Michael Simmer is the new Lower Austrian superintendent

2024-03-16 17:04:09

St.Pölten/Langenlois (OTS) – Michael Simmer will be the new superintendent of the Evangelical Church AB in Lower Austria. The previous specialist inspector for Protestant religious education at secondary schools in Lower Austria was elected on Saturday, March 16th by the delegates to the Lower Austrian superintendent assembly in Langenlois in the 8th ballot with the necessary two-thirds majority. Simmer received 58 of 69 votes and 11 were invalid. After the 7th round of voting, the Schwechat pastor Alexandra Battenberg withdrew her candidacy. At this point, Simmer was one vote short of a two-thirds majority. Markus Fellinger, life coach and head of prison pastoral care in Lower Austria, and Daniel Vogele, pastor in Baiersbronn (D), also took part in the election. Both had withdrawn their candidacy after the 6th round of voting.

The election of a new superintendent became necessary because Lars Müller-Marienburg had resigned from his position in October of the previous year. The new superintendent will take office on September 1st. The ceremonial inauguration by Bishop Michael Chalupka is planned for September 28th at 3 p.m. in the Evangelical Church in Wiener Neustadt.

“I want to be a superintendent for everyone and also gain the trust of those who did not vote for me today,” said Simmer in an initial reaction. He accepted the election “with great joy and humility”. Working in and for the Evangelical Church in Lower Austria “is a matter of the heart for me,” Michael Simmer explained to the delegates from the Lower Austrian parishes.

As superintendent, he wanted to bring stability to the diocese after the vacancy. “Our faith has always countered an uncertain future with a defiant ‘but,’” recalled Simmer. Even if the external appearance of the church will change a lot in the long term, “I can go into the future with great joy, enthusiasm and confidence based on my faith.” As an endurance athlete who has completed several marathon, triathlon and Ironman competitions, he has learned a lot about dealing with challenges: “You have to be able to accept setbacks, not be discouraged, learn to appreciate small successes and be careful with your resources “Don’t be afraid, live courageously and responsibly” is “a message that can be connected,” said the newly elected superintendent.

“I would like to thank everyone who stood today for taking on this election,” said superintendent curator Gisela Malekpour, who as the highest secular representative will in future lead the diocese together with the new superintendent. In the next few years it will be about “ensuring stability and still being open to new paths”. Together with the senior superintendent committee, Malekpour is looking forward to “a good and fruitful collaboration for the benefit of all Protestants in Lower Austria.” The superintendent committee has been able to experience for several years how well the collaboration with Michael Simmer works. “I am sure that Superintendent Simmer will use all his strength for the people in our Evangelical Church in Lower Austria with vision, commitment and joy,” explained the superintendent curator.

Michael Simmer (41) was born in Vienna in 1982 and studied Protestant theology in Vienna and Bern. He completed his vicariate in the parish of Amstetten-Waidhofen/Ybbs, and spent his time as a candidate for pastorate in the position of youth pastor in Lower Austria, which he then held for a few years. Since 2019, Simmer has been a specialist inspector for Protestant religious education at secondary schools and head of the school office of the Lower Austrian Superintendence.

The superintendent is elected by the superintendent assembly, in which delegates from all Lower Austrian municipalities are represented, for a period of twelve years with a two-thirds majority of the votes cast. The office of superintendent corresponds to that of diocesan bishop in the Roman Catholic Church. The superintendent’s duties include the spiritual leadership of the diocese. He is responsible for overseeing church regulations and scriptural proclamation. Episcopal rights include the ordination of pastors and the visitation of parishes.

The Evangelical Diocese of Lower Austria has existed since 1947 and has around 34,000 members in 38 parishes.