Hans Joachim Schliep
Hans Joachim Schliep (born 22 March 1945, in Drangstedt) is a German Lutheran theologian, pastor and author. From 1990 to 1999 he was director of the "Amt für Gemeindedienst" (English: Office for Community Service, since 2002 "Haus kirchlicher Dienste" of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Hanover), and by May 2000 the commissioner for the environment (German: Umweltbeauftragter) of the Church of Hanover and the Confederation of Protestant Churches in Lower Saxony. From 1999 to 2008 Schliep was the first pastor at the Kronsberg Church Centre and founder of the congregation at the Expo-neighbourhood in Kronsberg, Hanover , Lower Saxony, Germany. Biography. Study. Schliep finished junior high school in 1961 and started an apprenticeship at the Seebeck Shipyard in Bremerhaven as an industrial clerk and worked there until 1965. In 1969 he attended the Jung-Stilling-College in Espelkamp (Ecclesiastical Institute for the attainment of higher education) for his high school diploma and finished a study of Protestant theology, philosophy and in social sciences. In 1974 Schliep gained a first theology degree at the Ruhr University Bochum and served subsequently as vicar for the Evangelical Church of Westphalia at the Stiepel Village Church in Stiepel, Bochum, Westphalia. Career . Schliep was ordained in October 1976 and was pastor at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Cross in Bremerhaven. In 1983 Schliep was appointed as department head (Dezernent), titled Oberkirchenrat (superior ecclesiastical councillor) to the Hanover Regional Church Office (German: "Landeskirchenamt Hannover") of the Church of Hanover responsible for the training of pastors, adult education, folk high schools ("Heimvolkshochschulen") and other things. On 1 March 1990 Schliep was appointed director of the "Amt für Gemeindedienst" (Office of Community Service) and commissioner for the environment (until 31 May 2000) of the Church of Hanover and the Confederation of Protestant Churches in  Lower Saxony. From 1991 he was the coordinator and manager of the Church of Hanover "Help for Chernobyl Children" (since 1994: "AG Hilfe für Tschernobylkinder"). During this time he was the first and only "Commissioner for Aviation" for the Church of hannover. From 1994 to 1999 Schliep was in personal union director of the "Amt für Gemeindedienst", department head at the Hanover Regional Church Office and an extraordinary member in the college of the Regional Church Office (German: Ausserordentliches Mitglied im -Kollegium- des Landeskirchenamtes Hannover). Schliep left his leadership offices at his own request in April 1999 and became  pastor at the Kronsberg Church Centre (official Exhibit (ExpoNAT) of the Expo 2000) in Kronsberg (Hanover), which was established in 2000 in connection with the EXPO 2000 in Hanover (motto "Humankind-Nature-Technology"). As "Kronsberg Pastor" he was founder and responsible for building up the congregation at the development area (Expo-settlement), created for Expo 2000 at Kronsberg, Hanover. The Christ Pavilion on the Expo terrain belonged to the congregation of Pastor Schliep. From 2002 to 2008 he was moreover pastor for the congregation of Wülferode Chapel. In 2011 he was awarded the plaque of honour of the City District  Council Kirchrode-Bemerode-Wülferode (German: Ehrenplakette des Stadtbezirkrates Kirchrode-Bemerode-Wülferode). From September 2008 to March 2010 Schliep was theological advisor at the Center for Health Ethics (German: Zentrum für Gesundheitsethik) with the Loccum Academy (German: Evangelische Akademie Loccum) and again the Commissioner for the environment of the Church of Hanover. On 1 April 2010, Pastor Schliep went into retirement, but still retained his office as commissioner for the environment of the Church of Hanover to March 2012. Until 2016 he worked as pastor, substitute at the Marktkirche und Neustädter Kirche in Hanover for example and as a Speaker and  consultant. He wrote and kept several radio devotions (NDR and others).