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Krefeld/Meerbusch. The new chair of the Working Group of Christian Churches (ACK) in Krefeld and Meerbusch is Superintendent Dr. Barbara Schwahn. For the first time since 2009, the ecumenical body is chaired by a Protestant. The newly elected board also includes members from the various denominations: Hans-Joachim Hofer (Roman Catholic), (Bettina Steinhaus (Adventist) and Wolfgang Wegener (New Apostolic Church). Klaus-Norbert Kremers (Roman Catholic), who has been on the board for six years was a member, four years as chairman, could no longer stand for statute reasons.The ACK members bid him farewell with great thanks for his extraordinary commitment.Dr George Melel from the Baptists is also no longer a member of the board.
“It is important to me that all members of the ACK, the congregations and churches from which they come, get to know each other better,” says Superintendent Schwahn. “That we tell each other what moves us in our faith communities, but also deal with it theologically.” It is important for the ACK to deal with questions in Krefeld and Meerbusch and less with the situation of the churches and communities in their countries of origin, where partly conflicts exist.
In December, the ACK in Krefeld and Meerbusch celebrated its 75th anniversary with a festive service in the Friedenskirche in Krefeld. It is the first and oldest ACK in Germany.
In May, the ACK will take part in the “Ecumenism on / in the river” campaign in Krefeld and Meerbusch. From August 31, the 11th General Assembly of the World Council of Churches will take place in Karlsruhe – for the first time on German soil. In the run-up to this, there will be a bicycle relay of local, ecumenical pilgrimage routes organized by the Evangelical Church in the Rhineland and the ACK in North Rhine-Westphalia. A pilgrim’s staff will be passed from ACK to ACK down the Rhine from Emmerich to Karlsruhe. The pilgrim’s staff will be taken over by a group from Duisburg through the ACK in Krefeld and Meerbusch on Saturday, May 14th and passed on in Düsseldorf on Sunday, May 15th.
The ACK in Krefeld and Meerbusch
Today, more than 20 different faith communities and representatives of the network of foreign language communities in Krefeld participate in the bi-monthly gathering at the ACK Krefeld and Meerbusch. To this end, the congregations are involved in various joint activities, such as the ecumenical service on the Day of Repentance and Prayer, organization of the Night of Open Churches in Krefeld, procession over the Krefeld walls, declarations of solidarity on November 9th and more. The board, consisting of four representatives from the different communities, is elected every two years.
