Ilse Everlien Berardo

Ilse Everlien Berardo (born 28 December 1955) is a German Lutheran theologian, responsible for the German-speaking Protestant Church on Madeira Island. She is the first woman to become pastor of the Lutheran Church in Madeira, in 500 years of Christian presence on the island.

She was ordained in July 2011, by the Bishop of Kassel, Martin Hein.

Ilse Berardo was born in Einbeck, Lower Saxony to Henny Everlien and Karl Everlien, an engineer.

While in high school she volunteered as a Lutheran catechist in at the local parish, a role that she holds until she enrolls in University of Marburg in order to study Theology, in 1974.

Berardo graduates in 1981, having presented her bachelor's thesis to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Brunswick, in the city of Wolfenbüttel.

Ilse Berardo started out as a preacher of Madeira's Lutheran church in 1987 when the German-Speaking Evangelical Parish was established. At the time she had a special license issued by the bishop to officiate celebrations.

While in Madeira Berardo has always been active at the local Lutheran church on a voluntary basis. The main dignitaries from the Lutheran Church in Portugal, as well as the Lutheran auxiliary bishop of Hannover, came to her ordination ceremony in recognition of her religious commitment to the local German community.

As a Pastor, Isle is also known for her extensive network of ecumenical contacts in Madeira Island. The intensity of these well-established relations was demonstrated when representatives of the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Church and the Presbyterian Church in Madeira attended her ordination.