Simone Pottmann will be new Pröptin: Departure in the Altholstein church circle!

Simone Pottmann will be new Pröptin: Departure in the Altholstein church circle!

Neumünster, Deutschland - Simone Pottmann is elected as the new prince of the Altholstein church district. The municipality reached this gratifying news on Friday evening during a meeting in the Bugenhagenkirche in Neumünster. With 68 out of 75 votes from the synodal present, Pottmann received overwhelming approval. There were only four votes against them, while three synodals were contained.

The inauguration of the new places is planned for November 1, 2025. Pottmann thus succeeds Stefan Block, who retired on the Reformation Day last year after 23 years. Christian Kröger will head the church district temporarily until she took office.

an impressive career

The Rhinelander native qualified through extensive studies in theology at the universities in Marburg, Wuppertal and Bochum. Her professional career initially led her to the Ruhr University and later as a pastor to Essen as a research assistant. She has been a pastor of the Kaltenkirchen parish since 2010 and has been vice-president of the Altholstein Synod for seven years. In 2022, Pottmann was already a candidate for the Pröpfentin in the Rantzau-Münsterdorf church district, but had to give up at the time.

privately Pottmann is married and mother of two adult daughters. Your new home will be in the pastorate at the old churchyard in Neumünster. Family life and professional commitment seem to go hand in hand - a fact that is not only valued in your community.

The church district Altholstein and its challenges

The Altholstein church district has around 175,000 members and consists of a total of 53 communities. As a Pröpftin, Simone Pottmann will take over the spiritual direction for 30 parishes in the south of the church district. This significant responsibility not only requires a good knack for community work, but also defiant skill in the new role at the top.

Pottmann's election is also a sign of change in the church, because the role of women has changed in the course of the past decades. Historically grown, the ecumenical movement has contributed to the fact that women are taking on more and more pastoral tasks. The question of gender justice is currently more important than ever and Pottmann will also have to face this challenge. It is an exciting plaster on which it moves, because the story shows that in different churches access to spiritual offices has been increasingly open to women. The pastoral commitment of women is viewed by many as a necessary further development, which has also found their place in the Protestant ranks. Pottmann will now contribute its part to this ongoing development.

The synod president Dr. Jutta Lüttges and the Nordkirchen bishop Nora Steen did not miss the opportunity to congratulate Pottmann on their choice. The entire team of the Altholstein church district looks forward to the upcoming tasks and developments under the new places.