Never before have there been so many people leaving the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria as in the past year - this trend is also noticeable in the Weilheim-Schongau district.
In a study, Pastor Jost Herrmann from Schongau looks at why the Christian institution is losing its importance and what can be done about it.
Schongau
- The numbers speak for themselves.
With 48,542 resignations, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria reached a low point last year - never before have so many people turned their backs on the institution.
Around 20 interested people found their way to Pastor Jost Herrmann's presentation of his new study "Church in a secularized society - how individualization has permanently changed the face of the church and will continue to change it" in the Schongau evangelical community center.
If you look around, the facts in Herrmann's work are confirmed: There is a lack of youngsters.
Only two young faces can be seen.
Pastor Julia Steller and Till Twardy, leader of the singing group, excepted.
They belong to the “inner circle”, so to speak.
Otherwise it is also clear: you know each other, mainly the hard core came.
Nevertheless, Herrmann is happy about the participation: "The target group is those who take the time to read a rather demanding typeface and to be part of it today."
People change, the church doesn't keep up
The pastor explains at the beginning that he always feels like working on something.
And this topic even affects him himself. “What is the reason for leaving the church?
Did we do something wrong or is it not our fault?” Herrmann then throws these questions around.
"Yes!" It immediately echoes from the second row.
People would change and the church would take too much time with change.
“Stop!” the pastor countered immediately.
Before the discussion, he wanted to present his study.
Various reasons for leaving
He consulted literature from 2017 onwards.
Four keywords would define postmodern society: individualization, secularization, globalization and digitization.
To devote yourself to all four points would be “melomaniac”, Herrmann admits.
That's why he focused on individualization, a social change in the past 60 years.
The reasons for leaving are manifold in the evangelical church.
The church tax comes first.
After all, most people leave the church with their first salary – and the first church tax.
But the money is only a background problem.
It is more of an alienation that takes place beforehand.
The young Christian asks himself: "What am I actually paying for if I don't use the offer anyway?" So a sober cost-benefit calculation.
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Around 20 believers were interested in the lecture by Jost Herrmann, pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran parish of Schongau.
© Lehmann
For Catholics, the disclosure of cases of abuse is also the top priority.
In both denominations, bad personal experiences are usually not a reason.
Voluntary work is declining – not only in the church context.
This also has something to do with the consequences of individualization.
"For many decades, community life was carried out by women," says Herrmann.
Due to the equality of women and the opportunity to practice one's own profession, voluntary activities have become less attractive.
"At this point, I promised my wife and daughter that I would say explicitly that I think equality is good," says Herrmann with a smile.
The topic of “funerals” is also on the decline.
Fewer and fewer Christians would be buried in a church because their descendants have left the church.
But not only the young, but also the age group between 41 and 60 years of age are increasingly turning their backs on the institution.
For many, Christmas services are the only contact with the church
However, the numbers have nothing to do with a lively or rather passive community.
“There is no connection across Bavaria.
If so, then for the entries, which you can see from the baptism numbers," emphasizes Herrmann.
The bond with the church is greatest during the confirmation period.
From the young people and also from the parents.
After that, the Christmas service was "great for us", because for many this was the only contact with the church for years.
"So we have to build on the baptism in order to be able to welcome little Max to the community," the burials are even more important.
Here there is the opportunity to pay tribute to the deceased and to include them in something “bigger”.
In return, one is also ready to respond to the special requests of the believers.
For example, Christian hymns are no longer in demand.
Instead, interpreters like Andreas Gabalier.
But it stops with the song “Highway to Hell” by AC/DC.
"I'm not going to do that anymore," says Herrmann with a smile.
“The passives just haven’t left”
Colleague Steller is particularly open here.
After all, she recently buried the "biggest fan" of the Kastelruther Spatzen.
"Embedded in a Christian context, it was a very moving funeral service," she emphasizes.
According to Herrmann's research, what is traditional and untouchable in the church is simply no longer in demand.
It used to be different.
Just 20 to 30 years ago, believers were much more active.
"And the passive ones just haven't left," says Herrmann.
With the development of the individual and the growth of wealth, one now has so many more options.
Although the effects of individualization are to be welcomed from a theological point of view, because every human life is "infinitely valuable", it also brings with it a lot of stress.
Stress from decisions that have to be made.
Do I find my salvation in church or rather in the yoga studio?
Now something special is required
Many people built their own beliefs together.
A bit of Christianity, a little Buddhism and also Muslim values are finding their way.
Nothing seems more important than the "I".
"We baby boomers work until we drop, young people ask themselves: why actually?" This is how Pastor Herrmann explains the trend towards the four-day week, for example.
Something special is always in demand, so weddings are meticulously planned two years in advance.
Because only those who come up with something are respected.
"Accordingly, we also have to come up with something," Herrmann continues.
And that's what the pastor is looking for in the so-called "Second Program".
In addition to the normal church service, for example, cell phone church services, church services for lovers or dwarf church services are offered.
“We are fortunate to have a congregation and a church council that are willing to do this.” Elsewhere it might have been: “What, without an organ but with a church band?
Impossible!"
Faith has a lot to do with home
Herrmann's consensus: it is not the members that have to adapt to the church, but the church to the believers.
For example, there is no longer an obligation to attend the Sunday service.
Instead, Sunday is more and more used for family and couple time, which is also due to the fact that a lot is expected of people in a professional context these days.
The willingness to move or to commute and to work at night or on public holidays are just a few keywords.
In general, a move should not be underestimated.
“Faith has a lot to do with home.
And many believers often do not feel at home in the new place.” Here, too, it is important to build on.
As unobtrusively as possible, of course.
The proposed home visits to newcomers from the audience were not well received by the team of pastors.
"Showing up unannounced these days and then wanting to be invited in - a very sensitive thing," says Herrmann.
Download study
In a subsequent round of questions, words such as "more media presence", "proselytizing", "search for meaning" and the "field of tension between individualization and arbitrariness" were used.
“We need more input, we need other thinking minds in order to be able to become the welcoming congregation that we want to be,” Pastor Steller encourages the visitors in their reflections.
However, a final and viable solution was not found that evening either.
However, the will to set off into new times of faith is a first step.
Perhaps the church can turn things around.
It remains to be seen how this can be implemented in an aging Christian community.
In any case, Pastor Jost Herrmann made the serious topic accessible in the usual charismatic way – and with relaxed sayings.
It just has to get out into this secularized world full of individuals.
The study is available for download
under this link: believebergehoffnung.de/kirche-in-einer-saekularisiert-gesellschaft/
SABINE LEHMANN
By the way: everything from the region is also available in our regular Schongau newsletter.
And in our Weilheim-Penzberg newsletter.
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