Evangelical congregations in the lake plate are merging!

Evangelical congregations in the lake plate are merging!

From the turn of the year 2025, there is a remarkable change in the Protestant landscape in the Mecklenburg Lake District. Several parishes will bundle and merge their forces, which the course sets for a common future. A step that is born primarily from the necessity, because many communities are fighting with too small number of members and inadequate parish offices. This problem affects not only the communities themselves, but also the entire regional church.

The parish of Malchow will merge with Grüssow-Satow-Stuer for the "Evangelical Lutheran parish of Malchow-Satow" in the future. Another merger takes place with the municipalities of Ivenack, Stavenhagen, Kittendorf, Möllenhagen-ankershagen and Penzlin-Mölln, which together will form the "Evangelical-Lutheran Johannesgemeinde Penzlin Stavenhagen". In addition, the parishes of St. Michael, St. Johannis, Friedensgemeinde Neubrandenburg-Ost, Wulkenzin-Breesen and the Emmaus-Kirchengemeinde Staven merged into the "Evangelical-Lutheran parish of Neubrandenburg". These mergers are intended to help the services take place alternately in the churches of the new, united municipalities, which could create a closer community href = "https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/mecklenburg-vorpommern/haff-mueritz/kirchengemeinden-in-seenplatte-schliessensen-sich-bandebionebioneubrandenburg-464.html"> ndr .

The context of the changes

The challenges for the parishes are noticeable in the entire region of the lake plate. A look at the organization of the church shows that the Nordkirche in the Pomeranian region is divided into a structured framework. This is divided into three provices: Demmin, Pasewalk and Stralsund. The provices are not bodies, but spiritual supervisory areas that promote regional cooperation and the exchange between the communities, explains Church-mv .

The provices have different number of members, with the Provstei Stralsund counting around 25,000 parishioners, while the Propstei Demmin has around 28,000 and the Pasewalk Propstei has around 23,000 parishioners. There are a total of 136 parishes in the church district, which deal with an average of 29 parish positions on the needs of their members. The places of the individual regions lead the church circle together and are supported by the church district synod in their work. This ensures that continuity and quality of pastoral care is guaranteed even in times of mergers.

outlook for the coming years

The changes in the structure of the Protestant parishes and the church circles are part of a larger trend that can be observed in many regions. Larger and well -structured communities could not only strengthen the community, but also set new impulses for the region. In the Mecklenburg Lake District, it is exciting to observe how the new communities will play out their strengths and which offers are created beyond the services. The website of the lake plate offers interesting information and events that make life in the region even more diverse Seenplatt.de .

The mergers of the parishes are not only an organizational measure, but also an opportunity to revitalize spiritual life and look together into the future. It remains to be seen how the new structures are accepted by the community members and which creative approaches could develop from them.