Why a British reverend commutes to Dresden for this special service
Dresden. Every third Sunday of the month, Reverend Ricky Yates steps into the pulpit of the Frauenkirche - and never knows exactly who will be sitting across from him. Dresden residents who have been coming for years. Tourists visiting the church for the very first time. People from overseas who just happen to be in town. “Every congregation is different - and yet, for this hour, we become one community,” says the 74-year-old Briton, who travels all the way from the Czech Republic, where he has lived for many years, just for each service.
On June 21, the Frauenkirche will celebrate the 20th anniversary of this series. Since 2006, around 225 Anglican Evening Services have been held there - a format that remains unique in the German-speaking church community.
Coventry, Meissen, and an agreement that made it all possible
The fact that an Anglican clergyman can hold services in a Protestant church at all is based on an agreement concluded in Meissen in 1988: The so-called Meissen Declaration allows clergy of both traditions to perform their ministerial duties in partner churches as well - a foundation for ecumenical cooperation that remains central to this day.
For the Frauenkirche, there was another reason: its close connection to Coventry Cathedral, which shares the themes of peace and reconciliation. From the very beginning, it was important to those in charge to establish an Anglican format - even though only a few thousand of the world’s approximately 80 million Anglican Christians live in Germany.
Ecumenism in Action: From the Main Hall to the Lower Church
The program has evolved over the years. For the past three years, the Anglican liturgy has also been included once a month in the series of Ecumenical Evening Prayers in the lower church - a sign that the format is no longer a guest appearance but an integral part of the church’s spiritual life.
Ricky Yates will preach at the anniversary service on June 21, and Maria Noth from the Frauenkirche Foundation will lead a reading. Daniel Clark will be at the organ - he has been part of the team since 2006 and has provided the music for most of the services. The service begins at 6 p.m. in the main hall. All interested parties are invited, whether they have long-standing ties to the church or are visiting the Frauenkirche for the first time.
