The german partnership
visit from germany 2026
23 to 27 July
Six partners travelled from Germany to join us for the weekend and stayed with three host families
Friday was a trip to National Trust Snowshill Manor where other members of the partnership joined for a visit to the house and gardens. We all lunched at the National Trust Café, then some went to Broadway for a wander round the shops and ice cream and a cup of tea before heading back for a rest. In the evening there was a BBQ in Badsey with all from the Benefice invited.
Saturday morning time spent with the hosts with individual visits to the Rollrights , railway at the Valley and Winchcombe.
The afternoon was spent at the Badsey Show followed by an evening meal in Blackminster concluding with a short Taize service
Sunday morning a Patronal Eucharist at St. James Badsey with Archdeacon of Worcester Mark Badger presiding and the traditional reading of The Gospel in both languages. After the service there was a time for all to meet over coffee and cake. Sunday lunch for our guests at the Wheatsheaf after which a visit to Evesham to listen to the band in the park, before gathering for a farewell meal at the Vicarage.
At the end of the meal Beate gave a farewell speech listing the achievements of our Partnership over the past 28 years and Heike presented us with an hourglass, as it shows the passing of time and was a symbol of time spent together in both countries as the official Partnership was being brought to a close.
Over the years we have enjoyed and engaged in worship, singing, meals, and dancing together.
Discussions of our faith and the similarities we all share on our journeys together. Hospitality played a large part as time was spent staying in each other’s family homes and enjoying local traditions cuisine. Many places of secular and religious interest were visited in both countries. Though the official partnership has closed there will still be those keeping in touch with friends made over many years.
On Monday we met at St. Leonard Bretforton for a final emotional farewell service , followed by coffee at The Fleece. Then lunch and final goodbyes
Alex Christison xtison13@gmail.com
History of our partnership
With much sadness after 28 years it has been decided to dissolve the formal partnership, but it will continue on an informal basis as many have made long term friends and will continue to visit.
Our Diocesan Partnership link between Worcester and Magdeburg goes back 28 years to around the time when the Berlin Wall came down. The partnership began with one district of the Church Province of Saxony, around its cathedral city of Magdeburg. Gradually that extended to other districts, including Halberstadt and Stendal. A merger brought a new church (a regional church, rather like a very large diocese in our terms). The Province of Saxony joined with that of Thuringia church to become the new Evangelical Church in Central Germany (Evangelische Kirche in Mitteldeutschland). ‘Evangelical’ in their title is perhaps somewhat confusing for us: the German word means ‘Protestant’, rather than evangelical in our sense. More details and map
https://www.cofe-worcester.org.uk/mission-and-ministry/worldwide-partnerships/magdeburg/
Our Benefice link was formed in 1998 linked to churches in Kirchenkreise (Deanery) of Halberstadt-Ost around the villages of Wegeleben, Kroppenstadt, Hausneindorf, Emersleben and Schwanebeck which were in the former German Democratic Republic (GDR).
In August 2018 we celebrated our twentieth anniversary with a visit to Germany and planting of a tree. This year 2023 we celebrated 25 years with a service in South Littleton church led by the Archdeacon of Worcester Robert Jones
The aim of the Partnership is to promote and develop links between our two churches (Anglican and Evangelical Church in Central Germany {EKM} http://www.ekmd.de The framework is from the Meissen Declaration of 1988 which envisages “the reconciliation of churches and ministries within the wider fellowship of the universal church.” As far as possible “we take all steps to a closer fellowship in many areas of Christian life and witness, so that all our members may advance on the way to full visible unity”
We visit each other on a three year cycle, staying with host families, the itinerary includes visits to attractions both secular and religious. There is usually worship every day, using both languages. We have had some wonderful experiences and thought provoking times during visits.
Over the years we have learnt much about each other’s worship, culture and lifestyle We have also formed friendships and private visits have taken place.