Wednesday, May 07, 2025

Meanwhile in Germany

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) have much in common as you shall see from the following report by Javier Villamor at The European Conservative,

As the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) prepares for its biennial Kirchentag conference from April 30 to May 4, 2025, the focus is less on Scripture and more on identity politics. With some 1,500 scheduled events, the gathering reads more like an activist festival than a spiritual retreat—featuring workshops on “queer animals on the Ark,” “feminist parenting,” and “critical whiteness.”

The “Queer Animals” event is actually intended as an “interactive worship experience” for kids and families. Presumably, German Evangelicals are perfectly happy with this sort of thing being taught to their children (if they have any). Maybe the story of Noah has undergone some form of imaginative reinterpretation—perhaps the lions are now non-binary?

For mothers seeking guidance, there’s “New Moms for Rebel Girls,” a session dedicated to feminist child-rearing strategies. It seems even parenting advice must now pass through the lens of ideological activism.

Another session, “Be Brave and Strong,” offers “empowerment” exclusively for BIPoC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) children. Presumably, “indigenous” does not mean “White European,” even in a German context. The workshop is led by a self-described “anti-racism and empowerment trainer.”.

Those not “affected by racism” are invited to attend a three-hour workshop on “Critical Whiteness”—a guilt-heavy exercise for those born with the wrong skin tone. Meanwhile, diversity-themed games and readings will occupy a full day, featuring books and stories like “Simply Nina”, which charts the journey of a child who “feels trapped in the wrong body.”

While the Church invests its energy in this sort of ideological rebranding, its pews are emptying fast. In 2024 alone, EKD membership dropped by 586,000 to around 18 million. In 2003, by comparison, there were over 25 million. The decline shows no sign of slowing.

Don't see the similarities between the ELCA and the EKD? Just check out the ELCA's web pages

I understand that the German language is sometimes difficult to translate, but in any language believe it when I say, "Don't evangelize a false gospel for if you do, you will fail."


1 comment:

  1. Katherine7:50 AM

    Martin Luther is spinning in his grave. I visited a radical ELCA congregation a few years ago, with a friend, and I was appalled.

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