Superintendent election in South Thuringia: Schübel fails on a majority!

Superintendent election in South Thuringia: Schübel fails on a majority!

In today's choice of a superintendent for the new, common church district of South Thuringia, there was a bitter disappointment. The only candidate, Pastor Reiner Schübel from Munich, could not reach the necessary majority. This was reported Meiningen and now leaves many questions open, especially how to continue with the management of the new Evangelical Church Circle of South Thuringia.

The merger of the church districts Meiningen, Henneberger Land, Hildburghausen-Eisfeld and Sonneberg will be carried out from January 1, 2026, and the challenges that such a merger brings with it should not be underestimated. The joint nomination committee has been active since mid -2024 to find suitable candidates for the management. According to rhoenkanal.de Hildburghausen. The regional bishops also took part in the service, in which the church was presented.

background to the merger of the church circles

The idea of ​​the merger of these four church circles is not new. Expressions began as early as 2022, and the need for this merger was reinforced by continuously falling membership numbers. The regional church council of the Evangelical Church in Central Germany (EKM) decided in 2021 to react to these developments. In the case of fewer than 25 full-time employees in the proclamation service, structural changes should be initiated in order to be up to the challenges of the future, ekmd.de to.

A merger of four church circles in South Thuringia touches more than 169 parishes and over 50,000 members, and the expectations and fears of the faithful are correspondingly great. The plan provides to realize a "very big solution" in order to be able to better counter the challenges of membership loss and the associated changes.

As it goes on, it remains to be seen. The failure of Reiner Schübel, who reacted to a serious challenge, throws a light on the future search for a new leadership style for this important church. The community and the synodals now have to work together to find a new guiding figure that can successfully bring together the different communities and their members. A good hand will be crucial to promote identity and cohesion in the new church circle.