

Evangelische Kirche im Rheinland KdöR
Evangelische Kirche im Rheinland (EKiR) – one of the largest member churches of the Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland (EKD) – combines spiritual life with social responsibility. With over 600 congregations in 37 church districts, its area of activity extends from Emmerich to Saarbrücken and includes parts of North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and Hesse[^1^].
Core Areas and Mission
editAs a community with the mission to proclaim the Gospel, the EKiR stands for faith in God, commitment to the Bible and the design of worship services, prayers and central festivals such as Christmas and Easter. It accompanies people in existential phases of life through baptisms, confirmations, weddings and funerals[^2^]. In addition to spiritual practice, the church is involved in diaconal and socio-political fields, including pastoral care, church music and educational work[^3^].
Structure and Networking
editThe EKiR relies on modern infrastructure and ecumenical partnerships:
- Digital Tools: A central portal with e-mail system, cloud storage, video conferencing tools (Jitsi/Hello) and secure messenger (RocketChat) supports full-time and volunteer staff in their work[^4^].
- International Cooperation: Through the Vereinte Evangelische Mission (VEM), it maintains partnerships, for example in the Köln-Bonn region, and is committed to global justice, environmental protection and peace work[^5^].
- Educational Initiatives: Current collaborations with schools strengthen international student exchanges through sustainable networks and relieving structures for teachers[^6^].
Sustainability and Innovation
editThe church anchors sustainability specifically in its practice:
- Energy Controlling: Regular building analyses and climate profiles promote transparent environmental management[^7^].
- Digitalization: Through review management tools and AI-supported projects (e.g. the “KI-Martin-Luther-Avatar”), it designs contemporary communication[^8^].
- Educational Cooperations: A Barcamp in August 2024 in Bonn will focus on digitalization, AI and social media as impulses for church work[^9^].
With its holistic approach, the EKiR combines traditional community life with innovative solutions – always oriented towards the guiding principle of responsibly carrying faith into society.
[^1^]: Basic information on the geographical and structural division
[^2^]: Description of the core events and rituals
[^3^]: Diaconal and socio-political priorities
[^4^]: IT infrastructure according to intranet and portal description
[^5^]: International partnership work of the VEM region Köln-Bonn
[^6^]: Current educational projects from the updates
[^7^]: Energy controlling strategies from the PDF document
[^8^]: Digital initiatives and AI projects from the updates
[^9^]: Barcamp announcement and priorities
(Note: The superscript numbers [^1^]–[^9^] are used here for clarity. In the final version, these will be replaced by integrated text.)
Scope: The description comprises approx. 2,450 characters.
Note on Formatting:
- Boldings highlight key terms.
- Enumerations structure complex issues.
- Links are hypothetically integrated to illustrate real use cases.
Timeliness: The information refers to the status in 2023/2024 and integrates recent initiatives such as the Barcamp (August 2024) and the AI projects.
Sources:
edit- 1 - https://www2.ekir.de/inhalt/wirtschaftliche-beteiligungen-von-kirchengemeinden/
- 2 - https://www2.ekir.de/inhalt/informationsfluss-und-zugang-zum-intranet-der-ekir/
- 3 - https://evangelisch-an-lahn-und-dill.de/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Energiecontrolling-und-Gebaeude-Klimasteckbrief_09-2021.pdf
- 4 - http://www.zwischenrufe-diskussion.de/pages/ekir/corporate-identity.php
- 5 - https://www.vemission.org/mitmachen/der-regionale-dienst/region-koeln-bonn