Life's Daily Concerns in Context: Germany and the Global Scene

The Evangelical Church of Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia experienced a decrease in membership towards the end of 2024, according to recent data. The church, which extends from the Upper Spreewald to the Uckermark, had around 775,000 members, a decrease of 3.7% from the previous year.

Regions within the church saw varying degrees of decline. The Saxon part of the church saw a decrease from around 37,000 to 29,000 members, while Berlin saw a more significant drop, with membership decreasing from around 612,000 to 449,000 over the course of ten years.

In the Prenzlau region, specific data about the size of the evangelical community at the beginning of 2025 was not available in the search results. However, Carmen Jahnkow, a representative for Evangelical Religious Education in Barnim and Uckermark, estimated that there are approximately 2000 Christians in Prenzlau and the surrounding area.

Mayor Hendrik Sommer (independent) of Prenzlau visited Dr. Christian Stäblein during his chat action, a traditional event where the Bishop engages in conversation with people on site during the summer. The motto of this year's chat action was "Let's talk."

The event took place in the Prenzlau Market Square, where a tent was set up, which is not usually there. Despite the rainy weather on Tuesday, Dr. Christian Stäblein did not cancel his appointment or retreat to the nearby church.

During the chat action, Dr. Christian Stäblein discussed various problems with market visitors, including unemployment, poverty, armament, and war. He admitted that there was criticism of church affairs, particularly the rampant bureaucracy.

Mayor Sommer, who announced that he will start cutting the meter stick from Wednesday (3rd September) after 16 years in office, was also present at the chat action.

The Catholic Archdiocese of Berlin also reported a decrease in membership, with just over 351,000 believers at the end of 2024, a decrease of around 11,000 from the previous year.

Many more people are using offers like services, concerts, and other events in the churches, according to Carmen Jahnkow. This suggests that while membership may be decreasing, the church is still attracting people through its various activities. The regional church has given itself the claim "EKBO - Evangelical in the East."