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noun

die Kirchengemeinde, -n

parish · church congregation

Eine Gruppe von Menschen, die zu einer Kirche gehören und sich an einem Ort zum Beten, Feiern und Helfen treffen.

Definition & meaning

A Kirchengemeinde is a local organizational unit within a Christian church. It refers to a parish or a congregation consisting of the believers living in a specific geographical area or belonging to a specific local church. It encompasses both the group of people (the community) and the administrative structure that manages local church affairs, including services, social work, and the maintenance of church buildings.

In the German legal context, a Kirchengemeinde is often a corporation under public law (Körperschaft des öffentlichen Rechts), meaning it has certain administrative rights and duties.

Grammar & Word origin

The word is a feminine noun: die Kirchengemeinde. Its plural form is die Kirchengemeinden.

It is a compound noun made up of two parts:

  1. Kirche (church): Derived from the Old High German "kirihha", which stems from the Greek "kyriakon", meaning "belonging to the Lord".
  2. Gemeinde (community/municipality): Derived from the Middle High German "gemeinde", referring to something held in common or a group of people living in the same place.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms:

The most common synonyms depend on the specific Christian denomination:

  • Pfarrei (Commonly used in the Catholic Church)
  • Pfarrgemeinde (Often used in both Catholic and Protestant contexts)
  • Gemeinde (The shorter version, though it can also mean a secular municipality)
  • Parochie (A more formal or historical term for a parish)
  • Kirchengemeinde (The word itself)

Antonyms:

There are no direct linguistic opposites, but in a functional or administrative sense, one might consider:

  • Zivilgemeinde (The secular or civil municipality, as opposed to the religious one)
  • Politische Gemeinde[?](vocabuo://word/Politische Gemeinde) (The political administrative unit)

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Examples

Die Kirchengemeinde trifft sich sonntags.noun

The parish meets on Sundays.

Jeden Sonntag kommt die Kirchengemeinde zusammen.noun

Every Sunday the church congregation comes together.

Die Kirchengemeinde organisiert einen Flohmarkt.noun

The church congregation is organizing a flea market.

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