Effective August 1st 2013, Rev. Regina Claas will resign from her position as General Secretary of the Union of Evangelical Free Churches (Baptists) in Germany (GBU) after ten years in office, to work as a consultant for the European Baptist Mission (EBM INTERNATIONAL) in Southern Africa. The Union’s leadership named Rev. Christoph Stiba as successor. He will assume office as GBU’s new General Secretary in August. The Union’s Chief Financial Officer Andreas Lengwenath renewed his contract for another five-year-term, also beginning in August.

In his speech during a staff assembly, the Union’s President Rev. Hartmut Riemenschneider acknowledged Claas’ merits as General Secretary: “She has influenced the Union in a significant way. She was the right person at the right time for this position.” Rev. Claas will be officially sent off during the Union’s General Assembly in May. Rev. Riemenschneider thanked Rev. Stiba and Mr. Lengwenath for their willingness to serve the Union in such responsible positions.

Rev. Christoph Stiba currently leads the Union’s Missions Department. In this position he has been a member of the board of directors since 2009. From 2005 to 2009 he was member of the Union’s governing board of 13 members. Stiba has served as pastor for GBU congregations in Hamburg and Kassel.

Presupposed the EBM council in May approves the executive’s decision, Rev. Regina Claas will work as consultant for EBM’s member Unions in Malawi and South Africa. She will support capacity building and leadership training. Prior to her assignment as General Secretary of the German Baptist Union, Rev. Claas once before worked for EBM in South Africa from 1994 to 2003. From 2001 to 2003 she was the region’s EBM representative.