Partner churches and twinning links
Links between British and German churches go back a long way: diocesan partnerships, town twinnings that began after the war, choir exchanges and youth trips. When a group from the partner church visits, the English speakers in the group usually manage fine; the older members and the children often do not. Switching on German for that weekend lets everyone take part in the service, not just those who are good at English.
The same works in reverse. When your church visits the partner congregation in Germany, the host church can offer English, so your group can follow the sermon in the Gottesdienst. See English.
English-speaking churches in German-speaking Europe
Anglican chaplaincies and international churches in Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Vienna, Zurich and Basel serve people from all over the world. Over the years they gain German-speaking members: spouses, neighbours, people who prefer a smaller or more informal church. For them, a German translation of the English sermon makes the service easier to share with family and friends who would not otherwise come.
German-speaking members and students in the UK
Germans, Austrians and Swiss also live and study in Britain and Ireland: postgraduate students, academics, hospital doctors, people married to Britons. Most speak fluent English, yet some of them say that faith is something they first put into words in German, at Konfirmation classes or in a youth group. Offering German now and then, for example at a carol service where their parents are visiting, is a small gesture that people remember.
Visitors and tourists
Cathedrals and historic churches in Britain and Ireland welcome many German visitors in the summer. A QR code on a card at the entrance lets them follow Evensong or a Sunday service in German without anyone needing to arrange anything. The page on tourists and visitors has more ideas.
How listeners use it
- 01Scan
The QR code is on a card, in the bulletin or on the screen. The page opens in the phone's browser.
- 02Choose Deutsch
No registration and no installation. iPhone users can also use the ChurchTranslate app.
- 03Listen or read
The German voice follows the preacher by a few seconds; captions run along on screen. The original English can be shown next to the translation.
What to expect
The translation is into standard German. It follows a sermon's argument well. Liturgical terms and Bible names are the hardest part, and ChurchTranslate keeps a terminology list per language to correct known terms. It will not always choose the word a German pastor would choose, so be modest about it with visitors. See Bible names and terms.
Cost
German only uses credits while someone listens. A 75-minute service with a visiting group uses 75 credits. For a handful of visits per year, a credit pack of 300 credits for €50 that never expires is often enough. See the pricing.