The chair of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), Kirsten Fehrs, will not run for re-election as chair after her current term. “I will hold the office for three years, then the next chair will come” she told the “Tagesspiegel” (Tuesday).
Regarding the question of her predecessor’s resignation, the EKD chair said, “I would have definitely preferred that this question never arose.”
Looking back on her recent re-election, Fehrs explained that the office is not always easy: “I was ready to say in 2021 that I can imagine holding this honorary office under certain circumstances. The decision to stand for re-election was not easy, but consistent.” The office means “a lot of responsibility and, honestly, also a burden.” As chair, she has to represent positions that have been worked out in long processes. “That is okay. It is, however, challenging. Sometimes I would like to express myself more strongly.”
Even on the topic of abuse, it is not always easy. “Who, like me, intensively deals with the topic of sexualized violence, always makes themselves vulnerable” Fehrs said. “It can always happen that mistakes are made, even when one acts with the best of intentions and conscience. There is no alternative to acting, though.” If one wants to be entirely secure, people won’t trust them. “Maintaining a course in this tension is challenging. There are people who, as a representative of an institution, pour their anger on me. Having to endure this is also part of the reality.