Link with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the North Elbe
Ely Diocese is linked in partnership and prayer with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the North Elbe [Nordelbishe Ev-Luth. Kirche NEK]. This Church was formed in 1977 as a confederation of the Lutheran Churches of the northern part of Germany and its 676 parishes include 2.4 million members. It covers an area of great contrasts with heavy industry and small family farms, busy ports and beautiful holiday resorts. It has a major world city, a centre of commerce and the media, and tiny rural communities. Most of its churches are ancient and often very beautiful buildings, some are startling examples of modern church architecture. They are concientiously and carefully maintained.
The Nordelbishekirche is divided into three dioceses.
- The City of Hamburg, - Bishofin Maria Jepsen
- The Schleswig Region, - Bishof Dr. Hans Christian Knuth
- Holstein-Lübeck, - Bishofin Bärbel Wartenberg-Potter
Ministry
The Church's ministry is carried out by ordained Pastors [fem: Pastorin] who care for the spiritual needs of their congregations. A vast amount of Church sponsored social work is carried out by the Diaconishewerke encompassing drug rehabilitation, homes for the elderly, Kindergartens, caring for the disabled, asylum seekers, etc. etc.
Establishing links
The partnership has grown up under the Meissen Agreement and has been established by annual visits of small parties of people from Ely and NEK usually in the autumn.
The link enables clergy to experience and learn from one another's ministries by Shadowing and Sharing - spending a few weeks in each other's parish.
Parishes can establish a Parish Link with a church in the other country so that friendships develop through prayer, discussion, shared holidays and visits. The following links are already being established:
Whittlesey & Lubeck-Schlutup
Warboys Group of Parishes & Christianskirche, Hamburg-Altona
Ely Team Ministry & Niebüll and Braderup
Comberton & Harrislee
Fenstanton & Michaeliskirche, Kiel-Hassee
Papworth Everard & Flensburg-Weiche
Outwell and Upwell & Walmstedt
West Walton & Kiel-Haltenau.
Those preparing for ministerial responsibility share meetings when the Ely Post-Ordination Training Programme and the Hamburg Vicaren & Vicarinen get together. Clergy from the partner churches have taken part in Ordination Services.
Young People have been accommodated by partner churches to improve their foreign language or experience the other country. International Youth Weekends are held in Michaeliskirche in Hamburg and German young people have improved their English on visits to Churches in the Ely Diocese.
Anyone wishing to get further information on any of these initiatives or on the link generally should write to:
Mr. William Saunders, The Diocesan Office, Barton Road, Ely, Cambs. CB7 4DX, United Kingdom. Email, marked "for the attention of William Saunders" may be sent to:
office@office.ely.anglican.org
Information supplied by Stephen Leeke
