The Evangelical Church called for “just peace” in a memorandum. We must be clear about “what goes beyond defense capabilities,” said EDK Board Chair Bishop Kirsten Fehrs.
11/10/2025 | 6:52 min
A big bombshell came from the Evangelical Church this Monday: As part of the EKD Synod, the church published its peace warning, breaking with the traditions of the peace movement.
This peace commemoration is the third time. The EKD published similar papers in 1981 and 2007. This memorandum builds on both, but sets different priorities.
…published by the Council of Evangelical Churches in Germany, the highest governing body of the EKD. It is intended as a basis for discourse and was created in a process initiated by the EKD Synod in 2022. It wants to start an ethical debate, positioning itself as a Protestant voice in social discourse, contributing to the formation of conscience and calling for individual ethical responsibility within the horizon of understanding Protestant-Christian values.
The current peace memorial consists of nearly 150 pages and is entitled “A World in Chaos – Focus on Just Peace. An Evangelical Ethic of Peace in the Face of New Challenges”.
Evangelical Church: Now creating peace with weapons?
The Evangelical Church stands in a long tradition of the peace movement, whose motto “making peace without weapons” was formative. As recently as 2019, he stuck to his pacifist stance and called for a restructuring of the Bundeswehr and a reduction in military spending. However, this attitude was shaken by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
I know that discourse upsets many people. Me, too. Many of us have been involved in peace movements for years. Me, too.
Kirsten Fehrs, EKD Board Chair
The consequence: The EKD Board is struggling to find a new position that takes into account the changing world situation. The results were published on Monday.
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EKD: Protection against violence must be the focus
As a continuation of the 2007 memorandum, the current concept also adopts the four dimensions of the Protestant ethic of peace: protection against violence, promotion of freedom, reduction of inequality and a peace-promoting approach to plurality.
At the same time, board chair Kirsten Fehrs stressed that protection against violence must be a priority. To ensure this, the peace warning advocates the possibility of “law-preserving violence.” In this way, the Evangelical Church distanced itself from pacifism.
Christian pacifism cannot be ethically justified as a general political theory.
From the Evangelical Church’s Peace Memorial
Pacifism must continue to be recognized as a decision of individual conscience.
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The dilemma regarding nuclear weapons
Also worth noting is the new position on nuclear weapons. For a long time, the prohibition of nuclear weapons was considered a consensus of the Evangelical Church. The current peace memorandum opens the door to the position that possession of nuclear weapons is politically necessary.
Although it continues to emphasize that nothing has changed in its position of ethical rejection, the church justifies this position with the current political situation. This justification is highly controversial within the Evangelical Church.
Can conscription and freedom be combined?
Regarding the discussion of military service, the EKD Council emphasized the importance of volunteerism in the current memorandum. EKD President, Anna-Nicole Heinrich, also emphasized: “The good of volunteerism has the highest priority.” At the same time, Kirsten Fehrs explains:
The obligation to serve does not conflict with the Christian understanding of freedom.
Kirsten Fehrs, EKD Board Chair
However, these service obligations must be fulfilled both civilly and militarily and must include freedom of choice in the field of activity.
In addition, the EKD Council calls for general military conscription in the spirit of equality through the commemoration of peace, thus viewing all genders as having obligations.
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Conscientious objection as an opportunity for the church?
If there is conscription, the Evangelical Church sees itself as having a role in providing advice and support regarding conscientious objection to military service. In a society where more and more people are leaving the church, the Evangelical Church seems to have found an opportunity to gain new relevance. However, the EKD’s position is also controversial within the church.
The EKD Synod continues until Wednesday. Intensive debate is expected to occur.
Kira Stütz is deputy editorial director of the ZDF “Religion and Life” editorial team.
