Dorothea Lotze ist Pastorin der Deutschen Kirche in Atlanta.

Pastorin Dorothea ist in Deutschland geboren und aufgewachsen. Sie hat an der Uni Tübingen und Heidelberg Theologie studiert und wurde 1997 ordiniert. In Atlanta hat sie an der Emory Universität den Master of Theology (Th.M.) abgelegt. Unter der Woche arbeitet Pastorin Dorothea als Executive Director für das Training und Counseling Center bei der Luke’s Episcopal Church. Außerdem führt sie eine private Praxis als Ehe- und Familientherapeutin. Seit dem 1. Oktober 2014 ist sie in Teilzeit als Pastorin für die Deutsche Kirchengemeinde Atlanta tätig. Sie hat 20 Jahre alte Zwillings Töchter.

Der Kirchenvorstand in 2023 besteht aus Gemeindegliedern –

Kerstin Valdes Benden:

I left Germany right after high school to “broaden my horizons” originally planned for one year. After over 30 years in the US, I guess I’m still broadening my horizons… The German Church is a piece of home for me and my patchwork family – our religious and cultural traditions live on at church and at home, and they greatly enrich our lives. Pastor Dorothea is a true gift from God – we are so blessed to have her.

Ich bin gleich nach dem Abitur in die Vereinigte Staaten gekommen, um ursprünglich für ein Jahr meinen Horizont zu erweitern – nach über 30 Jahren in den USA scheine ich immer noch meinen Horizont zu erweitern… In dieser zweiten, gewählten Heimat ist es für mich und meine Patchwork Familie ganz wichtig, ein Stück Heimat in der deutschen Kirche zu haben, wo unsere religiösen und kulturellen Traditionen aufrechterhalten werden. Unsere Pastorin Dorothea ist ein Geschenk Gottes, und wir sind dankbar, dass sie unsere Gemeinde leitet.

Martina Griffin

My name is Martina Griffin. My husband and I have been with the German Church Atlanta since its earliest days. We have three beautiful daughters and a sweet old dog. We’ve always enjoyed coming together with friends and members of the German Church Atlanta. We support the German Church by being actively involved in the community. I am a member of the council at the German Church Atlanta and also work a few hours in the week to take care of administrative needs.

Henning Hahn

The Hahn family moved to Atlanta in summer 2015 following the call of my job. Originally from Goettingen in Southern Lower Saxony, my wife, our son and two twin daughters moved here from Zurich, Switzerland where we had lived for almost 12 years. We have found a new home in Alpharetta. Our relationship to the German Church in Atlanta really got closer as our two daughters went to confirmation classes led by Pastor Dorothea in 2018/2019. We came to enjoy the community of people who are caring, tolerant, open minded and welcoming to anyone who is interested. We have found a piece of Germany here in Atlanta and at the same time a multi-cultural environment that is really fun to be part of. To help supporting and promoting this community is my motivation for being a member of the church council.

Ingolf Mathee (Deutschland Vertreter)

Ingolf Matthée ist beruflich bedingt 2011 mit seiner Frau und 3 Kindern aus Westfalen in die Region Atlanta gezogen und wohnt heute in Suwanee, GA. Die zwei älteren Kinder wurden 2014 von Pastor Haco von Hacken konfirmiert. Seit dieser Zeit war Ingolf im Kirchenvorstand engagiert, u.a. als Vorsitzender. Seit 2020 lebt Ingolf wieder in Deutschland. Er vertritt die Verbindung des Church Councils mit allen Gemeindegliedern die wieder nach Deutschland zurueckgekehrt sind.

Issam al Mutawali

Viola Westbrook

We have lived in Atlanta well over fifty years, raising our three boys and pursuing our careers. I taught German language and literature at Emory University more than forty years. However, in a broader sense, ever  since my first year in the US as a high school exchange student from Hamburg, I have dedicated a great deal of my life’s efforts, and my passion, to strengthening German American understanding, developing and directing  cooperative inter-cultural activities in German speaking communities, as well as actively supporting programs and institutions with a focus on fostering German American relations, projects, and goals.

Becoming an involved early member of the German Church of Atlanta was an important consequence of these lifelong commitments. With wonder and gratitude, I have seen our congregation struggle, persevere and grow over many years, ever so appreciative of the tireless engagement and contributions of our members. I will consider it a great honor to be asked again to serve our church on its council in the coming year.

Heike Siegmund

My name is Heike Siegmund I have come to the United States in 1991 and have visited the Church occasionally during my early years. After I met my husband Hans-Peter we became more active in the church, particularly after having our two children. Both of them were baptized here and one of them also had his Confirmation Ceremony here. The German Church of Atlanta has become a part of our family and we thoroughly enjoy the wonderful community and the cultural and spiritual experience. I have seen a lot of comings and goings of German families and friends and I think having the German Church in our front yard has been a blessing for so many people. Over the years I have been involved in the church with the children’s group, the Church Council and more recently in planning special events.

Barry Spurlock

Barry has been the treasurer of the German Church since 1999 when the German Church first moved to be hosted by the Redeemer Lutheran Church. Barry says: “Ich bin schon seid Fuenfundfuenzig Jahren Mitglied der Redeemer Kirche . Ich liebe die Deutsche Kirche, weil die Gottesdienste so aehnlich sind wie bei Redeemer, ausser auf Deutsch.