18.01.2022

"How does the church become open to diversity?"

Bishop Beate Hofmann Photo: © MedioTV/Schauderna

"How does the church become open to diversity?" was the title of the thematic conference of the UEM last Saturday. Beate Hofmann, Bishop of the Evangelical Church of Kurhessen-Waldeck (EKKW), spoke about challenges facing the regional churches in the face of racism and right-wing extremism. Representatives of six regional churches and the v. Bodelschwinghsch Foundation Bethel took part in the online conference.

The leading theologian of the Evangelical Church of Kurhessen-Waldeck, who holds a doctorate, emphasised that the attacks by right-wing extremists in Kassel and Hanau had encouraged her church to join the regional initiative "Open for Diversity" and thus set a visible sign against right-wing extremism. In this way, the regional church strengthens the active forces for diversity and against exclusion in church and society. It makes sense for the church, for example, to develop anti-racist worship formats and educational events. For "we make ourselves untrustworthy if we present ourselves as a place of diversity and only white middle-class people sit in our congregations," Hofmann emphasised.

UEM Board Member and Head of the UEM Germany Department Angelika Veddeler summed up the conference as follows: "The conference has made it clear how important it is for churches to stand up against violence, discrimination and racism at all levels. And it has shown what is involved in such a commitment. Experiences like those of the EKKW will be shared internationally in the coming UEM General Assembly in order to support each other as churches in this commitment worldwide as well."