Overview
- The five‑day Landessynode in Bonn is weighing a finance strategy that details cuts across social work, development aid and a hardship or unemployment fund.
- Church leaders propose divesting six student dormitories with 381 places and giving Evangelische Studierendengemeinden a two‑year transition backed by about €1 million per year to find new sponsorship.
- The plan would reduce the church’s contribution to the national equalization fund by roughly €9 million, shifting pressure to other regional churches.
- Parish staffing would be overhauled, with about half of roughly 1,400 pastor posts to be phased out by 2040 in favor of lower‑paid professional roles and expanded volunteer involvement.
- Ten evangelical schools would seek voluntary parent contributions from the 2027/28 school year, as protests and a petition with more than 4,000 signatures greeted the synod’s opening, with votes expected during the session.