Power Struggle, Excommunication, and Allegations of Abuse: The Fall of a German Pastor

For more than a decade, Tobias Riemenschneider served as co-pastor of a growing evangelical congregation in Frankfurt. By late 2025, he had been removed from office, excommunicated, and publicly denounced as spiritually fallen—along with a group of long-standing church members.

However, the events that led to this rupture were not the result of moral failure or doctrinal deviation, but of a coordinated effort by church leadership to consolidate control, silence dissent, and eliminate opposition.

Early Tensions and Attempts to Sideline Leadership

The conflict traces back to mid-2024, when co-pastor Peter Schild proposed a restructuring of responsibilities: Pastor Tobias would withdraw from internal leadership and focus on external ministry, while Peter Schild assumed control of the congregation. The arrangement quickly proved unworkable.

In the months that followed, Peter Schild repeatedly pressured Pastor Tobias to relocate to Berlin to plant a new church—an idea the latter increasingly perceived as an attempt to remove him from Frankfurt altogether.

At the same time, serious internal issues were emerging within the congregation, including significant moral failings and even a criminal incident severe enough to force the cancellation of a major church event.

Confrontation Over Sin—and Public Undermining

In August 2025, Pastor Tobias called a church members‘ meeting to address what he described as widespread spiritual decline: division, gossip, sexual sin, and a loss of prayer life. Peter Schild opposed the meeting, favouring a more positive gathering.

When the meeting went ahead, Peter Schild publicly rebuked his co-pastor, accusing him of emotional instability and poor judgment. The confrontation marked a turning point.

Soon afterward, multiple church members approached Pastor Tobias with near-identical criticisms—minimizing the seriousness of the issues and echoing Peter Schild’s language. Other independent warnings followed: several individuals cautioned that Peter Schild and Hans Ewert (a deacon) were actively working against him.

Coordinated Pressure and Escalation

The pattern intensified in the weeks that followed. Members who initially supported Pastor Tobias changed their stance after speaking with Peter Schild. At the same time, he was repeatedly urged to resign and focus on an external initiative, “Wendepunkt Deutschland,” often accompanied by exaggerated praise of his supposed national significance.

Even external actors appeared to be drawn in. After a pastors’ conference attended by both men, a representative of HeartCry Missionary Society contacted Pastor Tobias with a proposal aligning with Peter Schild’s position—that he should step back internally and submit to Peter Schild’s leadership.

Formal Accusation Without Process

On November 11, 2025, three men confronted Pastor Tobias with an eleven-page accusation demanding his immediate resignation or removal. This action bypassed all established biblical and procedural safeguards for handling disputes.

Rather than pursuing reconciliation, Peter Schild escalated the situation further, insisting on formal removal proceedings despite acknowledging that Pastor Tobias was not disqualified from ministry.

Attempts to de-escalate—including offers to resign or leave the church voluntarily—were rejected.

A Contested Congregational Vote

The decisive church members' meeting was led not by internal leadership, but by external pastor Richard Friesen, who presented himself as acting with the backing of HeartCry. Given the organization’s high standing within the church, this claim had significant influence on attendees.

From the outset, the meeting was marked by procedural irregularities. Objections to Friesen’s role were met with hostility. The atmosphere deteriorated into chaos: shouting, accusations, and visible distress among members.

Core principles of due process were disregarded. No consistent witness testimony was established, the accused was prevented from fully defending himself, and members were denied the opportunity to ask questions. Despite the seriousness of the charges, no clear evaluation of evidence or pastoral qualifications was conducted.

After five hours, a vote was held without prayer or deliberation, resulting in a narrow 55% majority for removal.

Division, Pressure, and Shifting Loyalties

In the days following the vote, the congregation fractured. Members who had previously expressed strong support for Pastor Tobias turned against him after private discussions with Peter Schild. Testimonies later suggested deliberate efforts to influence the outcome.

Reports also point to emotional pressure tactics. In one instance, Peter Schild allegedly broke down in tears before two young members and framed the situation as a personal ultimatum—him or his co-pastor.

Excommunication as Enforcement

A group of sixteen members subsequently separated and requested a peaceful division. Instead, Peter Schild issued an ultimatum: return to his authority and accept the legitimacy of the proceedings, or face excommunication.

When the group refused, they were formally excommunicated on December 15.

Under traditional church doctrine, excommunication is reserved for severe moral or doctrinal failure. In this case, however, the decisive factor was procedural: the group had not complied with a one-week deadline to leave the church and had refused to affirm what they regarded as an unjust decision.

The consequence was severe. Those affected—including long-standing leaders, founding members, and core contributors—were declared outside the faith and to be treated as apostates.

Legal Disputes and Allegations of Abuse

An independent legal review commissioned by the excommunicated group concluded that the entire process was invalid due to serious violations of church constitution and applicable law.

A separate internal review—conducted by Friesen and associates—reached the opposite conclusion but is conflicted and procedurally flawed.

The events are a clear case of spiritual abuse: disciplinary mechanisms used not to restore, but to coerce and punish. Dissent was systematically suppressed, questions were met with threats, and members were forced to choose between conscience and belonging.

Peter Schild also sought to use a variety of pastors around Germany to conduct a covert smear campaign + against Pastor Tobias - while he himself released a statement saying that he would "endure all untruth and wickedness without publicly defending/justifying himself" - gross hypocrisy given the aforementioned campaign. 

Peter Schild also continues to insist that HeartCry and Paul Washer stood behind all of the actions against Pastor Tobias, despite that missionary society releasing a statement that this was absolutely not the case.

Aftermath

The fallout has been profound. Long-standing relationships have fractured, families have been divided, and former members have been publicly discredited and warned against.

Meanwhile, Pastor Tobias and those aligned with him have formed a separate congregation. No substantive accusations of serious wrongdoing were ever proven and that the actions taken against him were driven by power consolidation rather than legitimate concern.

After months of silence, Pastor Tobias has now chosen to speak publicly—since his case is not only a personal injustice, but a part of a broader pattern of spiritual abuse within church structures.

Despite the severity of his allegations, Pastor Tobias states that he still hopes for reconciliation. This, however, seems unlikely as long as Peter Schild is not brought to account for his scandalous behaviour. This is only reinforced by the way that any questioning of him is silenced by many in wider reformed circles - more on that in my next post...