According to a report in the “Siegener Zeitung” last year, Kurschus is said to have been aware of massive allegations of sexual violence against his former colleague in the 1990s. She herself stated at the time that she only found out about the allegations in 2023.
As a result of the allegations, Kurschus resigned from the leadership of the Protestant church in November. In her declaration of resignation, Kurschus maintained the attitude that she had nothing to blame herself for. The theologian said at the time that she was friends with the man’s family. She had heard something about the homosexual tendencies of the man who was married to a woman and about his marital infidelity, but nothing about possible acts of abuse.
The 61-year-old Kurschus was council chairwoman of the EKD for two years, succeeding Heinrich Bedford-Strohm. After Margot Käßmann, she was the second woman to lead the German Protestants. Since April, Kurschus has been working as a pastor and pastor at the Bodelschwinghsche Stiftungen Bethel in Bielefeld, as they previously announced.
