Merger of the congregations: A new pastor for Cologne-Rodenkirchen!

Merger of the congregations: A new pastor for Cologne-Rodenkirchen!

An exciting change is imminent for the Protestant church in the south of Cologne. As part of a comprehensive merger process, the Evangelical parishes of Rodenkirchen, Rondorf and Sürth-Weiß will form a joint congregation on January 1, 2026. The new name will be Evangelical Church Community Cologne-Rodenkirchen. This historic step was honored with a solemn service on September 25, 2025 in the Church of the Redeemer in Rodenkirchen, at which Superintendent Dr. Bernhard Seiger, Pastor Simon Manderla, Pastor Gregor Wiebe and Pastor Michael Miehe were present, as reported by kirche-koeln.de.

The merger process, as part of the necessary transformation in the church landscape, is not a surprising event. The merger was announced in December 2023, but initially without a set schedule. The circumstances in the individual communities speak for themselves: The Rondorf parish is faced with the challenge that Pastor Roman Michelfelder is moving to Norway on July 31, 2024 and the position can no longer be filled, while Pastor Gerald Warnecke from Sürth-Weiß is retiring on June 30, 2025. These developments made the merger inevitable - also because the regional church only plans to have two pastors in the region by 2030. At the same time, the need for cooperation to strengthen the Protestant Church was a central theme, as described in the article by Michael Miehe on erloeserkirche-rodenkirchen.de.

A new beginning

The introduction of Manderla and Wiebe in Rodenkirchen is more than just filling offices. They represent a new beginning that is intended to strengthen trust in future cooperation. Both pastors will continue to serve in their previous congregations until the merger, as Superintendent Seiger emphasized in his speech. He was particularly pleased to note that the merger process had gone well so far and that there was therefore reason to be happy. At the introductory sermon, Manderla and Wiebe preached about the various gifts that work in the community, based on 1 Corinthians (Chapter 12, 4-11).

Another important point that both pastors touched on is the flexibility and agility that is desired for the new congregation. In addition, after the service there was a meeting in the community hall, which was the former church hall of the Rodenkirchen parish. A wonderful place to have a conversation in a relaxed atmosphere and get used to the new times.

Merger process and challenges

As with many mergers, there are great emotions and some fears. The merger process is supported by the Evangelical Church in the Rhineland (EKiR) and includes several phases ranging from approach to implementation. Particularly in view of the declining number of members and the financial conditions, exchange between communities is important. The contribution of experts in topics such as identity, communication and finance is perceived as essential in order to reduce insecurities and fears, as evangelisch.de discusses.

The regional group's regular meetings since April 2024 have brought new dynamics to the merger process. The aim is to jointly develop a concept that describes the basic principles and priorities of future community work, in which employees can keep their jobs but possibly find new areas of work. All of these steps are intended to contribute to successfully proclaiming the gospel in the future.