Evangelical parish association in Württemberg
The Evangelical Parish Association in Württemberg eV is the professional association of pastors in the Evangelical Church of Württemberg , based in Stuttgart.
The parish association was founded in 1891. Currently more than 95 percent of all pastors in Württemberg belong to it. In December 2012 it had 3,699 members. Although the membership does not seem high, it is the world's largest professional association of Protestant pastors.
The association serves to promote cohesion among pastors and to discuss common theological questions . As a professional association, it represents, like a trade union, the concerns of the parish with the church leadership, the upper church council and the regional bishop . The association provides care for its members and their relatives in the event of illness with aid and the mediation of legal aid .
The association organizes an annual “Pastors' Day”. With partnership programs, the association supports communities with German roots in Slovakia , Transylvania and Montbéliard (France, in the areas on the left bank of the Rhine that belonged to the former state of Württemberg from 1397 to 1796 ).