Heinrich Reiss

Heinrich Reiss (born November 9, 1919 in Essen , † August 23, 2005 in Bielefeld ) was President of the Evangelical Church of Westphalia (EKvW) from 1977 to 1985 .

Life

After attending the Krupp secondary school in Essen, serving in the Second World War and being released from American captivity, the son of a postal service assistant studied Protestant theology in Wuppertal, Mirfield (England), Bonn and Münster from the summer semester of 1946 . Heinrich Reiss took the two theological exams in Bielefeld in 1950 and 1952 ( ordination took place on November 30, 1952).

After the vicariate in Burgsteinfurt and a one-year activity as a study inspector in Münster, he received his doctorate in Münster in 1952 on "The understanding of the Bible with Johann Albrecht Bengel ". Then Reiss worked for two years as an assistant preacher in Burgsteinfurt and as a teacher at the Arnoldinum high school for religion and Hebrew; he was head of the working group for religious teachers and district youth pastor of the Steinfurt church district . In 1954 he became a student pastor in Münster.

In 1960 he was appointed to the regional church office of the Evangelical Church from Westphalia to Bielefeld . With his election to the upper church council by the regional synod in 1968, Reiß also became a full-time member of the Westphalian church leadership. In the regional church office, Reiss was responsible, among other things, for theological offspring, the Protestant student communities and questions of church journalism. In 1977 the Westphalian regional synod elected him to succeed Hans Thimme as President of the EKvW. In March 1985, Reiß retired.

Other offices

As a senior church councilor, Reiß was also a member of the program advisory board for West German Broadcasting (WDR). Member of the EKU (-West) council since 1978 , he was elected chairman in 1981. From 1979 to 1986, Reiß was a member of the EKD Council and in 1984 became the EKD's commissioner for questions of conscientious objection.

Publications and a.

• Spiritual word. Speeches on the radio , Bielefeld 1978.
• Talking about the goodness of God. Sermons and texts in the circle of the church year . Bielefeld 1983.
• The reason for our hope is Jesus Christ. The gospel in pictures . Bielefeld 1984.
• Evangelical world responsibility. Essays and speeches , Bielefeld 1985.

literature

• Bernd Hey , Ingrun Osterfinke: "Three coachmen on one box". The holders of the church leadership positions in Protestant Westphalia (1815-1996) . Bielefeld 1996, pp. 70-72

Web links

• Heinrich Reiss in the Internet portal Westphalian History

predecessor	Office	successor
Hans Thimme	President of the Evangelical Church of Westphalia 1977–1985	Hans-Martin Linnemann