Gemeinschaftswerk der Evangelischen Publizistik

The Gemeinschaftswerk der Evangelischen Publizistik gGmbH (GEP) is the nationwide media company of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), its member churches, works and institutions, and also serves the Protestant free churches. Founded in 1973 by the Bavarian pastor Robert Geisendörfer, it is headquartered in the Mertonviertel in the north of Frankfurt am Main and employs more than 140 people in Frankfurt and across Germany. Its self-description is that of a media house with a strong journalistic DNA, a strategic media and technology partner, and an innovation engine through cross-media communication, digital projects and journalistic training. Under the GEP umbrella sit print publishing, a news agency, online, radio, television, film, journalistic education, media ethics, media education, media policy and public relations. The EKD Synod praised the GEP in a 2008 resolution as a "competence centre". Its mission statement, rooted in the motto of founding director Robert Geisendörfer, is that Protestant journalism should "advocate, convey mercy and lend a voice to the voiceless". The best-known product is the Protestant magazine chrismon, which appears as a free supplement in a print run of 1.5 million copies per month in selected German daily newspapers and in the weekly Die Zeit; together with the extended subscriber edition chrismon plus, the magazine family reaches around 1.42 million readers according to the Allensbach market and advertising media analysis (AWA 2023). Other core activities include the Evangelischer Pressedienst (epd), the Protestant content network yeet, the portal religionen-entdecken.de, the news platform Amal, radio work including the ARD programme "Wort zum Sonntag", film-cultural work for the EKD cultural office, the online portal evangelisch.de, management of the Robert Geisendörfer Prize, and management of the Lenten campaign "7 Wochen Ohne". Since September 2012 the GEP has had only two shareholders — the EKD (94%) and the Evangelisches Werk für Diakonie und Entwicklung (6%) — down from 31 previously, and a supervisory board was created. In spring 2023 the GEP took over the majority shares in the media house of the Evangelical Church in Hesse and Nassau (EKHN), with a joint media company being built at the shared Frankfurt Mertonviertel site by spring 2024. Managing directors are Stefanie Schardien (theological, also media commissioner of the EKD Council) and Ariadne Klingbeil (commercial, also managing the EKHN media house). The supervisory board is chaired by Dorothee Wüst, church president of the Evangelical Church of the Palatinate. Despite declining church finances and falling membership, the GEP's mission continues to be funded, though inflation and rising personnel costs reduce real financial strength, prompting cost savings and new financing models.

The Gemeinschaftswerk der Evangelischen Publizistik (GEP) was founded in 1973 by the Bavarian pastor Robert Geisendörfer. From the outset it was conceived as the nationwide media enterprise of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), its member churches, works and institutions, and also served the Protestant free churches. Its founding director's motto — "What Protestant journalism can do: advocate, convey mercy and lend a voice to the voiceless" — shaped the organisation's self-understanding as a journalistic actor with a church mandate. Over the decades the GEP built a broad portfolio spanning print publishing, a news agency, online, radio, television, film, journalistic education, media ethics, media education, media policy and public relations. In 2008 the Synod of the EKD praised its GEP in a resolution as a "competence centre", recognising its role as a central service provider for Protestant media work. A major structural turning point came in September 2012. Following decisions by the shareholders' meeting, the EKD Council and the Church Conference, the number of shareholders was reduced from 31 — which had included all EKD member churches — to just two: the Evangelical Church in Germany (94%) and the Evangelisches Werk für Diakonie und Entwicklung (6%). A new statute adopted in September 2012 also created a supervisory board with extensive corporate-law powers, tasked among other things with ensuring that the GEP remains a media service company for the community of member churches. In spring 2023 the GEP took over the majority shares in the media house of the Evangelical Church in Hesse and Nassau (EKHN). The EKHN media house had around 45 employees and the GEP around 140; by spring 2024 a joint media company was to be created at the shared site in the Frankfurt Mertonviertel. The GEP's managing directors are Stefanie Schardien (theological managing director, who is also media commissioner of the EKD Council) and Ariadne Klingbeil (commercial managing director, who also leads the EKHN media house). The supervisory board is chaired by Dorothee Wüst, church president of the Evangelical Church of the Palatinate. Throughout its history the GEP has had to navigate declining church finances and falling membership. Its mission continues to be funded, but inflation and rising personnel costs reduce real financial strength, and the organisation pursues cost savings and new financing models. Its work is carried out in bodies such as the board and management of the Evangelischer Medienverband in Deutschland (EMVD, the umbrella association for currently 48 publishers, media houses, bookshops and regional Protestant press associations), the management of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, the management and board of the epd working group, coordination of regional church broadcasting work, regional networking of Protestant internet work, a 74% stake in the Evangelische Verlagsanstalt (EVA) in Leipzig, and membership in the Conference for Diakonie and Development in the Evangelisches Werk für Diakonie und Entwicklung.

• 2023

  GEP takes over majority shares in the EKHN media house; a joint media company is planned at the Frankfurt Mertonviertel site by spring 2024.

• 2012

  Shareholders reduced from 31 to two (EKD 94%, Evangelisches Werk für Diakonie und Entwicklung 6%); a supervisory board is created under a new statute.

• 2008

  The EKD Synod praises the GEP as a "competence centre" in a resolution.

• 1973

  GEP founded by pastor Robert Geisendörfer as the nationwide media company of the EKD.

The central media company of the Evangelical Church in Germany, combining journalistic quality, Protestant perspectives and cross-media innovation as a strategic media and technology partner.

• chrismon

  Protestant magazine appearing as a free supplement in a print run of 1.5 million copies per month in selected German daily newspapers and Die Zeit; with chrismon plus it reaches around 1.42 million readers (AWA 2023).

• Evangelischer Pressedienst (epd)

  Protestant news agency under the GEP umbrella.

• yeet

  Protestant content network.

• religionen-entdecken.de

  Portal for exploring religions.

• Amal

  News platform.

• evangelisch.de

  Online portal of the Protestant church.

• Wort zum Sonntag

  Radio and television programme in the ARD, part of the GEP's broadcasting work.

• 7 Wochen Ohne

  Nationwide Lenten campaign of the Protestant church, beginning on Ash Wednesday and ending on Easter Sunday, with more than 2 million participants annually; the GEP handles motto creation, calendar production and distribution, PR and online presence.

• JS-Magazin

  Evangelische Zeitschrift für Junge Soldaten, edited and produced by the GEP.

• Robert Geisendörfer Prize

  Media prize of the Protestant church, managed by the GEP.

1. 1GEP: Das Gemeinschaftswerk der Evangelischen Publizistikgep.de
2. 2Gemeinschaftswerk der Evangelischen Publizistik – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Gemeinschaftswerk der Evangelischen Publizistik – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org