When the north German pastor Hans-Uwe Petersen (Peter Heinrich Brix) finds out that his parish of Toestrup is going to be merged with the neighboring parish of Norderup, he comes under pressure. He’d like to take on the responsibility and run the two village parishes, but the job comes with one condition: he has to finally marry his partner Petra Koslowski (Ulrike Kriener), with whom he’s living “in sin”. Petra isn’t keen on the idea – she doesn’t believe in marriage or God and she can’t see herself as the pastor’s wife, organizing senior lunches or parish flea markets.
