Bavaria’s Lutheran Church Faces 40% Membership Collapse by 2035

A ‘historic turning point’ looms as Bavaria’s largest Protestant church overhauls its structure. Can regional parishes save a shrinking congregation?

, and Administrator

2025 November 24 . 9:23 PM

1 min read

As we can see in the image there is a curtain and few people holding guitars.

Bishop: Church Faces a Turning Point - Bavaria’s Lutheran Church Faces 40% Membership Collapse by 2035

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria (ELCB) is facing significant changes due to decreasing membership and funding. Bishop Christian Kopp has described the situation as a 'historic turning point', with projections indicating a 40 percent drop in members by 2035. The church is now exploring reforms to ensure its future, including a shift to regional parishes instead of maintaining full-time ministers at every location.

The church currently has approximately two million members, but numbers are projected to fall to between 1.2 and 1.5 million by 2035. This decline would also result in a 40 percent reduction in funding and full-time staff, prompting the church to rethink its structure. The regional church council has proposed establishing larger regional parishes, each supported by teams of at least five full-time staff and volunteers, with shared administrative tasks.

The reforms aim to transform how the church functions, moving away from individual congregations with full-time ministers. Regional parishes and shared resources are intended to keep the church active despite financial pressures. The newly elected synod will oversee these changes when it takes office in 2026.