Heinrich Bedford-Strohm resigns in 2023 after twelve years as Bavarian state bishop. He was not able to implement all of his plans, he says in the dpa interview. And one thing in particular hurts him.

Munich (dpa / lby) – The evangelical bishop of Bavaria, Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, suffers from the fact that so many people are turning their backs on his church. “Of course it hurts me that the trend towards higher numbers leaving the church could not be stopped,” said the 62-year-old of the German Press Agency. “It will be a long time before young people in particular see the church more as a home and as a place where they can get a solid basis for their lives.”

Bedford-Strohm is entering his final year as Bishop and will resign in October 2023. By the end of September, 26 suggestions had been received for his successor. 61 church councils, associations, parish chapters and synods took part in the proposals, some people had been proposed by several parties.

At its meeting on January 27, 2023, the election preparation committee is to decide on a final election proposal of at least two and a maximum of six people. This proposal is then made known to the 108 Synodal members. On March 27, the state synod is to elect a successor – for whom great challenges await.

“Because of the large retirement years and the decreasing number of members, we will have to save 189 million euros in real terms by 2030,” said Bedford-Strohm.

According to him, churches also had to be closed under pressure to save: “We had to dedicate churches. I myself have the church that my father built in 1968 as a pastor in a new district and in which I then grew up and had formative experiences, in a service It was painful, but unavoidable, because the costs, such as for fire protection, renovation and ecological suitability, were simply no longer affordable,” he said.

“But we will try as far as possible to avoid such de-dedications, especially in the case of old churches that carry centuries of blessing within their walls.” For example, talks are also being held with the Catholic Church about the extent to which “we can use buildings more ecumenically together”.

For years, Bedford-Strohm was the face of Protestants in Germany. In 2011 he became Bishop of Bavaria and three years later Chairman of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD). In November 2021 he gave up the presidency.