15/10/2023
Communiqué
The Meissen Commission of the Church of England and the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) met for the 33rd meeting from October 12 to 15, 2023, in Loccum, under the leadership of Co-Chairs, the Rt Revd Dr. Jonathan Gibbs (CofE) and Landesbischof Ralf Meister (EKD). We are grateful for the hospitality of the Academy and the Abbey at Loccum, and to the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Hanover for hosting a reception.
In light of the rise and challenges of populism, the theme was ‘Endangered Democracy and the Role of Churches’. The purpose of the meeting was to reaffirm the key role churches play in society to strengthen and safeguard democracy. Three key inputs were given by Prof. Dr. Philip Manow (University of Bremen), Dr. Hilke Rebenstorf (EKD), and theologian and publicist Dr. Horst Gorski.
At the reception, we were honoured to be joined by Barbara Otte-Kinast (CDU), Vice President of the Lower Saxony State Parliament, who gave a speech on the shared responsibility of church and state to protect democracy.
The meeting also included a visit to the museum in Hanover and a guided tour of the exhibition ‘About Golden Carriages and colonial past – Hanover, England and Slavery’. The meeting concluded with the participants joining the community of the Marktkirche for a Eucharistic service, with Bishop Gibbs presiding and Bishop Meister preaching.
15 October 2023
The Rt Revd Dr Jonathan Gibbs and Landesbischof Ralf Meister