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Protestant Church of Switzerland

January 26, 2023

The Protestant Church in Switzerland (PCS),[3][a] formerly named Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches[b] 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.[4]

Protestant Church in Switzerland
ClassificationProtestant
OrientationReformed
Methodist
PolityA Communion of 25 regional and denominational churches that practice their own forms of church governance.
Associations
RegionSwitzerland
Origin1920[1]
Olten
Congregations982
Members2,416,973[2]
Official websitehttps://www.evref.ch/en/
Distribution of denominations in Switzerland in 2008 (green: Protestant, red: Roman Catholic)

The president of the PCS is Rita Famos.

History

The Reformation spread primarily into the cities of Switzerland, which was then composed of loosely connected cantons. Breakthroughs began in the 1520s in Zurich under Zwingli, in Bern in 1528 under Berchtold Haller, and in Basel in 1529 under Johannes Oecolampadius. After the death of Zwingli in 1531, the Reformation continued. The French-speaking cities Neuchâtel, Geneva and Lausanne changed to the Reformation ten years later under William Farel and John Calvin coming from France. The Zwingli and Calvin branches had each their theological distinctions, but in 1549 under the lead of Bullinger and Calvin they came to a common agreement in the Consensus Tigurinus (Zürich Consent), and 1566 in the Second Helvetic Confession. The German Reformed ideological center was Zurich, while the French-speaking Reformed movement bastion was Geneva.

A feature of the Swiss Reformed churches in the Zwinglian tradition is their historically very close links to the cantons, which is only loosening gradually in the present.[citation needed]. In cities where the Reformed faith became leading theology, several confessions were written, some of them:

  • The 67 Articles of Zurich
  • Theses of Berne 1528
  • Berne Synodus 1532
  • Confession of Geneva 1537
  • Second Helvetic Confession written by Bullinger in 1566

In the mid 19th century, opposition to liberal theology and interventions by the state led to secessions in several cantonal churches. One of these secessionist churches still exists today, the Evangelical Free Church of Geneva, founded in 1849, while two others reunited with the Swiss Reformed Church in 1943 and 1966.[5] An important issue to liberal theologians was the Apostles' Creed. They questioned its binding character. This caused a heated debate. Until the late 1870s, most cantonal reformed churches stopped prescribing any particular creed.[6]

In 1920 the Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches (Schweizerischer Evangelischer Kirchenbund, Fédération des Eglises protestantes de Suisse, Federazione delle Chiese evangeliche della Svizzera - SEK-FEPS), with 24 member churches – 22 cantonal churches and 2 free churches (Free Church of Geneva and the Evangelical-Methodist Church of Switzerland), was formed to serve as a legal umbrella before the federal government and represent the church in international relations.

Social issues

The ordination of women is allowed in all member churches.

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.[7] The Reformed Church in Aargau has also permitted prayer services of thanksgiving to celebrate a same-sex civil union.[8] The Reformed Church of Vaud, in 2013, also permitted prayer services as a way for same-sex couples to celebrate their civil union.[9] 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.[10] Like many European Protestant denominations, several of the Swiss Reformed churches have openly welcomed gay and lesbian members to celebrate their civil unions within a church context. As early as 1999, the Reformed Churches in St. Gallen, Fribourg, and Lucerne had permitted prayer and celebration services for same-sex couples to recognize their civil unions.[11] Since then, the Reformed Church in Aargau has also allowed for prayer services to celebrate same-sex couples.[12] To date, seven other Swiss Reformed churches, including Bern-Jura-Solothurn,[13] Graubünden,[14] Schaffhausen, Ticino, Thurgau, Vaud,[15] and Zürich,[16] have allowed the blessing of same-sex unions for same-sex civil unions.[17] In August 2019 with the Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Zürich the first church of the Swiss Reformed Church allowed the blessing of same-sex marriages and the Swiss Reformed Church allowed blessing of same-sex marriages for their member churches.[18][19]

Members of the communion

Organizationally, the Reformed Churches in Switzerland remain separate, cantonal units. The German churches are more in the Zwinglian tradition; the French more in the Calvinist tradition. They are governed synodically and their relation to the respective canton (in Switzerland, there are no church-state regulations at a national level) ranges from independent to close collaboration, depending on historical developments. The exception is the Evangelical-Methodist Church, which is nationally active.

Reformed Churches in the Swiss cantons:

 
Reformed "Landeskirchen" of Switzerland

See also

Notes

  1. ^ German: Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche Schweiz (EKS); French: Église évangélique réformée de Suisse (EERS); Italian: Chiesa evangelica riformata in Svizzera (CERiS); Romansh: Baselgia evangelica refurmada da la Svizra (BRRS)
  2. ^ German: Schweizerischer Evangelischer Kirchenbund (SEK); French: Fédération des Eglises protestantes de Suisse (FEPS); Italian: Federazione delle Chiese evangeliche della Svizzera; Romansh: Federaziun da las baselgias evangelicas da la Svizra

References

  1. ^ "Organization".
  2. ^ . Archived from the original on 2017-08-14. Retrieved 2013-04-27.
  3. ^ "Constitution - The Church and its mission". evref.ch. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  4. ^ "Kirchenmitgliedschaft in der römisch-katholischen und evangelisch-reformierten Kirche nach Kantonen (2017)" (Table 1.4 on the lower part of the page) (in German). SPI St. Gallen. 2018. Retrieved 2019-02-22.
  5. ^ "Overview of Switzerland". Reformed Online.
  6. ^ Rudolf Gebhard: Apostolikumsstreit in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland, 2011-01-27.
  7. ^ "Service But No Blessing for homosexual partners. The Reformed Church". archive.thetablet.co.uk. The Tablet UK. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
  8. ^ "Segen und Segnungsfeiern". ref-ag.ch. Reformed Church in Aargau. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  9. ^ "Schwule dürfen keine Eheringe tauschen". blick.ch. Blick. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
  10. ^ Bechtold, Markus. "Homosexuelle machen die Ehe stark". evangelisch.de. Evangelisch.de. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  11. ^ "Service But No Blessing For Homosexual Partners. The Reformed Church". archives.thetablet.co.uk. The Tablet UK. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
  12. ^ "Segnungsfeiern". ref-ag.ch. Reformed Church in Aargau. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
  13. ^ "Gleichgeschlechtliche Paare". refbejuso.ch. Reformed Church in Bern-Jura-Solothurn. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
  14. ^ "Eine Frage des Liebesgebotes". reformiert.info. Reformiert Info. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
  15. ^ "Schwule dürfen keine Eheringe tauschen". blick.ch. Blick. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
  16. ^ "Stellungnahme zu Homosexualität". zh.ref.ch. Reformed Church in Zürich. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
  17. ^ Bechtold, Markus. "Homosexuelle mache die Ehe stark". evangelisch.de. Zeitzeichen. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  18. ^ SRF.ch: Eine Kantonskirche outet sich, August 8, 2019 (german)]
  19. ^ Kirchenbund.de: Rat des Kirchenbundes befürwortet die Öffnung der Ehe für gleichgeschlechtliche Paare (german), August 29, 2019

External links

  • Official website

January 26, 2023
protestant, church, switzerland, protestant, church, switzerland, formerly, named, federation, swiss, protestant, churches, until, december, 2019, federation, member, churches, cantonal, churches, evangelical, methodist, church, switzerland, church, theologica. The Protestant Church in Switzerland PCS 3 a formerly named Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches b 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 4 Protestant Church in SwitzerlandClassificationProtestantOrientationReformedMethodistPolityA Communion of 25 regional and denominational churches that practice their own forms of church governance AssociationsWorld Communion of Reformed ChurchesWorld Council of ChurchesConference of Churches on the RhineCommunity of Protestant Churches in EuropeRegionSwitzerlandOrigin1920 1 OltenCongregations982Members2 416 973 2 Official websitehttps www evref ch en Distribution of denominations in Switzerland in 2008 green Protestant red Roman Catholic The president of the PCS is Rita Famos Contents 1 History 2 Social issues 3 Members of the communion 4 See also 5 Notes 6 References 7 External linksHistory EditThe Reformation spread primarily into the cities of Switzerland which was then composed of loosely connected cantons Breakthroughs began in the 1520s in Zurich under Zwingli in Bern in 1528 under Berchtold Haller and in Basel in 1529 under Johannes Oecolampadius After the death of Zwingli in 1531 the Reformation continued The French speaking cities Neuchatel Geneva and Lausanne changed to the Reformation ten years later under William Farel and John Calvin coming from France The Zwingli and Calvin branches had each their theological distinctions but in 1549 under the lead of Bullinger and Calvin they came to a common agreement in the Consensus Tigurinus Zurich Consent and 1566 in the Second Helvetic Confession The German Reformed ideological center was Zurich while the French speaking Reformed movement bastion was Geneva A feature of the Swiss Reformed churches in the Zwinglian tradition is their historically very close links to the cantons which is only loosening gradually in the present citation needed In cities where the Reformed faith became leading theology several confessions were written some of them The 67 Articles of Zurich Theses of Berne 1528 Berne Synodus 1532 Confession of Geneva 1537 Second Helvetic Confession written by Bullinger in 1566In the mid 19th century opposition to liberal theology and interventions by the state led to secessions in several cantonal churches One of these secessionist churches still exists today the Evangelical Free Church of Geneva founded in 1849 while two others reunited with the Swiss Reformed Church in 1943 and 1966 5 An important issue to liberal theologians was the Apostles Creed They questioned its binding character This caused a heated debate Until the late 1870s most cantonal reformed churches stopped prescribing any particular creed 6 In 1920 the Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches Schweizerischer Evangelischer Kirchenbund Federation des Eglises protestantes de Suisse Federazione delle Chiese evangeliche della Svizzera SEK FEPS with 24 member churches 22 cantonal churches and 2 free churches Free Church of Geneva and the Evangelical Methodist Church of Switzerland was formed to serve as a legal umbrella before the federal government and represent the church in international relations Social issues EditThe ordination of women is allowed in all member churches 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 7 The Reformed Church in Aargau has also permitted prayer services of thanksgiving to celebrate a same sex civil union 8 The Reformed Church of Vaud in 2013 also permitted prayer services as a way for same sex couples to celebrate their civil union 9 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 Zurich 10 Like many European Protestant denominations several of the Swiss Reformed churches have openly welcomed gay and lesbian members to celebrate their civil unions within a church context As early as 1999 the Reformed Churches in St Gallen Fribourg and Lucerne had permitted prayer and celebration services for same sex couples to recognize their civil unions 11 Since then the Reformed Church in Aargau has also allowed for prayer services to celebrate same sex couples 12 To date seven other Swiss Reformed churches including Bern Jura Solothurn 13 Graubunden 14 Schaffhausen Ticino Thurgau Vaud 15 and Zurich 16 have allowed the blessing of same sex unions for same sex civil unions 17 In August 2019 with the Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Zurich the first church of the Swiss Reformed Church allowed the blessing of same sex marriages and the Swiss Reformed Church allowed blessing of same sex marriages for their member churches 18 19 Members of the communion EditOrganizationally the Reformed Churches in Switzerland remain separate cantonal units The German churches are more in the Zwinglian tradition the French more in the Calvinist tradition They are governed synodically and their relation to the respective canton in Switzerland there are no church state regulations at a national level ranges from independent to close collaboration depending on historical developments The exception is the Evangelical Methodist Church which is nationally active Reformed Churches in the Swiss cantons Reformed Landeskirchen of Switzerland 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 Glarus de Evangelical Reformed Church of Graubunden de rm Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Lucerne Reformed Church of the Canton of Neuchatel fr Evangelical Reformed Church of Nidwalen de Association of Evangelical Reformed Churches in the Canton of Obwalden de Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of St Gallen Evangalical Reformed Church of the Canton of Schaffhausen Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Schwyz de Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Solothurn de Evangelical Reformed Church of Ticino de 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 Zurich Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Zug de United Methodist Church Swiss part See also EditReligion in SwitzerlandNotes Edit German Evangelisch reformierte Kirche Schweiz EKS French Eglise evangelique reformee de Suisse EERS Italian Chiesa evangelica riformata in Svizzera CERiS Romansh Baselgia evangelica refurmada da la Svizra BRRS German Schweizerischer Evangelischer Kirchenbund SEK French Federation des Eglises protestantes de Suisse FEPS Italian Federazione delle Chiese evangeliche della Svizzera Romansh Federaziun da las baselgias evangelicas da la SvizraReferences Edit Organization Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches World Council of Churches Archived from the original on 2017 08 14 Retrieved 2013 04 27 Constitution The Church and its mission evref ch Retrieved December 2 2020 Kirchenmitgliedschaft in der romisch katholischen und evangelisch reformierten Kirche nach Kantonen 2017 Table 1 4 on the lower part of the page in German SPI St Gallen 2018 Retrieved 2019 02 22 Overview of Switzerland Reformed Online Rudolf Gebhard Apostolikumsstreit in German French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland 2011 01 27 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 durfen 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 Service But No Blessing For Homosexual Partners The Reformed Church archives thetablet co uk The Tablet UK Retrieved April 17 2016 Segnungsfeiern ref ag ch Reformed Church in Aargau Retrieved April 17 2016 Gleichgeschlechtliche Paare refbejuso ch Reformed Church in Bern Jura Solothurn Retrieved April 18 2016 Eine Frage des Liebesgebotes reformiert info Reformiert Info Retrieved April 18 2016 Schwule durfen keine Eheringe tauschen blick ch Blick Retrieved April 18 2016 Stellungnahme zu Homosexualitat zh ref ch Reformed Church in Zurich Retrieved April 18 2016 Bechtold Markus Homosexuelle mache die Ehe stark evangelisch de Zeitzeichen Retrieved April 19 2016 SRF ch Eine Kantonskirche outet sich August 8 2019 german Kirchenbund de Rat des Kirchenbundes befurwortet die Offnung der Ehe fur gleichgeschlechtliche Paare german August 29 2019External links EditOfficial website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Protestant Church of Switzerland amp oldid 1118338884, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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