Protestant Church of Switzerland
Protestant Church in Switzerland | |
---|---|
Classification | Protestant |
Orientation | Reformed Methodist |
Polity | A Communion of 25 regional and denominational churches that practice their own forms of church governance. |
Associations | World Communion of Reformed Churches, World Council of Churches, Conference of Churches on the Rhine, Community of Protestant Churches in Europe |
Region | Switzerland |
Origin | 1920[1] Olten |
Congregations | 982 |
Members | 2,416,973[2] |
The Protestant Church in Switzerland- PCS[3] (Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche Schweiz, Église évangélique réformée de Suisse, Chiesa evangelica riformata in Svizzera, Baselgia evangelica refurmada da la Svizra - EKS-EERS-CERiS-BERS), formerly named Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches (Schweizerischer Evangelischer Kirchenbund, Fédération des Eglises protestantes de Suisse, Federazione delle Chiese evangeliche della Svizzera, Federaziun da las baselgias evangelicas da la Svizra - SEK-FEPS) until 31 December 2019, is a federation of 25 member churches — 24 cantonal churches and the Evangelical-Methodist Church of Switzerland. The PCS is not a church in a theological understanding, because every member is independent with their own theological and formal organisation. It serves as a legal umbrella before the federal government and represents the church in international relations. Except for the Evangelical-Methodist Church, which covers all of Switzerland, the member churches are restricted to a certain territory.
The president of the PCS is Rita Famos.
Social Issues[]
As with most mainline European denominations, the Protestant Church in Switzerland has many member churches that permit prayer services or blessings for same-sex civil unions. As early as 1999, the Reformed churches in St. Gallen, Fribourg, and Lucerne had allowed church celebration services for same-sex couples.[4] The Reformed Church in Aargau has also permitted prayer services of thanksgiving to celebrate a same-sex civil union.[5] The Reformed Church of Vaud, in 2013, also permitted prayer services as a way for same-sex couples to celebrate their civil union.[6] Other member churches that allow either prayer services or blessings for same-sex union are the churches in Bern-Jura-Solothurn, Schaffhausen, Tessin, Thurgau, and Zürich.[7]
Members of the Communion[]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/Mitgliedskirchen_SEK.png/220px-Mitgliedskirchen_SEK.png)
- Reformed Church of Aargau
- Evangelical-Reformed Church of Appenzell
- Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton Basel-Landschaft
- Evangelical-Reformed Church of the Canton Basel-Stadt
- Reformed Churches of the Canton Bern-Jura-Solothurn
- Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton Freiburg
- Protestant Church of Geneva
- Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Lucerne
- Evangelical-Reformed Church of the Canton of St. Gallen
- Evangalical-Reformed Church of the Canton of Schaffhausen
- Evangelical Church of the Canton of Thurgau
- Evangelical-Reformed Church of Uri
- Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Vaud
- Evangelical Reformed Church in Valais
- Evangelical-Reformed Church of the Canton of Zürich
- United Methodist Church (Swiss part)
See also[]
Sources[]
- ^ "Organization".
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/federation-of-swiss-protestant-churches
- ^ "Constitution - The Church and its mission". evref.ch. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- ^ "Service But No Blessing for homosexual partners. The Reformed Church". archive.thetablet.co.uk. The Tablet UK. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
- ^ "Segen und Segnungsfeiern". ref-ag.ch. Reformed Church in Aargau. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
- ^ "Schwule dürfen keine Eheringe tauschen". blick.ch. Blick. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
- ^ Bechtold, Markus. "Homosexuelle machen die Ehe stark". evangelisch.de. Evangelisch.de. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
External links[]
- Protestantism in Switzerland
- Reformed cantonal churches in Switzerland
- Members of the World Communion of Reformed Churches
- Members of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches
- Members of the World Council of Churches
- National churches
- 1920 establishments in Switzerland
- Christian organizations established in 1920