Emergency Contingency Plan in The Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Denmark
The emergency contingency plan has been drawn up in collaboration between the bishops, the Association of Priests, the Association of Provosts, a representative of the church officials and the National Association of Parish Councils.
A joint plan must ensure the functioning of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Denmark (ELCD) in times of crisis
The ELCD plays an important role in society, also in times of crisis. Therefore, an emergency contingency plan has now been drawn up to ensure that the ELCD can continue to carry out its work during a national crisis. This applies both ecclesiastically in relation to the preaching of the gospel, church services, church actions and pastoral care, but also socially in relation to funerals, personal registration etc.
The emergency contingency plan has been drawn up in collaboration between the bishops, Præsteforeningen (the Association of Priests), Provsteforeningen (the Association of Provosts), representatives of the church officials and Landsforeningen af Menighedsråd (the National Association of Parish Councils). And precisely the cooperation is the strength of the emergency contingency plan.
"We now have a common starting point and an organization that ensures that we can handle a national crisis in the best possible way, regardless of the nature of the crisis," says Søren Abildgaard, chairman of Landsforeningen af Menighedsråd (the National Association of Parish Councils).
Download the emergency contingency plan in Danish as a PDF here.
Builds on experience
The experiences from the corona crisis clarified the need for a joint emergency contingency plan, and it is these experiences, among other things, that the working group has used in the preparation of the emergency contingency plan.
"It enables us to act quickly and communicate when we have agreed decision-making processes and organization in advance, and this is crucial for all levels of the ELCD in a time of crisis," says Bishop Henrik Stubkjær.
An internal work tool
The emergency contingency plan is targeted at actors from Landsforeningen af Menighedsråd (the National Association of Parish Councils), Provsteforeningen (the Association of Provosts), Præsteforeningen (the Association of Priests), the college of bishops and the professional organisations, and is thus an internal work tool. The focal point is to ensure coordination and create clear communication channels, so that the crisis is handled as best as possible.
The work to find the specific representatives who will be part of the strategic crisis staff is now underway.
