Adelheid Ruck-Schröder Elected Präses of Evangelical Church of Westphalia

Her historic election marks the first time a non-Westphalian has assumed the leadership role, concluding a transition following Annette Kurschus' 2023 resignation.

• Adelheid Ruck-Schröder was elected as the new Präses of the Evangelical Church of Westphalia during a synod in Dortmund on March 29, 2025.
• She received 136 out of 141 votes, with no other candidates standing for the position.
• Ruck-Schröder, 58, previously served as Regional Bishop in the Hildesheim-Göttingen district of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hanover.
• Her election is historic as she is the first Präses not originally from Westphalia, hailing instead from Württemberg.
• The leadership change follows Annette Kurschus' resignation in 2023, citing a loss of public trust after allegations of mishandling sexual misconduct accusations.

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