Moderator (Protestant churches)

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A moderator (Latin; from moderate , “moderate”, “steer”, “direct”) is the holder of a leadership position in the Protestant churches. The term is mostly used in the Protestant Reformed churches and is more widespread in the English-speaking area than in German.

The office goes back to Presbyterianism , which prevailed in the 16th century in the Reformed churches that were not organized as state or regional churches . A hallmark of the Presbyterian church constitution is that the church is governed on several levels by bodies of elders and pastors. According to the Second Book of Discipline of the Church of Scotland from 1578 each body should by a moderator are passed, the matters brings, counts out voices and ensures good order. While the parish pastor usually takes on the ex officio chairmanship of the executive committee of the local congregation , an elected member acts as a moderator (with the rank of primus inter pares ) at the higher levels . Since the synods generally only met once a year or even less, a further body was formed to lead the church between the synodal meetings, the synodal presidium or " moderamen ", which usually consists of the leader (moderator) of the synod, his deputy , the secretary and other representatives and discuss ongoing matters in monthly meetings.

In the Anglo-Saxon Reformed Churches, the moderators of the General Assembly are usually appointed for a term of one (e.g. Church of Scotland , United Reformed Church , Presbyterian Church in Ireland ) or two (e.g. Presbyterian Church (USA) , Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand ) years ago. Re-election is not possible. The moderator usually represents the church externally and sometimes also has other tasks in the administration of the church.

Also in church associations the chairman of a body is often called a moderator , for example the moderator of the central committee as the leading body in the World Council of Churches . In Germany, the moderator of the Reformed Federation is particularly well-known (since 2019 Kathrin Oxen as the moderator). The Reformed Church District in the Evangelical Church Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia is also headed by a moderator, headed by a moderator (currently (2019) a moderator). Otherwise the term is not used in the Reformed and United Churches in the German-speaking area; the chairman of a synod is usually referred to as the praeses .

literature

  • Thomas Barth:  moderator / moderator . In: Religion Past and Present (RGG). 4th edition. Volume 5, Mohr-Siebeck, Tübingen 2002, Sp. 1376.
  • Moderator. In: The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. Oxford University Press, Oxford 2005, p. 1104.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Second Book of Discipline , Chapter 7.4, accessed on April 9, 2019: “In all the assemblies a moderator should be chosen (convened by the common consent of the whole brethren) who should propose matters, gather the votes, and cause good order to be kept in the assemblies. "
  2. ^ Constitution and Rules of the World Council of Churches, V.1.Ci, accessed April 9, 2019
  3. ^ Reformed congregations in the EKBO , accessed on April 9, 2019.