After three and a half years the service of Poing's evangelical pastor Johanna Thein ends.
A time in which a lot has changed in her life.
Poing - In the three and a half years that Johanna Thein has been in Poing, her life has changed a lot: She got married in church, three years ago her husband and she bought a dog, over a year ago (in March 2020) they have their long hair cut off for a good cause, their first child was born four months ago: Frederik.
And: She recently became a civil servant, her three-year trial period is over, Johanna Thein is a full pastor.
Poing: Farewell service on July 25th
A lot will change again in the next few weeks: After the three years that have already been set (to which six months have been added), Thein is leaving Poing again and moving to a place near the town of Lohr am Main in the Spessart.
On the coming Sunday, July 25th, she will be ceremoniously bid farewell in a church service (start: 2 p.m.) in the Evangelical Christ Church.
Poing is a very open community.
Pastor Johanna Thein
Born in Coburg as the daughter of a pastor, she studied in Erlangen, Münster and Bonn, and completed the vicariate (pastor training) in Schweinfurt.
Three and a half years ago she went to Poing.
"A very open congregation," says Johanna Thein about the place and the Protestant congregation, whose main pastor is Michael Simonsen.
Poing: Children's service online
Thein's focus was on children, young people and families.
This includes, among other things, the children's services as well as the confirmations, including preparation, and baptisms.
"For me it was like a playground, I was allowed to try out and do a lot," she says, also praising Pastor Simonsen, who gave her the freedom.
For example, for the children's services that she organized together with student Laura Heitkamp and continued during the Corona period.
As an online offer with various activities to take part in at home.
The pastor was also active in other areas, for example at the blackboard: "There I was also openly welcomed by the team."
Relocation from Poing to the Spessart
Now it is time to say goodbye to the 35-year-old, her term of office officially ends at the end of August. At the beginning of the month she will go on vacation and vacate her official apartment in Ottersberg (the parish of Pliening also belongs to the Protestant parish of Poing). Then it's time to go to the Spessart, where her husband will complete a year of recognition in the Bavarian State Service as a forester in order to become a state forester. She herself will first take a year of parental leave, says Thein. With her son Frederik, with whom she will associate memories of her time in Poing (for example walks and visits to the playground) as well as with her short hairstyle.