Evangelischer Presseverband für Bayern

The Evangelischer Presseverband für Bayern e.V. (EPV) is the central Protestant media house of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria (ELKB). Based in Munich, it is a non-profit registered association active across newspaper and magazine publishing, a news agency, radio, television, books, internet and social media, as well as media and communication services. Its stated mission is to inform about Christian, social and socio-political content and values, to provide orientation and to foster judgement. The EPV traces its origins to the post-war period. The Bavarian pastor Robert Geisendörfer became its managing director on 1 April 1947, when the media house was housed in a single room in a former villa of circus director Renz on Himmelreichstraße 4 near the English Garden in Munich. Over the decades it grew into a multi-department media organisation with editorial offices in all Bavarian church districts: Nuremberg and Middle Franconia, Munich and Upper Bavaria, Ansbach-Würzburg, Augsburg and Swabia, Bayreuth, and Regensburg. Its departments and brands include the Sonntagsblatt, the Protestant weekly newspaper for Bavaria; the Evangelischer Pressedienst (epd), Bavaria regional service; Evangelisches Fernsehen (efs); Evangelische Funkagentur (efa); Claudius Verlag; Vernetzte Kirche; Evangelische Medienagentur; and an online editorial/crossmedia department. The theologian Roland Gertz leads the association as director and board member; since 2014 he has also chaired the Evangelischer Medienverband in Deutschland (EMVD). As of early 2026 the EPV was the subject of public debate over planned funding cuts by the ELKB. The EPV criticised the savings plans, the Bavarian Journalists Association (Bayerischer Journalistenverband) backed the EPV and criticised the church's withdrawal, and the EPV published a press review on the planned cuts. The organisation continues to present itself as a reliable partner across all media sectors, an attractive employer, and a media house bridging tradition and trends.

The Evangelischer Presseverband für Bayern e.V. (EPV) is the central Protestant media house of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria (ELKB). It was established in the post-war period as a non-profit registered association. On 1 April 1947, the Bavarian pastor Robert Geisendörfer became its managing director. At that time the media house occupied a single room in a former villa of circus director Renz on Himmelreichstraße 4 near the English Garden in Munich, a property that had been acquired by the church. Over the following decades the EPV expanded into a multi-faceted media organisation. It developed departments covering newspaper and magazine publishing, a news agency, radio, television, books, internet and social media, as well as media and communication services. It established editorial offices in all Bavarian church districts: Nuremberg and Middle Franconia (Nuremberg office), Munich and Upper Bavaria (Munich office), Ansbach-Würzburg (Würzburg office), Augsburg and Swabia (Augsburg office), Bayreuth (Bayreuth office), and Regensburg (Regensburg office). Its portfolio of brands and departments includes the Sonntagsblatt, the Protestant weekly newspaper for Bavaria; the Evangelischer Pressedienst (epd), Bavaria regional service; Evangelisches Fernsehen (efs); Evangelische Funkagentur (efa); Claudius Verlag; Vernetzte Kirche; Evangelische Medienagentur; and an online editorial/crossmedia department. The theologian Roland Gertz leads the association as director and board member (Vorstand). Since 2014 he has also chaired the Evangelischer Medienverband in Deutschland (EMVD). In early 2026 the EPV became the focus of public debate over planned funding cuts by the ELKB. The EPV publicly criticised the savings plans, the Bavarian Journalists Association (Bayerischer Journalistenverband) expressed support for the EPV and criticised the church's withdrawal, and the EPV published a press review on the planned cuts. The organisation continues to present itself as a reliable partner across all media sectors, an attractive employer, and a media house bridging tradition and trends.

• Robert Geisendörfer becomes managing director of the EPV; the media house is housed in a single room in a former villa on Himmelreichstraße 4 in Munich.

• Roland Gertz becomes chairman of the Evangelischer Medienverband in Deutschland (EMVD).

• EPV criticises the savings plans of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria (ELKB).

• The Bavarian Journalists Association backs the EPV and criticises the church's withdrawal.

• EPV publishes a press review on the planned funding cuts.

A non-profit Protestant media house providing Christian, social and socio-political orientation across print, broadcast and digital media.

• Sonntagsblatt

• Evangelischer Pressedienst (epd) Landesdienst Bayern

• Evangelisches Fernsehen (efs)

• Evangelische Funkagentur (efa)

• Claudius Verlag

• Vernetzte Kirche

• Evangelische Medienagentur

• Online-Redaktion/Abteilung Crossmedia

1. 1Evangelischer Presseverband für Bayern e.V. | Medien mit christlichen Inhaltenepv.de
2. 2Evangelischer Presseverband für Bayern – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
3. 3Evangelischer Presseverband für Bayern – Wikidatawikidata.org