Nordelbische Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche

The Church Council

The voluntary Church Council governs the Northelbian Church within the framework of the laws and the decisions taken by the Synod. This is carried out with the support and in close cooperation with the Northelbian Church Office. The Church Council officially supervises the Northelbian Church Office and lays down principles for its activities.

The Church Council represents the Northelbian Church in church and public life. It can take public stands on church questions and questions of general interest. The Church Council is supported in this task by the press centre.

The Church Council has its seat in the Church Office in Kiel. Through the church liaison officers for Hamburg and Schleswig Holstein, contact is maintained to the Senate in Hamburg and the Regional Government in Schleswig Holstein. Ten members of the Synod elected from its midst are members of the Church Council, as well as the three bishops. Three members of the Church Council come from the group of employed staff and the group of pastors. The members of the Church Council elect one of the Bishops as the chairperson.

Among other things, the tasks of the Church Council are as follows:

• to present resolutions to the Synod and to take a stand on suggestions for resolutions coming out of the Synod,
• to develop principles for church planning and to coordinate regional projects,
• to determine the collection plan,
• to participate in the election of Bishops and Deans,
• to call the meetings of the Financial Committee of the Church Districts,
• to grant financial means in agreement with the Finance Committee within the framework of the budget plan accepted by the Synod.