Help shape the church of tomorrow today

Created: 01/13/2022, 10:00 AM

Advertise for the parish council election: (from left) Klaus Kriegisch, pastors Engelbert Birkle and Norbert Moy.

© Gronau

Over 8000 Christians are called in Weilheim to run for the parish council and to vote.

According to Norbert Moy, your commitment will be a question of survival for the church as an institution.

Weilheim

- "How we Christians help shape and determine our church will be a question of survival for the church as an institution," says Norbert Moy.

The chairman of the parish council of the parish community in Weilheim sees the world in a "very dynamic social upheaval" that requires the commitment of Christians.

"The fact that the people are down there and are told what's going on is no longer the case today," said Moy, "the world is now ticking differently." It is important to strengthen democracy from below.

With this in mind, he hopes to find a large number of candidates who want to participate in the parish council in the development of the parishes.

In addition, a strong participation in the election of the new parish council could send an important signal in society.

Nominations until January 23rd

Moy sees the three greatest successes that were achieved with the participation of the parish council in the reorientation of the divine services with a varied offer, in the establishment of the baptismal meeting for parents who want to have their children baptized, and in the celebrations of Christmas and Easter “outside “In response to the challenges of the pandemic.

Until Sunday, January 23rd, the members of the four parishes in the Weilheim community still have the opportunity to make nominations.

In the churches there are slips of paper near the entrance on which you can write your suggestions.

A collection container stands next to it.

Anyone can propose, and any member of the parish community can propose.

Immediately after the submission deadline, a check is carried out to determine whether the nominees are eligible to run.

Candidates must be at least 16 years old on election day and be members of the respective parish.

If these conditions are met, the people are asked whether they are ready to run.

If so, your name will be put on the ballot paper.

Postal voting is also possible

According to the election committee, Klaus Kriegisch will be elected on Sunday, March 20, in the churches, before and after the services.

The exact times will be announced.

Anyone who expects that they will not be able to vote in person can request the postal voting documents from the parish office with immediate effect.

All parish members who are at least 14 years old on election day are allowed to vote.

In terms of voting age, the church is “decades ahead” of politics, according to Moy.

3G: money, land and buildings

The parish community was founded in 2001 and, according to the parish priest Engelbert Birkle, today has around 9800 members. The first joint parish council was formed eight years ago, according to Moy. The large number of members soon turned out to be a problem as the work became cumbersome. Therefore, four years ago, the number of members was limited to 14. These are elected separately by the parishes according to proportional representation in the parish council. The Assumption of Mary has seven representatives, St. Pölten three, Deutenhausen / Marnbach two and Unterhausen also two. According to Moy, this means that in the next four years there will again be a “slim parish council with 14 lay people”, who can work efficiently in a tried and tested manner.

In addition to the parish council, there is another body of lay people, the church administration with the church curator as chairman.

She is responsible for the "3G", ie for money, land and buildings.

Each church foundation has its own church administration, regardless of an association of parishes.

Alfred Schubert