Maria Jepsen:A woman conquers the church

On April 4, 1992, Maria Jepsen was elected the world's first female bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hamburg. The resistance in advance was great. In 2010, Jepsen resigned in the wake of an abuse scandal.

Loud cheering breaks out on this first Saturday in April 1992 at 3.15 p.m. in the venerable Hamburg Michel. Something historic has just happened:Maria Jepsen, born in Bad Segeberg in 1945, has been elected the world's first female Lutheran bishop. For minutes, the synodal members of the North Elbian regional church applauded. The election was already decided after the first of six possible ballots:the provost from the Hamburg-Harburg church district received 78 of 137 votes. For their competitor Helge Adolphsen, the main pastor of the Michel, it was only 44.

The election came as a surprise to Provost Maria Jepsen

Until the very end, she did not expect to be elected. "I had myself put up to show that we women don't back down," Jepsen told the Hamburg Journal 25 years after her election as bishop - and praised the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in Germany "for the full participation of women in the ministry and thus also in the leadership office in the church."

Pastors threaten - "The woman be silent in the congregation"

In 1992 it sounds different. At that time, Jepsen was already the third woman to apply for a bishopric. In 1990 Ruth Rohrandt, head of the women's department of the Northelbian Church, failed in Schleswig against provost Hans-Christian Knuth. In 1991, Oberkirchenrätin Käte Mahn lost to Provost Karl Ludwig Kohlwage in Lübeck.

Maria Jepsen in a short portrait

Maria Jepsen, née Bregas, was born in Bad Segeberg in 1945 as the fourth child of a teacher and a dentist. After graduating from high school in 1964, she studied Protestant theology in Tübingen, Kiel and Marburg. She completed her vicarage in Lemsahl-Mellingstedt and married Peter Jepsen, also a pastor, during this time. From 1972 to 1977, together with her husband, she led the parishes in Meldorf (Dithmarschen) and then in the North Frisian town of Leck until 1990. In 1991, Maria Jepsen became the first female provost in North Elbia, and in 1992 the world's first female Lutheran bishop. During her second term in office, she resigned in 2010 in the wake of allegations of abuse against a pastor in the Ahrensburg parish. Since then she has lived with her husband in Husum.

When Jepsen and Adolphsen announce their candidacy for the office of bishop in Hamburg, it quickly becomes clear:It's not about content and positions. The main question is:Who will prevail - woman or man? Even if the two candidates do not fuel this discussion from the start.

The conservative forces of the North Elbian Church are opposed to a woman as the chief shepherdess. Around 80 pastors in "Northern Elbia" are threatening to retire early if Jepsen is elected bishop. They speak of a catastrophe for the church and substantiate their rejection with quotations from the Bible such as "The woman be silent in the congregation". Jepsen, who advocates a moderate feminist theology, counters:"These statements were made at a time when society was oppressed and men passed that on to women."

Liberal forces support Jepsen

But the liberal forces in North Elbia see Jepsen, whose mother had raised her and her three older siblings alone in Bad Segeberg after her divorce, as a suitable candidate. They believe that many Christians can identify with their theology and their closeness to the grassroots. There is also support from Berlin:Bundestag President Rita Süssmuth (CDU) is of the opinion that the Church cannot afford to deny a woman the episcopate a third time. Many media also take a clear stance:They paint the picture of an encrusted church that should finally clear the way for women in the office of bishop.

Jepsen is committed to those on the fringes

When the synod begins, the outcome is completely open. Many observers assume four to five ballots. In her speech, Jepsen convinces the synodists with her demands for an open church that also includes the fringe groups. "The church has to get involved in politics, has to become more alive again and make faith livable in everyday life," is her motto. Jepsen had previously made it clear that she was committed to helping the homeless, drug addicts, HIV-infected people and homosexuals. And she is in the front row at demonstrations against xenophobia. It was always important to her:"We stand by what we are and don't want people to hide and bend."

"Women in the church have been perceived one-sidedly up to now"

Jepsen also highlights her connection to the church base. "Several media people asked me:'Doesn't the church need a strong bishop? You seem rather fragile.' Then they looked down at me, at my 1.68 meters, with a smile that we women know all too well." Her reply to the doubters:"Church is not weak or strong through a bishop, whatever his stature; church happens in the congregations, ministries and works."

Keyword:First female pastor Elisabeth Haseloff

The first female pastor of the Evangelical Church is Elisabeth Haseloff. On Pentecost Sunday 1959, she was installed in her office in Lübeck. The church government of the Hanseatic city had previously issued the church law for the pastorate of a female pastor. Born in Rome in 1914, Haseloff headed the Evangelische Frauenwerk in Lübeck from 1959 to 1974. From 1970 she was Vice-President of the North Elbian Synod. She died in Hamburg in 1974.

In her speech, Jepsen focused on personal accents:"It goes without saying that I am committed to a new community of women and men, since it seemed that in the church we have so far only perceived the abilities of women one-sidedly, almost only by looking at them the base. This must not continue, as many have now realized." Your performance is well received - better than the rather cool and Hanseatic style of competitor Adolphsen. And Jepsen prevails - surprisingly for many observers.

Beyerhaus speaks of a "spiritual catastrophe"

Reactions to their election vary widely. The Vatican speaks up and speaks of a "stumbling block" for ecumenism. The Tübingen missiologist Peter Beyerhaus even considers Jepsen's election to be a "spiritual catastrophe". The Bremen theologian and university teacher Georg Huntemann is also bothered by the feminist-oriented theologian and demands "that no pastor should give Ms. Jepsen communion if she continues to insist on her heresy". The chairman of the Evangelical Church, Klaus Engelhardt, reacts calmly:He has always emphasized that the ordination of women to the office of bishop is one day a logical consequence. On August 30th, Jespen receives the cross of office from Bishop Peter Krusche.

Jepsen as bishop "courageous, pugnacious and never withdrawn"

"I would like to reintroduce the style that we got to know from Jesus in the New Testament. That's a bit more humanity," says the newly elected bishop. From the beginning she relies on dialogue - even with her opponents:"We will pull us together - don't divide us." The focal points of their work are topics such as strengthening the communities, equal rights, social justice and ecumenism. "Northern Elbia" is the first church to introduce church blessings for homosexual couples.

The petite woman does her job successfully and convinces her critics. "Brave, pugnacious and never aloof" - this is how Hamburg's auxiliary bishop, Hans-Jochen Jaschke, describes Maria Jepsen's work. When she stood for re-election after ten years in office in 2002, she was no longer the only German bishop:in 1999 Margot Käßmann was elected Bishop of Hanover. And Maria Jepsen gets a large majority for another term.

Abuse scandal:Maria Jepsen resigns

However, two years before the end of her regular term of office, she stumbles in an abuse scandal in Ahrensburg (Stormarn district). After allegations that she knew about a pastor's abuse of minors but did not act vigorously enough, she resigned from the office of bishop in July 2010. It was said at the time that she had nothing to blame herself for, but the victims needed a "clear, visible sign" and Jepsen wanted to avert further damage to the church and bishopric.

His successor will be a woman:Kirsten Fehrs, who still holds the office today. The fact that women are elected to the office of bishop in the Protestant Church has long ceased to be sensational. Nevertheless, women are still clearly underrepresented in leading positions here:Just five of the 20 Protestant regional churches are currently headed by women.

Maria Jepsen and her husband, who supported Jepsen as a house husband during her time as prefect and bishop, now live in Husum.