New newsletter from the Uelzen church district: Advent projects and personnel changes

New newsletter from the Uelzen church district: Advent projects and personnel changes

At the end of the year, the Uelzen Evangelical Lutheran Church District is looking at various significant developments. A newsletter was published on November 29, 2025, providing an outlook for the coming months. It highlights projects, structural changes and personnel changes that will play a particularly important role during Advent and Christmas. The theologian Wolfgang Reinbold puts it in a nutshell:“Advent is not just for Christians.”This underlines the invitation to spend the weeks before Christmas consciously and to take advantage of the offers in the church district. Readers are cordially invited to actively participate in the events and thus get in the mood for the upcoming festival.

Focus on Uganda

A central project of the newsletter is the “Clean water on your doorstep” donation project run by the “Bread for the World” organization in Uganda, which is being implemented in collaboration with ACORD (Agency for Cooperation and Research in Development). The plan is to build 384 rainwater tanks, each with 10,000 liters for families, as well as 12 tanks with 20,000 liters for schools and parishes. The goal is to give over 12,000 people access to clean water. ACORD also supports small farming families and trains young people in building energy-saving stoves. The aim for this important project is a fundraising target of 80,000 euros, based on the successful results of a previous project in Vietnam, which raised over 103,192 euros.

In addition, upcoming changes in the church structure are pointed out. From January 1, 2026, six parishes, including the Drei-Ritter parishes, Himbergen, Römstedt and Bevensen-Medingen, will enter into a parish connection. This long-term measure is a response to declining membership numbers and the shortage of skilled workers, which not only affects the regional church, but also reflects a general phenomenon in society.

Financial perspectives and personal details

With regard to finances, the Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Regional Church of Hanover is addressing the future. It recommends continuing a comprehensive future process to reduce spending by 30 percent by 2035. The current budget amounts to around 740 million euros, which illustrates the urgency of administrative reforms and adapted personnel and financial planning.

Some important changes are coming in terms of personnel. Ingrid Buß will be relieved of her duties as lecturer after 50 years of service, while Julia Stolze will be introduced as a lecturer. In addition, Pastor Ricarda Rabe will move to the Syke-Hoya church district from December 1, 2025, and Pastor Manuel Ziggel will return to Uelzen from February 1, 2026. Pastor Hermann-Georg Meyer will retire on December 28th, closing an era in the church district.

Advent events and ecumenical exchange

The Advent season is also characterized by numerous events. The Wishing Tree in the city collects gifts for children from low-income families, and St. Mary's Church invites you to small concerts with open singing. Advent services take place in the Epiphany Church in Bad Bevensen, as well as a nativity scene exhibition in the Holy Spirit Chapel and many other offers that bring the communities together and allow them to celebrate the upcoming festival in advance.

From an ecumenical perspective, the 75th anniversary of the SELK Christ Church is particularly highlighted. Pastor Robert Mogwitz describes the Christ Church as a sign of hope and new beginnings, which illustrates the diverse and integrative aspects of the faith community in Uelzen.

The newsletter of the Uelzen church district wishes everyone a peaceful Advent season and a blessed Christmas. In a time when lights are shining brighter and hearts are opening, community becomes even more important.