Church Development Service (EED)

An Association of the Protestant Churches in Germany

With the establishment of EED, the German protestant churches put into practice their social responsibility towards attaining development.

EED supports the development work of churches, Christian organisations and private agencies through funding, seconding qualified personnel and by offering consultancy services. Within the framework of a global partnership network, EED plays its role in creating a just society.

At present, there are a total of 28 members: The Chairperson of the 15-member Governing Board is Bishop Dr Christian Krause. From its membership, the Governing Board selects the Allocation Committee which is currently headed by Ernst-Joachim Pagenstecher, President of the Evangelical Reformed Church. Dr. Konrad von Bonin is the Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors. The other members of the Board of Executive Directors are Dr. Hartmut Bauer, Ms. Monika Huber and Rev. Wilfried Steen. EED’s head office is located in Bonn.

EED’s work is rooted in:

Faith which testifies the world as God’s creation

Love which encounters its Lord especially among the poor and deprived

Hope which is drawn from the certainty of the coming Kingdom of God

It opposes all forms of discrimination on the grounds of race, sex or religious affiliation. Thus, EED assists those who live in abject poverty and need, whose dignity is violated or whose lives are threatened by war or other disasters.

EED creates and strengthens awareness of development concerns in Germany in the churches, the general public and in politics, to increase the willingness and the capacities to overcome poverty, persecution and violence in the world. In this way, EED contributes towards changing the political and economic conditions in favour of a more humane development. For the benefit of the poor and needy, EED seeks to transform social, economic, and political relationships. On the initiative of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), the German Protestant Churches, the Free Churches, the Old Catholic Church, the Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church, and the Association of Protestant Churches and Missions in Germany (EMW) established EED in 1999 as a membership organisation.

Last year, EED Board of Executive Directors nominated two consultative committees, the Committee for International Programmes and the Committee for Development Policy and National Programmes. Rev. Bernhard Dinkelaker (Committee for International Programme) and Dr. Ruth Gütter (Committee for Development Policy and National Programmes) were elected chairpersons.

EED is sole partner of Service Overseas (DÜ) GmbH (Limited Liability Company). Service Overseas, as an organisation, fulfils the necessary requirements to conclude contracts for seconding qualified personnel in accordance with the German law governing the secondment of development workers/volunteers (EhfG). Service Overseas’ programmes are handled by EED staff.

As regards public funding, the Protestant Association for Co-operation in Development (EZE) remains the contracting party to the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The EZE General Assembly is closely linked to EED Governing Board. Funds granted by BMZ are administered by EED staff.

The publication of the quarterly journal, “der überblick” is a joint venture of EED and Bread for the World. Another joint venture, together with the catholic commission Justice and Peace (Justitia et Pax) is the Joint Conference on Church and Development (GKKE).

EED is also a member of the Association of German Development NGOs (VENRO) and the Association of WCC-related Development Organisations in Europe (APRODEV), two major development advocacy and lobby networks in Germany and Europe.

Annual Report 2010 / 2011

… male and female, He created them

New Release

Encounter beyond routine

The right to future

Network

Church Development Service (EED)

An Association of the Protestant Churches in Germany