The CSU in Bogenhausen has invited residents to an evening discussion about the future of the Nazareth Church via a leaflet distributed to households. The background is the evangelical church’s consideration of selling or leasing the listed building on Barbarossastraße – preferably to the Ethiopian Orthodox congregation, which has around 3,500 members in Bavaria.
Pastor Markus Rhinow, who leads the Immanuel-Nazareth evangelical congregation, sees a ‘subtly xenophobic undertone’ in the debate. He points out that the church has been used by the Korean evangelical congregation for years without any complaints. City dean Bernhard Liess said he was surprised by the CSU initiative, as the church itself is planning an information event once the contracts with the Ethiopian Orthodox congregation are finalized.
The CSU, however, argues that the neighborhood must be informed before a contract is signed. City councilor Jens Luther and Robert Brannekämper are therefore inviting residents to a confidential exchange, to which media and church representatives are not admitted. The CSU wants to collect residents’ concerns and have them legally reviewed.
Source: www.sueddeutsche.de
