Christianity - Large cities continue to report hundreds of people leaving the church
Once again this year, hundreds of people in the three major cities of Saxony-Anhalt have declared their resignation from the Protestant or Catholic church. In the state capital, 505 people had left the church by December 15, compared to 590 the previous year, explained a city spokesperson. The reason given was that fewer appointments for the necessary visits to the authorities could be made in the past three months.
The city of Halle recorded a total of 657 people leaving the church by 15 December, compared to 721 in 2022 as a whole, according to a spokesperson. However, the developments by denomination varied: in 2022, there had been 247 resignations from the Protestant church, this year the number had risen to 452 by mid-December. In contrast, 474 Catholics had declared their resignation last year, this year it was 204. One resignation related to other religions.
According to a spokesperson, 107 declarations of withdrawal from the church were recorded in Dessau-Roßlau this year. In 2022, the total was 137.
Last year, 615,855 people belonged to the Evangelical Church in Central Germany (EKM), which mainly comprises congregations in Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia, but also some in Saxony and Brandenburg. The number fell by 21,794 church members compared to the previous year (2021: 637,649). According to the EKM, 9666 people left the church last year - compared to 7678 in the previous year.
The Evangelical Church of Anhalt currently has around 26,250 members and is one of the smallest regional churches. The Catholic diocese of Magdeburg has around 73,760 Catholics. The number of resignations last year was just under 1500, and there were also around 760 funerals.
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- Despite the high number of church resignations in Saxony-Anhalt, other municipalities in nearby Saxony have also reported a decrease in church membership.
- In the city of Dessau-Roßlau, which is located in the eastern part of Saxony-Anhalt, the number of people leaving the church this year has been lower compared to 2022.
- At the turn of the year, many churches in Dessau-Roßlau-Rosslau-area might consider strategies to keep their members and attract new ones, as many historical churches become tourist attractions, turning the 'Exit church' into an 'Enter attraction'.
- The Catholic Church in Saxony-Anhalt is closely monitoring the trend of church resignations and is planning to invest in faith-based educational programs in local municipalities to promote Christianity and strengthen religious affiliations.
- Leaving the church could potentially have unintended consequences for individuals who may miss out on the benefits and social support systems offered by the Catholic Church in places like Dessau-Roßlau and other municipalities throughout Saxony-Anhalt.
Source: www.stern.de
