superintendent
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superintendent
A senior clergyman in many Protestant churches who is responsible for a church district or diocese. His role is comparable to that of a bishop or dean in other denominations.
Der Superintendent besuchte unsere Gemeinde, um den neuen Pfarrer in sein Amt einzuführen.
The superintendent visited our congregation to install the new pastor in his office.
Careful: 'Der Superintendent' in German is a high church office in the Protestant church. It is not the same as the English 'superintendent', which can mean a building manager, police chief, or school official.
Der Superintendent unserer Landeskirche hält morgen eine Predigt.
The superintendent of our regional church is giving a sermon tomorrow.
The word comes from Latin and literally means 'der Aufseher' (the overseer) (super = over; intendere = to direct one's attention to something, to supervise). This describes his leadership function.
Zu den Aufgaben des Superintendenten gehört die Aufsicht über die Pfarrer seines Kirchenkreises.
The superintendent's duties include supervising the pastors in his church district.
This word is used almost exclusively in the context of the Protestant church. You will often find it together with words like 'Kirchenkreis' (church district), 'Synode' (synod), 'Pfarrer' (pastor), or 'Gemeinde' (congregation/parish).
Die Wahl des neuen Superintendenten findet auf der nächsten Synode statt.
The election of the new superintendent will take place at the next synod.
bishop
Bischof and Superintendent are senior clerical titles, but their precise use depends on the church structure. Bischof refers to a high-ranking cleric, while Superintendent specifically refers to a senior cleric in many Protestant churches. For a Protestant church district, Superintendent is therefore often the appropriate term.
Der Superintendent leitet den evangelischen Kirchenkreis und besucht mehrere Gemeinden.
The superintendent leads the Protestant church district and visits several congregations.
Der Bischof leitet das Bistum und vertritt die Kirche bei einem wichtigen Treffen.
The bishop leads the diocese and represents the church at an important meeting.
