Germany’s Lutheran Church has taken a bold step by barring members of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party from leadership roles, citing the party’s politics as incompatible with the church’s values.
The Evangelical Church of Central Germany, covering much of Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia and parts of Brandenburg and Saxony, announced this sweeping exclusion from positions such as parish councils.
“Anti-human, xenophobic, and anti-Church positions are incompatible with holding office either in a parish council or in other leadership positions of our church,” declared county bishop Friedrich Kramer at the opening of the autumn synod. He emphasized that membership in extremist parties directly violates the church’s constitution.
This decision aligns with assessments from local constitutional protection offices in Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia, which have labeled the AfD as a far-right group, according to Die Welt. Yet, Bishop Kramer reassured that “the church doors are still open to all people.”
Earlier this year, the church removed Pastor Martin Michaels, who had won a city council seat in Quedlinburg with AfD backing, despite running as a non-party candidate. Over the summer, the Magdeburg Catholic bishopric echoed a similar stance, banning AfD members from serving in church bodies.
Amid this growing opposition, Germany appears to be edging closer to an outright ban on the AfD, further isolating the party in both religious and political arenas.
