Relief Pastor

Relief pastors are pastors who are used to relieve the superintendent . They represent a specialty of the Evangelical Church in the Rhineland .

Until 2005, pastors on trial service or pastors on special service were generally used in the Rhenish Church to relieve the superintendents in their service in their communities. The background was that in the Rhineland the superintendents also remain completely normal parish priests, but can only work to a limited extent in the parish due to their numerous tasks in the district church.

After the attempt to introduce a full-time superintendent had failed, the regional synod took a different approach in 2005. Each church district was now obliged to have a relief pastoral office set up. This is established in the community in which the superintendent is serving.

The owners of the relief pastors are considered to be regular parish priests with almost all of the usual rights and duties. For example, they are also allowed to chair the presbytery , have a seat and vote in the district synod and thus influence the number of synodal delegates to be sent by their congregation. However, their appointment to the pastor's office is limited to the end of the term of office of the respective superintendent. In addition, they are the only ones among the pastors who cannot be elected to the district synodal committee.

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• Church law on the establishment, clearance, financing and filling of pastoral posts to relieve superintendent in the pastoral service (Relief Parish Act - EPfStG) of the Evangelical Church in the Rhineland of January 14, 2005.