On 11 July 2025, the former Head of Department for Mission and Ecumenism of the Evangelical Church in Baden, Prof. Dr Dr h.c. Karl-Christoph Epting, passed away. He was 85 years old.

Karl-Christoph Epting was closely associated with EMS and its members for many decades. He was a pastor for mission and ecumenism in Baden from 1974 and headed the Department for Mission and Ecumenism in Karlsruhe from 1976 to 2000. From 1986 to 1996, he was the chairperson of the Assembly of Delegates and of the Board of Basel Mission. 

He was particularly passionate about the churches in Asia. At the meeting of the International Mission Council of the EMS in Bali a few weeks ago, I Bagus Herman Suryadi, the Bishop of the Bali Church, reminded the EMS fellowship that it was Karl-Christoph Epting who had campaigned for the membership of the Balinese Christians in the international EMS fellowship. Karl-Christoph Epting's lifelong commitment to Christians all over the world, not only in the Basel Mission and the EMS, but also in the Gustav Adolf Werk and in many other places, broadened the horizons of the churches in Germany in a marvellous way.

In his book about the Balinese artist I Nyoman Darsane, Karl-Christoph Epting writes about our departure from this world: “The soul becomes free.” We share in the grief of his wife Karin and his family and commend Karl-Christoph Epting into God's hands. 

The funeral will take place on Friday, 18 July 2025, at 1.00 pm in Langensteinbach. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations for the work of the EMS in Karl-Christoph Epting's memory. We want to express our heartfelt thanks for this very special sign of closeness.