Christa Schrauf confirmed as President of the Kaiserswerther Generalkonferenz

Published on 22.04.2016

The Executive Committee of the Kaiserswerther Generalkonferenz (KGK) re-elected Christa Schrauf as their President for the years 2016-2021 as well as Anke Frickmann and Terttu Pohjolainen as Vice Presidents.

In 2013, Pastor Mag. Christa Schrauf was elected as successor for Swiss Pastor Christof Naef for the remaining term of office until the end of 2015 and was now confirmed in her office as the President of the Kaiserswerther Generalkonferenz. Christa Schrauf has been Rector and Chairwoman of the Board of Evangelisches Diakoniewerk Gallneukirchen since 2008. With more than 3500 employees, this enterprise is the largest diaconal employer in Austria. Since 2014, Christa Schrauf has also been a member of the German network "Women in Management in Church and Diakonie".

"Because of its way of encounter, hospitality and practiced solidarity, the international network based on the Kaiserswerth model is more important than ever in a world full of complex challenges", said Christa Schrauf after she was elected. "Thinking outside the box, as it has been proven to be successful for 155 years, will also be one of our powerful characteristics in the future and will bring people together who, feeling guided by Jesus Christ, act according to diaconal principles and live for an inclusive society."

Senior Sister Anke Frickmann (Bielefeld, Germany) and Deaconess Terttu Pohjolainen (Lahti, Finland) were elected Vice Presidents.
The KGK Executive Committee also addressed the upcoming diaconal study tour to Poland from September 21 through 25, 2016. The plan has the participants learn about several diaconal fields of activities in Wroclaw. The diaconal study day at the Mother House Eben Ezer in Dzi?gielów will, among others, be accompanied by the retired President of EWDE (Protestant Agency for Diakonie and Development) Pastor K.-D. Kottnik and by Director Wanda Falk, General Secretary of the Diakonia of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Poland. The Executive Committee furthermore decided the organization of a diaconal study tour to visit American hospitals in the following year.

Dr. Stephan Iro, Member of the High Consistory, explained to the members of the Executive Committee the relationship between state and church in Germany as well as the tasks of the Representative of the Council of the Protestant Church in Germany (EKD) in the Federal Republic of Germany and the European Union. They include tasks relating to spiritual care and church service for politicians, tasks of a social advocate for the sick, the disabled or refugees and lobbying for the church in general, said the deputy of the Representative.

Besides a retrospective look at last year's 42nd General Conference in Gallneukirchen, the agenda also included the future work of the KGK and the realization of the proposals of the Project Work Group "International Cooperation". During a joint work session with the board of the Kaiserswerther Verband (KWV), information was provided about the self-conception of the Kaiserswerther Verband and its about 70 diaconal communities and organizations in Germany, which was approved by the KWV General Assembly.

The 43rd Kaiserswerther Generalkonferenz will take place in Bielefeld in 2018 at the invitation of the Chairman of the Board of the von Bodelschwinghschen Stiftungen Bethel, Pastor Ulrich Pohl.

The Kaiserswerther Generalkonferenz is an association of more than 100 Deaconess Houses, diaconal communities and diaconal organizations from Europe, Nord and South America, Asia and Africa. Members of the Executive Committee of the KGK are: Rector Mag. Christa Schauf (AT), Deaconess Terttu Pohjolainen (FI), Mother Superior Rollaug Waaler (NO), Director Marek Londzin (PL), Sister Melinda L. Lando (North America), Chapter Provost Jürgen Stobbe (G-North), Sen. Sr. Deaconess Anke Frickmann (G-West), Sen. Sr. Roswitha Buff (G-South), Chief HR Officer / Mother Superior Dr. Gundula Grießmann (G-East), Proxy Karsten Stüber (G-East), Theol. Chairman Pastor Klaus Riesenbeck (G-West), Rector Pastor Annette Goll (F), KR Dr. Christine-Ruth Müller (Secretary General).

Berlin/Bern on April 22, 2016

Media contact:
Thomas Flügge, Press Spokesman
Tel.: +41 79 6401902
E-mail: presse@kaiserswerther-verband.de

Contact:
KR Dr. Christine-Ruth Müller
Managing Director of the Kaiserswerther Verband and Secretary General of the Kaiserswerther Generalkonferenz
Landhausstrasse 10, 10717 Berlin
Tel. +49 30 8642 4170
E-mail: verband@kaiserswerther-verband.de