog - Kloster Zinna said goodbye to one of her most striking minds: Pastor Tileman Wiarda leaves the community after seven years. His farewell is in the Nikolaikirche for Sunday at 4 p.m., and it will not only be remembered for his pastoral services, but also for his political engagement in the municipality.

WIARDA took office in 2018 and has campaigned for increased youth work and cooperation with local schools since then. But despite his efforts, he has had negative experiences with the lack of personnel support from the church circle. Now he is drawn to the North Sea, where he wants to have more time for pastoral work in his new parish office in Otterndorf. The 50-year-old expressed that he wanted to avoid the role of the "political pastor", which he increased in Jüterbog due to the political climate.

political climate and challenges

The political environment in Jüterbog was not without difficulty for Wiarda. Most recently, there were verbal attacks on him and his colleague Pastor Mechthild Falk by the Mayor Arne Raue, who joined the AfD a few weeks ago and thus became the first full-time AfD Mayor of Brandenburg. In a YouTube contribution, Raue accused the two clergymen to rush with their views and to split society. These partially shocking attacks have led to a public scandal that forced the Evangelical Church into a defensive position. Bishop Christian Stäblein described the attacks as "unbearable and not tolerable" and threatened with legal steps against Raue, he should not apologize publicly.

dealing with such political tensions shows how much the Evangelical Church in the region is required to deal with the challenges of changing society. Wiarda himself also criticized the bureaucracy within the regional church, which in his opinion affects the attractiveness for younger people. An example of this is the high bureaucratic effort in the organization of youth trips, which has a deterrent in many places.

A look into the future of the church

The changes that Wiarda has initiated are part of a larger reform discourse within the Evangelical Church, which aims to increase the satisfaction of the employees and increase the attractiveness of the church. In this context, topics such as the simplification of the administration, the promotion of voluntary activities and ensuring a member orientation are in focus. It is clear that the church has to adapt its structures to remain relevant in the digital age and to break away from a state analogue structure.

Finally, it can be said that Wiarda opens with a feeling of sadness, but also gratitude into the new phase of life. He leaves the Jüterboger community, which shaped him, but also shaped it as a "political pastor". In the future he will pursue his pastoral tasks in Otterndorf on the North Sea, far from political turbulence and perhaps also take new ways in youth work.

The past few years in Jüterbog will always be remembered, even if the direction is now a new one.