Rev. Dr. Axel Schwaigert, the founding pastor of Salz der Erde MCC in Stuttgart, Germany, was honored with an invitation to the New Year’s Reception hosted by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at Schloss Bellevue in Berlin.

This annual event is one of the most prestigious dates on the German political calendar. Each year, the Federal President invites around 60 citizens from across the nation who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to the common good, alongside top representatives from the fields of politics, business, and culture.

Dr. Schwaigert’s invitation serves as a profound acknowledgement of his decades-long dedication to the LGBTQ+ community in Stuttgart and beyond. Since founding Salz der Erde MCC in 2000 during the city’s Pride celebrations (CSD), Axel has worked tirelessly to create a “Safe Space” for queer individuals—particularly those of faith who have often felt excluded from traditional religious institutions.

Under his leadership, Salz der Erde has grown from a fledgling initiative into a vibrant community that offers regular worship services, pastoral care, and social-political activism. The Federal President’s office specifically highlighted Dr. Schwaigert’s role in providing a spiritual home and a platform for social engagement for queer people, affirming the vital role that inclusive faith communities play in the fabric of a modern, democratic society.

Writing about the event, the Federal President’s office noted that the invited citizens represent the “many people in our country who, through their personal commitment, contribute to the fact that our society remains human and worth living in.”

We congratulate Rev. Dr. Axel Schwaigert on this well-deserved honor and thank him for his continued service to our community and the global MCC family.

Source: bundespraesident.de