Churches Together in England (CTE) has announced the appointment of Dr Anna Krauss as President, to represent the Fourth Presidency Group.
Dr Anna Krauss, General Secretary of the Council of Lutheran Churches in Great Britain, was nominated by the Group’s members. Her term of office runs from the start of May 2023 for four years.
CTE General Secretary, Bishop Mike Royal, said: “CTE is delighted at the appointment of Dr Anna Krauss as CTE President, representing the Fourth Presidency Group. Anna is a formidable theologian, who does a stellar job in leading the Council for Lutheran Churches, alongside her ongoing involvement in local ecumenical church ministry. Her voice will be a breath of fresh air and we look forward to supporting her to fulfil her role, alongside our other CTE Presidents.”
Dr Anna Krauss said of her appointment: “I am honoured and humbled to serve as a President of CTE. My term follows an ‘empty chair’, a painful reminder of disunity among Christians. But ecumenism is hope – not a trite platitude, but a deep conviction that we can recognize Christ in all of us and our respective churches. Our diversity enables us to spread the Gospel farther and more deeply. The work of reconciliation and collaboration among Christians helps us to spread the light of Christ into those corners of our dark and desolate world that we could not reach on our own. The Fourth Presidency Group is small but fully committed to the cause of Christian unity and we are looking forward to the period ahead.”
The Fourth President is nominated by the Church of Scotland (Presbytery of England), the Council of Lutheran Churches, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of England, the Synod of German-Speaking Lutheran, Reformed, and United Congregations in Great Britain (Evangelische Synode Deutscher Sprache in Großbritannien) and the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers in Britain).
The ‘Empty Chair’
In 2019, Hannah Brock Womack was nominated by the Fourth Presidency Group as their President. However, the Presidency was never enacted. This followed a request by CTE’s Member Churches at the Enabling Group in November 2019. The ’empty chair’ represented the lack of agreement within the churches in England regarding human sexuality.
CTE General Secretary, Bishop Mike Royal, said: “CTE acknowledges the deep hurt felt by Hannah Brock Womack personally, the Quakers and by the Fourth Presidency Group. We must not lose sight of what has been a painful chapter over the last four years in our ecumenical journey. I have a deep respect for Hannah. Working alongside her since I came into post, I have seen that she is full of grace and Christian love. We wish to express our deep gratitude to Hannah for the dignified way in which she both continued to convene the Fourth Presidency Group and conducted her ongoing interaction with the other CTE Presidents at Presidents’ Meetings.”
More about Dr Anna
Dr Anna Krauss has a doctorate in theology and has worked as an Old Testament scholar and expert in early biblical manuscripts at Heidelberg University and the University of Oxford.
Alongside her academic studies and research, she has nurtured her passion for ecumenism in theory and practice as an associate at the EKD ecumenical institute in Germany (Konfessionskundliches Institut Bensheim) and as a member of ecumenical societies both in Germany and the UK.
Her lay ministry in church leadership is founded on theological reflection, spiritual growth and dynamic discipleship. She experiences the fruits and pastoral benefits of successful ecumenical work in her interchurch marriage to an Anglican priest.
Who are the CTE Presidents?
CTE is represented by six Presidents from the major traditions of 52 Member Churches. They meet regularly to discuss matters concerning the churches in England, and together seek to serve as a sign of unity. The other five Presidents are:
- The Most Rev and Rt Hon Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby
- Archbishop of Westminster and President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, Cardinal Vincent Nichols
- National Overseer of the Church of God of Prophecy UK, Bishop Tedroy Powell
- Archbishop of the Oecumenical Patriarchate (Diocese of Thyateira and Great Britain), His Eminence Archbishop Nikitas
- Moderator of the Free Churches Group, Rev Canon Helen Cameron
More information
Please see the CTE website.
