New pastor wants to combine religion, art and culture in Darmstadt
Dr. Anna Scholz will take up her post as pastor of the Darmstadt city church parish on August 1st. On Sunday, August 16th, at 5 p.m., the theologian will be officially installed in her office by the deputy dean, Sven Sabary.
The Protestant Deanery of Darmstadt is not entirely new to her, however. For the past six months, Scholz has been co-directing the Protestant City Academy of Darmstadt, together with Dr. Franz Grubauer. Now, the 44-year-old is looking forward to her new role at the city church.
“The combination of religion, art and culture here has fascinated me from the very beginning,” says Dr. Anna Scholz.
The church as a place for encounter and understanding
The Göttingen native came to Darmstadt for personal reasons: her husband is a true "Heiner" (a local from Darmstadt). The city, which she describes as an "underrated small metropolis," has now become her home.
Before joining the city church, Scholz worked, among other things, as theological advisor to the Deputy President of the Evangelical Church in Hesse and Nassau (EKHN), Ulrike Scherf, and in the EKHN's visitation service.
Dr. Anna Scholz grew up near Kassel. Before studying theology, she trained as a childcare worker and worked in youth services. She then studied Protestant theology in Berlin and Marburg. She completed her vicarage at St. Elizabeth's Church in Marburg. She earned her doctorate at the Hans von Soden Institute, focusing on anthropological and theological questions surrounding the topic of death.
Her first parish position then took her to a community south of Marburg.
In Darmstadt, Scholz wants to further develop the spiritual and cultural life of the city church – also with a view to the upcoming changes. From 2027, the city church congregation is to merge with the Andreas, Matthäus, Paulus, and Petrus congregations to form the new Hope Congregation.
Even if the church shrinks in size, it continues to have an important social role, Scholz emphasizes. Especially in a city with many cultures like Darmstadt, it is about strengthening community spirit.
“In times when social cohesion becomes fragile, it is important to create places of understanding,” says the pastor.
"I dream of a church that celebrates life."
Dr. Anna Scholz considers church services in different forms and accompanying people at crucial points in their lives to be particularly important.
“We want to convey hope, joy, and confidence with our message,” says the married mother of an adult daughter. The church should continue to offer people a spiritual home, even within increasingly larger structures.
Besides theology, Scholz is particularly interested in art, culture, and nature. During her doctoral studies, she passed the hunting exam to deepen her knowledge of nature and ecology. She also enjoys visiting exhibitions and was involved in an ecumenical working group on "Cinema and Church" during her time in Marburg.
She also wants to connect different stakeholders in Darmstadt. Scholz is convinced that the church has great potential to promote social cohesion.
“I dream of a church that celebrates life and loves people,” says the new pastor of the city church community.
(DARMSTADT – RED/PM)
