in 1997, somewhat more than 20% of the Hither Pomeranian population. On 28 March 2009 the synod voted in the merger with the two Lutheran church bodies of Mecklenburg and North Elbia, by 44 out of 58 synodals. The merger took effect on Pentecost, 27 May 2012. Number of parishioners Governors, governing bodies and chairpersons of the church Historically the church was subdivided into districts (later called Sprengel in German), partially due to different secular rulers reigning different parts of Pomerania, or partially due to the mere extension of the territory. Thus originally these districts territorially resembled the political subdivisions of Pomerania at the time. Each ecclesiastical district had a consistory and a spiritual leader (usually called general superintendent). At times there were additional subordinate consistories and spiritual leaders with regional competence. Supreme governors (1534–1918) Between 1534 and 1918 the incumbents of the different Pomeranian thrones were simultaneously Supreme Governors (summus episcopus) of the State Church, like the English monarch as Supreme Governor of the Church of England. Since 1532 the ducal House of Griffins was divided into two lines, ruling in partitioned parts of the duchy (Pomerania-Stettin 1532–1637; Pomerania-Wolgast 1532–1620). Furthermore, the third political unit was the Prince-Bishopric of Cammin (1248–1650), a prince-bishopric in parts of Farther Pomerania, ruled by Catholic and later Lutheran bishops of Cammin or by administrators elected by its governing body, the collegial cathedral chapter of Cammin, since the Reformation mostly staffed with Lutheran capitular canons. Two dependent branch duchies, Pomerania-Barth (1569–1605) and Pomerania-Rügenwalde (1569–1620) were without share in the government, thus also without competence as to the Lutheran state churches. After the extinction of the Griffins in 1637 Pomerania was divided into a Swedish and a Brandenburgian part, where the monarchs of Sweden and the Berlin-based Hohenzollern rulers, respectively, then wielded the summepiscopacy. Ecclesiastical Province of Pomerania (1826–1918) Spiritual leaders (1535–2012) In Stettin (1826–1921) In Greifswald (1921–2012) and in Stettin (1921–1945) Notes External links https://web.archive.org/web/20110518075042/http://www.pevk.de/ Pomeranian Evangelical Church http://www.ekd.de Evangelical Church in Germany United and uniting churches Organisations based in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Former member churches of the Evangelical Church in Germany Religious organizations disestablished in 2012 2012 disestablishments in Germany 1534 establishments in the Holy Roman Empire History of Lutheranism in Germany History of Protestantism in Poland Evangelical