Nordelbische Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche

The Northelbian Church Office

The Northelbian Church Office is the administrative authority of the Northelbian Evangelical-Lutheran Church. It has its seat in Kiel but its jurisdiction is for both Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein.

The Northelbian Church Office advises the church districts and congregations in all legal matters and on all questions of organisation, finances and building administration as well as theological quest¬ions. It is also a supervisory authority and is comparable in many ways to the state administration. However it goes beyond that, sharing as it does in the tasks of spiritual leadership of the Northelbian Church. For it makes suggestions for measures to be taken by the Church Council, prepares draft resolutions for them, and carries out the decisions taken by them. The responsibility for pastor’s supervision and everything to do with pastors’ training and education and schools in general also lies with the Church Office.

The Northelbian Church Office has a collegiate constitution and is divided into Departments.
The Heads of Department are theologians and lawyers and the Head of the Building Department is an architect. Together with the President of the Northelbian Church Office, a lawyer, and two additionally appointed members they all make up the „Kollegium” of the Northelbian Church Office that decides on questions of fundamental importance, including the draft resolutions for the Church Council.

The aim of those who work in the Northelbian Church Office is perhaps best described in the words of the hymn by Detlev Block (Evangelisches Gesangbuch No. 639, verse 4): „Wir wollen gut verwalten, was Gott uns anvertraut, verantwortlich gestalten, was unsre Zukunft baut.“ (We wish to administer well what God has entrusted to us, shape and structure responsibly whatever builds our future). This is how the Northelbian Church Office understands its work in Northelbia and for the Northelbian Church.

Dr. Frauke Hansen-Dix

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