Köthen (dpa/sa) – The Evangelical Church of Anhalt wants to operate with a larger budget next year. The plan envisages income and expenditure of 18.3 million euros for 2023 after currently 17.9 million euros, the regional church announced on Saturday at the autumn conference of the regional synod in Köthen (Anhalt-Bitterfeld district). Among other things, 5.63 million euros are to come from church taxes, 3.73 million euros from the financial equalization of the Evangelical Church in Germany and 1.75 million euros from renting and leasing.
“We don’t have to dig into the reserves and can catch some air,” said finance director and senior church councilor Franziska Bönsch, according to the announcement. She announced that she would like to set up a double budget from 2024. This offers more leeway, but synodal participation must also be guaranteed in the new rhythm, it said.
Furthermore, there was a decision to facilitate postal voting for the upcoming elections of the parish church councils in the coming year in order to get more people to vote. The five Anhalt church districts were strengthened by church president Joachim Liebig, according to the information that their future is not in question against the background of ongoing structural changes. “They make local administration easier, people identify with them.”
The Anhalt Church is one of the smallest regional churches in Germany, but insists on independence. According to its own statements, it has 27,500 members in 1,300 parishes.