Evangelical Lutheran Church in Florence
The territory of the Community of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Florence extends across Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, and the northern part of the Marche region. In Florence you will find our church, the pastoral hall, and the community office.
Services and events are also held in Pisa and Bologna, as well as in other locations throughout Emilia-Romagna. The Evangelical Lutheran Church is located next to the Martin Luther Garden in Florence (Lungarno Torrigiani, 11). The community hall and the pastoral office are instead located at Via de’ Bardi, 20.
Pastor
Of our community
My name is Susanne Krage-Dautel and in September 2023, I moved from Hanover to Florence to work and live here as a pastor in this beautiful city, that attracts countless tourists every year.
Our congregation also includes Emilia-Romagna and the Marche, and so I travel a lot and get to know and love the people and landscapes. I was drawn to Italy early on in life and I consider it a great gift to make this the next chapter of my life.
People come to our congregation for different reasons. Some want to speak German again and although they are at home in Italian as well, they are happy when they can speak their “mother tongue”. Even when praying, the words are readily found in the mother tongue. Others come because they have friends here who accompany them through some stages of life. And others appreciate our church music.
Some are only in Florence for a few days and drop by more or less by chance. And others want to learn more about the Lutheran Church, which is a very small minority here in Italy.
There are many reasons why people visit our church on the Arno. And I am interested in these many different motives and the life stories I learn about in the process. This is one of the reasons why I like to be a pastor.
Because I am always amazed at what people have already experienced, sometimes suffered, and what happiness they can tell about. And then there is the other motive that drives me to seek a home in this church: Because we always open the Bible here and read in the old stories.
The Bible is full of life stories that tell a lot about what people before us have experienced and suffered. And how they trusted and hoped in everything and sometimes despite everything. They tell of how people were held and comforted. These are stories of the salvation of life. And in these old stories we are also included, that is my deep conviction. We too are held and carried, through highs and lows. And nothing, absolutely nothing, can separate us from the love of God.
Such a faith, as Martin Luther once says, “is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace. And such confidence makes us joyful, courageous and full of desire for God and all creatures”. I want to hear and tell about this again and again. This is the reason why I feel at home in this church. Maybe you would like to drop in as well. And we can start telling stories together. I look forward to meeting you, whatever the reason you find your way to our church!
Yours, Susanne Krage-Dautel, Pastor
The basis of our faith
Theological foundations
Our community is part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Italy. The foundation of our faith is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as it is attested in Holy Scripture
During the Reformation period, the “Augsburg Confession” (Confessio Augustana) of 1530 was written, and it is still valid today. Other important statements of faith in our church include the “Theological Declaration of Barmen” (1934) and the “Leuenberg Agreement” (1973).
If you would like to learn more, please visit the page of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Italy (CELI)
Durante i tempi della riformazione è stata messa in scrittura “la confessione di Ausgburg” (Confessio Augustana) dell’anno 1530, che ancora oggi è valida. Altri confessioni di fede importanti della chiesa nostra sono “la dichiarazione teologica di Barmen” (1934) e la “concordatio di Leuenberg” (1973). Se volete saperne di più andate sulla pagina della Chiesa Evangelica Luterana in Italia (CELI)
Our territory
The regions
Church Office
Our headquarters
In Vanessa Sacha, our secretary, all the threads of our activities come together. She is the person to contact for any kind of information, for example about our upcoming events, weddings in our church, or group visits to our community.
Barbara De Mars, the caretaker, is essentially responsible for our meeting spaces—especially for the preparation of worship services, as well as for the order and maintenance of the community rooms and many other related tasks.
You can contact Vanessa by email at
sacha@chiesaluterana.it
or by phone:
370 365 3081
or
055 234 2775
(Monday to Friday, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.).
Durante i tempi della riformazione è stata messa in scrittura “la confessione di Ausgburg” (Confessio Augustana) dell’anno 1530, che ancora oggi è valida. Altri confessioni di fede importanti della chiesa nostra sono “la dichiarazione teologica di Barmen” (1934) e la “concordatio di Leuenberg” (1973). Se volete saperne di più andate sulla pagina della Chiesa Evangelica Luterana in Italia (CELI)
The Presbyteral Council
of the Lutheran Community
The head of the community is the community itself. Every member of the community has the right to decide, at least once a year during the annual assembly, how things should be run.
During the assembly, the members of the presbyteral council are also elected, and the council carries out its work together with the pastors. The legal representative of the community is the President, who is elected by the presbyteral council.
The current president of the community is Dr. Bettina Schindler, the vice-president is Mrs. Petra Mohr-Casini, and the person responsible for financial matters is the treasurer, Ms. Susanne Ritterhaus.
Our current presbyteral council is truly diverse in terms of age, background, and interests. This is a great advantage, as it brings together many different perspectives. All our decisions must be in harmony with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to which we feel bound.
In addition to the president, vice-president, treasurer, and the pastor Bettina Schindler, the members of the presbyteral council also include Gabriele Wöller.
Let’s talk about it together.
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