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Anna-Nicole Heinrich at the 13th General Synod of the Evangelical Church - connected via screen
Photo: Jens Schulze / picture alliance / dpa / EKD
The church parliament of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) has elected the philosophy student Anna-Nicole Heinrich as its new chairman.
The 25-year-old won the vote with a clear majority against the judge and Green politician Nadine Bernshausen, 41.
"As President of the EKD Synod, I stand for a hopeful, integrating and pragmatic Church that is constantly rediscovering itself," said Heinrich at the Synod's digital spring meeting.
Despite austerity measures, remodeling and dismantling in the church, confidence and a new beginning in faith are necessary.
The EKD council chairman, the Munich bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, assessed Heinrich's election as "a very strong sign".
Youngest Praeses in the history of the EKD Synod
Heinrich is the youngest President in the history of the EKD Synod.
She was elected to the church parliament by the Bavarian regional church, to which she previously belonged as a youth delegate.
After completing her philosophy degree, Heinrich has been studying the master's degree programs Digital Humanities and Human Image and Values in Regensburg since 2019.
She works as a research assistant at the university and is deputy chairwoman of the Protestant youth in Germany.
Congratulations also came from the chairman of the German Bishops' Conference, Georg Bätzing.
"I am impressed that you are taking on such an important responsibility in the Protestant Church at such a young age," said Bätzing.
He was looking forward to ecumenical cooperation.
The synod, which Heinrich now presides, is one of the governing bodies of the EKD, which acts as the umbrella organization of the 20 regional churches with a total of 21.1 million Protestant Christians and around 13,500 parishes.
sos / dpa