FSPC Annual Report 2008

Annual Report fspc

�

ContentsPreface� 5

Organizational�Structure�of�the�FSPC� 6

The�Member�Churches� 7

The�Assembly�of�Delegates� 8

The�Council� 10

The�Management� 15

Organizational�Chart�of�the�Office� 16

Department�of�Ecumenical�Relations� 20Ecumenical Relations in Switzerland 20Church 08 – The Match 26International Relations 28National und International Contacts 32Special Projects 34Staff of the Department of Ecumenical Relations 35

Departmental�Institute�for�Theology�and�Ethics� 38Theology 38Ethics 39For a Dialogical Theology 42Diaconial Outreach 44Further Activities 45Staff of the Department of Theology and Ethics 46

Publications�2008� �7

Communications�Department� 50Bulletins 2008 51Staff of the Communications Department 51Press Releases 2008 52A Day for Johannes C. 54

Central�Services�Department� 58Staff of the Central Services Department 59Traces – Thoughts on the Restructuring of the Office 60

Annual�Accounts�2008� 62

Statistics�of�Official�Church�Activities�in�2007� 63

Delegations�and�Commissions� 6�

Relations� 66

CONTENTS

5

Protection�of�life,�solidary�care,��autonomy

The FSPC makes statements and adopts positions from a Protestant standpoint as a contribution to public discussion at the national level. We can see how strongly these are taken into account in the present debate on the issues of end-of-life care, euthanasia and assisted suicide. The Council of the FSPC took an early stand on this complex of themes with its fundamental Position «Living the Process of Dying». The Position takes as its starting point the three ethical principles of the protection of life, solidary care and the autonomy of the person. These principles, which are all valid and must be set in relation to one another, offer an orien-tation when decisions on the end of life must be taken. In each of these decisions the specific person and respect for his individual situation at the end of his life stand in the foreground. By protection of life is meant the fundamental duty of a humane society to enable and to maintain life for everybody. In view of the possibilities of modern medicine increasingly unsettling questions call for an answer in this context: «Should a person be allowed to die?» and – in view of the practice of assisted suicide – also the new inverse question «Should a person be allowed to live?» The Position of the FSPC calls for a comprehensive, legally guaranteed accompaniment of dying persons supported by palliative care. The FSPC participates intensively in the endeavours to establish and develop palliative care. This conception deriv-ing from the Christian notion of hospice prevents the fear of pain and suffering from causing the dying person to lose per-spective. The autonomy of the person, the third ethical prin-ciple, respects the decision a person takes in accordance with his conscience in a given situation. The Swiss Penal Code declares that assistance to suicide is not punishable by law if it is not given out of self-interest. Behind this position lies the thought that assistance to suicide motivated by compassion and as an act of friendship in a human emergency should not be prosecuted. But the modern, commercially organized assistance to suicide has nothing in common with this. Instead it increases the explosiveness of the theme. And we find ourselves faced with a further question: «Should a sick and dying person be allowed to live one’s own dying pro-cess?» In the hearing of the Law Commission of the National Council and in the hearings of the Federal Department of Justice and Police the SFPC consequently spoke in favour of a strict, transparent control of the suicide assistance organi-zations including legal sanctions. To this end it puts forward its own proposals for a corresponding new formulation in the Penal Code.

Thomas Wipf, President of the Council

Preface

PREFACE

6 FSPC-STRuCTuRE

FSPC-StructureAs�of�January�15,�2009

FSPC-Conferences

26�Member�Churches

Assembly�of�Delegates

70�Delegates�of�the�Member�Churches

��Representatives�of�the�Conferences�without�vote

Office�of�the�Assembly

Rev. Dr theol. Didier Halter (president)

Theres Meierhofer-Lauffer (vice-president)

Verena Enzler (vice-president)

Rev. Theo Schaad (secretary)

Audit�Commission

Rev. Antoine Reymond (president)

Pia Grossholz-Fahrni

Regula Kummer

Dr Margrit Schneider-Schardt

Rev. Elisabeth Wyss-Jenny

Nomination�Commission

Rev. Claudia Bandixen-Widmer (president)

Henri Chabloz, Diacre

Daniel Reuter

Diaconal�Conference

Konrad Meyer (president)

Womens'�Conference

Rev. Sabine Scheuter-Perret (president)

Council

9�Members

Fulltime�president

Rev. Thomas Wipf (president)

Dr Silvia Pfeiffer (vice-president)

Irène Reday (vice-president)

Rev. Lucien Boder

Helen Gucker-Vontobel

Dr Karl Kohli

Rev. Kristin Rossier Buri

Dr h.c. Peter Schmid

Rev. Urs Zimmermann

Management

Rev. Theo Schaad (chair)

Rev. Serge Fornerod, MPA

PD Dr Christina Tuor-Kurth

Rev. Simon Weber

7

The Member Churches of the Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches

Evangelisch-Reformierte Landeskirche beider Appenzell

Reformierte Kirche Baselland

Reformierte Kirchen Bern-Jura-Solothurn / Églises réformées Berne-Jura-Soleure

Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche des Kantons Freiburg /Église Évangélique Réformée du canton de Fribourg

Église Protestante de Genève

Evangelisch-Reformierte Landeskirche des Kantons Glarus

Evangelische Landeskirche Graubünden

Reformierte Kirche Kanton Luzern

Église réformée évangélique du canton de Neuchâtel

Evangelisch-Reformierte Kirche Nidwalden

Evangelisch-Reformierte Kirche Obwalden

Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche Kanton Schaffhausen

Evangelisch-reformierte Kantonalkirche Schwyz

Chiesa Evangelica Riformata nel Cantone Ticino

Église Évangélique Réformée du canton de Vaud

Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche des Wallis / Église réformée Evangélique du Valais

Reformierte Kirche Kanton Zug

Evangelisch-methodistische Kirche in der Schweiz

Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche des Kantons St. Gallen

Evangelisch-Reformierte Kirche Kanton Solothurn

Église Évangélique Libre de Genève

MEMBER�CHuRCHES

8

The�Summer�Assembly�of�Delegates�(15.–17.�June�2008)For the Summer Assembly the delegates travelled to

Bellinzona at the invitation of the Chiesa Evangelica Riformata nel Ticino. TheAssembly took place in the main hall of the Government Building. On Sunday they celebrated a service with Holy Communion in four languages and were invited to a Ticino evening in Burg Castelgrande, which is a world cultural heritage site. The debate on the minority sta-tus in the diaspora lent a particular character to this AD, to which the two presentations by State Councillor Dr. Dick Marty and Prof. Antonio Loprieno also contributed. Thanks are due to the Church of the Canton of Ticino, the Ticino cantonal authorities and the Comunità evangelica riformata of Bellinzona.

The AD in Bellinzona dealt predominantly with statutory business, namely the annual report and the annual accounts of 2007, the elections to the Nomination Commission and the setting of various target sums for the year 2009. After finishing the discussion of new initiatives and the thematic issues on the agenda, the delegates had sufficient time to express their opinions on the work of the FSPC and to deposit their requests within the framework of the discus-sion on the annual report of 2007. The focal points of their votes were the revision of the constitution, the statements of the Council on the federal referenda, the education reform, the armed forces pastoral care and the publications of the FSPC. The motion of the auditing committee requesting the approval of the annual accounts with a modest expenditure surplus of 9.535.– CHF was accepted without discussion.

Apart from the Fondia Foundation, Brot für Alle (Bread for All/BfA) and the Hilfswerk der Evangelischen Kirchen Schweiz (HEKS)(Swiss Interchurch Aid/SIA) also presented their annual reports and annual accounts. The delegates took notice of the reports and accounts, whereby the mem-ber Churches emphatically requested those responsible in the SIA to continue positioning themselves in their strategic orientation and in their campaigns as a relief organization of the Protestant Church The election of Roland Decorvert to the Foundation Council of the SIA, which was treated as an urgent item on the agenda, subsequently caused a com-motion in the cantonal Churches and the media.

The�Autumn�Assembly�(3./�.�November�2008)The Autumn Assembly in the Town Hall of Berne newly

elected Pastor Lucien Boder from the Synod Board of the Reformed Churches of Berne, Jura, Solothurn, to the Council and thus replaced Ruedi Heinzer, who resigned from his office. As President of the Assembly of Delegates the dele-gates appointed Pastor Dr. Didier Halter (Valais) and as vice-presidents Theres Meierhofer-Lauffer lic.iur. (Obwalden)

Assembly of Delegates (AD)

The Assembly of Delegates is the Parliament (legis-lative organ) of the Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches. It meets twice a year, in June as the guest of a member Church, in November in Berne. The member Churches are represented by seventy delegates; the diaconal outreach conference and the women’s con-ference each have two delegates with the right to speak and to make motions. The Assembly of Dele-gates chooses the Presidium and the members of the Council, accepts the annual report and decides on the budget and the annual accounts. It can assign tasks to the Council by means of motions and postulates, request information through interpellations and express its opinion on current issues in resolutions.

ASSEMBLY�OF�DELEGATES�(AD)

9

and Verena Enzler lic. iur. (Solothurn) were elected. There was a highly controversial debate on the documents present-ed by the Council dealing with the spheres of duty of the relief and mission organizations and on the basic mission of the Church. Before the opening of the Assembly BFA, SIA and mission 21 had already protested together that they had not been given an opportunity to make a statement on the document before its presentation to the Assembly. This cir-cumstance led to a fundamental debate among the delegates as to whether the document in its present version should be taken note of at all or whether it must be referred back to the Council without further discussion so that the mistakes which had occurred could be made good. After a number of votes, a narrow majority decided in favour of referring the document back to the Council to be fundamentally reworked in cooperation with the relief and mission organizations and mission 21. In connection with the treatment of the budget and the finance plan for 2009 the Assembly expli-

citly called upon the Council to listen to the appeals of the member Churches for economy measures and to present variants of the finance plan which take the declining finan-cial resources of the cantonal Churches into account. A thematic contribution was made by Ambassador Dr. Paul Widmer, who spoke on the strategy of the European Council on the inter-cultural dialogue and the significance of its inter-religious dimensions.

Initiatives�Referred�to�the�Council(in�accordance�with�Art.�53�of�the�Rules�of�the�Assembly�of�Delegates)�

At the moment one initiative is pending and being proc-essed: the motion of the North West Swiss Churches on the future of the relief organizations of the Swiss Interchurch Aid (SIA) and Bread for All (BFA), referred by the Summer Assembly of Delegates in 2004.

ASSEMBLY�OF�DELEGATES�(AD)

The Assembly of Delegates in the Town Hall of Bellinzona.

10

Kristin Rossier Buri, Urs Zimmermann, Silvia Pfeiffer (vice-president), Lucien Boder, Thomas Wipf (president), Peter Schmid, Irène Reday (vice-president), Theo Schaad (chair), Helen Gucker-Vontobel, Karl Kohli

THE�COuNCIL

11

The Council

As the strategic organ and executive body of the FSPC the Council deals with the tasks referred to it in accordance with the constitution and the resolutions of the Assembly of Delegates. It observes social and ecclesiastical developments and takes up topics which are important for the future of the Church. It sets legislative goals and assigns the administration of dos-siers and the processing of projects to the Office.

The�ChallengesThe Council met for eleven meetings, one of them was

hold as a retreat. It dealt with the tasks referred to it in accordance with the constitution and the resolutions of the Assembly of Delegates. It pointed out that there is a great deal of movement in the Churches at the moment. The legislation on the Church in the cantons is being reshaped in various places. Member Churches are revising their con-stitutions. The National Research project 58 «Religions in Switzerland» aims to «study scientifically» the changes in the religious landscape in Switzerland and to «provide prac-tically applicable results for authorities, politics, schools and religious communities». The financial future of the Church-es must be reconsidered in view of demographic develop-ments and the uncertain financial situation. Last but not least the situation of the Swiss national churches under state-church law is being questioned in some places. At the same time it can be established that political circles and the government are increasingly searching for ethical orienta-tions and, in view of the growing influence of other cultures, are enquiring about the values of the Christian inheritance which has shaped our country.

The�Prospective�ReportMany of these challenges are reflected in the project

«Prospective report as the basis for decisions on the revision of the constitution of the FSPC». A project group is at work and is being accompanied by an external project leader. The Observatoire des Religions en Suisse of the University of Lausanne is undertaking an stakeholder analysis, whose purpose is to present systematically the coming changes which the Churches will encounter. At the same time the leader of the project is working out an organization analysis which will reveal the strengths and weaknesses of the present forms of cooperation. An accompanying group con-sisting of renowned persons from Church, politics and cul-ture will reflect upon the work on the report. The member Churches will be included in these preparatory processes. The report will be presented to the Assembly of Delegates in the autumn of 2010.

Member�Churches�and�EcumenismThe contact of the Council with the member Churches is

cultivated in the Assembly of Delegates and in the Confer-ence of Church Presidiums. As a meeting of the presidents of the synodal and church boards and the President of the Council of the FSPC it serves to further the exchange of experience and the treatment of questions which are in the offing for the Churches.

THE�COuNCIL

12

The retreat held together with the Swiss Bishops’ Confer-ence at the beginning of December particularly accentuated ecumenical relations. The policy statements and discussions on the essence of the Church revealed that the discussion of fundamental issues has become difficult. Questions must rather be asked on how ecumenism can be lived in the pas-toral sphere when the terms of reference of the Church are taken into consideration.

The changing religious landscape in Switzerland is reflected among other things in the activities of the Swiss Council of Religions, of which the FSPC is a founding mem-ber. In contacts with the Schweizerischer Konferenz der kantonalen Erziehungsdirektoren (Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education) it proved possible to find room for the subject of religion in the «Interkantonale Ver-einbarung über die Harmonisierung der obligatorischen Schule / Harmos» (Intercantonal Agreement on the Har-monization of the Compulsory School). The Council of Religions institutionalized its work by creating a part-time secretariat (30%), to which the FSPC contributes.

MiscellaneousWhereas the structural cooperation with the relief organ-

izations Swiss Interchurch Aid and Bread for All has been sorted out, the search is still under way for suitable institu-tionalized links with the missionary organizations. For the outline agreements and the service level agreements a fol-low-up solution must be found which also reflects the unity of Church and mission in regard to organization.

Collections of arguments (Argumentarien) were pro-duced on two federal popular initiatives. The Council reached the conclusion that the initiative «For a Ban on Min-arets» aggravated the problems it claimed to solve. On the other hand the initiative «Protection against Gun Violence» takes up a topic that the Churches had made their own with the «Decade to Overcome Violence» of the World Council of Churches. In refugee policy the collection of arguments (Argumentarium) on the resettlement of refugees set a new course.

The attention of the Council was urgently drawn to the financial situation of the member Churches in the autumn Assembly of Delegates. The assignment to the Council, to work out a variant for the Finance Plan 2011–2014 with reduced membership contributions, calls for the continu-ance of fundamental considerations on the division of tasks within Swiss Protestantism.

THE�COuNCIL

13

1.5. Celebration of the reopening of the renovated house and the change of name «Kloster Kap-pel», Greeting

1.–5.�. National Synod of the Église Réformée de France (ERF) in Toulouse, Greeting

5.–6.5. Conference of the Churches on the Rhine, con-stitution as a regional group of the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe (CPCE) in Strasbourg.

6.5. Celebration of the 150th anniversary of the appointment of the first Reformed pastor in Valais in Sion, Paper.

7.5. Reception on the occasion of the 60th Day of Independence of the State of Israel in Berne.

13.–15.5. Presidium of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) in Brussels

19.5. Discussion Circle «Church and Economy» in Zurich

20.5. Swiss Council of Religions (SCR) in Berne21.5. Theological Day of the Technical Training

Course A for Army Chaplains in Le Bouveret, Paper

22.5. Assembly of Delegates Neue Helvetische Gesellschaft (New Helvetic Society) in Berne, Paper

23.–2�.5. National Synod of the Christ Catholic Church of Switzerland in Magglingen, Greeting

27.5. Football match FC National Council versus FC Religions in the run-up to the Euro 08 in Berne

28.5. Launching of the newspaper «reformiert.» in Lenzburg, Greeting

30.5. Assembly of Delegates of the Swiss Bible Soci-ety in Basle, Greeting.

30.–31.5. Council of the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe (CPCE) in Paris

�.6. Working discussion with a delegation of the Federation of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Switzerland and the Principality of Liech-tenstein in Berne

6.6. Chamber of Theology of the Evangelical Church in Germany in Hanover, Paper

6.6. Celebration on the occasion of the appoint-ment of army chaplains of the Federal Depart-ment of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport in Spiez, Greeting

12.6. Festive event for the emeritus suffragan bishop Peter Henrici in Chur, Greeting

National,�International�and�Ecumenical�Contacts�through�the�President�of�the�Council�or�Members�of�the�Council

28.12.–1.1. 30th European Young Adult Taizé Meeting in Geneva.

9.1. Working Discussion with the Presidium of the Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education in Berne.

11.1. Swiss Council of Religions (SCR) in Berne. 19.1. 20the Eastern Europe Day of the Swiss Inter-

church Aid (SIA) on the topic «Europe after the Turn, a Turn Towards Europe?» in Berne, Gree-ting.

22.1. Parish Chapter Dietikon ZH, Paper2�.–26.1. Open Forum Davos26.1. Investiture of Dr. Michael Bünker as Bishop of

the Evangelical Church A.B. in Austria in Vien-na, Greeting

31.1.–1.2. Council of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) in Paris

6.2. Reformed and Roman Catholic Church Com-munities in Kloten, Paper on the ecumenical situation in Switzerland

17.2. 60th Anniversary of the World Council of Churches, Jubilee Service in Geneva, Greeting

28.2. Working Discussion with Federal President Pascale Couchepin, Head of the Federal Depart-ment of Home Affairs, in Berne.

16.3. Festival Service of the Swiss Interchurch Aid in Zurich, Greeting

�.�. 175th Anniversary of the Theological Faculty of the University of Zurich in Zurich

8.�. Conference of the European Council on the topic «Religion in Intercultural Dialogue» in Strasbourg

15.–16.�. Conference on the topic «Jersusalem – Open City» in the Lasalle Institute in Edlibach

2�.�. Hearing of the Commission for Legal Ques-tions of the National Council on the topic «Euthanasia» in Berne

25.�. Working meeting with a delegation of the Swiss Bishops’ Conference (SBC) in Berne

29.�. Talk with a delegation of the New Apostolic Church Switzerland in Berne

30.�. Assembly of Delegates of the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Greeting on the occasion of the leave-taking of Prof. Alfred Donath

CONTACTS

1�

20.6. Talk with delegations of the Association of Evangelical Free Churches and Communities in Switzerland, the Swiss Evangelical Alliance and the Réseau évangélique in Berne

20.6. International symposium of Bread For All and Swiss Catholic Lenten Fund on the effects of climate change in the South in Berne, Paper

21.6. Symposium of mission21 «International Learn-ing Communities» in Basle, Greeting

22.6. Missionary festival service in Basle, Greeting21.–28.6. General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church

of the USA (PCUSA) in San Jose, CA, Greeting10.7. Talk with a delegation of the Evangelical

Church in the Rhineland in Zurich15.–16.8. Presidium of the Community of Protestant

Churches in Europe (CPCE) in Vienna29.8. Swiss Council of Religions (SCR) in Zurich29.8. Opening ceremony of the credo08 of the Evan-

gelical Reformed Church of Basle-Stadt in Basle, Paper

8.9. Presentation of the book «Adolf Keller (1872–1963, Pionier der ökumenischen Bewegung» (Pioneer of the ecumenical movement) in Zurich, Greeting

10.–1�.9. International Conference of Theologians «Promised Land» in Berne, Greeting

15.9. Working discussion with the presidium of the Roman Catholic Central Conference in Zurich

16.9. Working discussion with a delegation of the Swiss Evangelical Alliance (SEA) in Berne

18.–19.9. Conference of the International Association for Christian Education «Diversity shapes Europe’s Future» in Berlin

6.–11.10. Central Committee of the Conference of Euro-pean Churches (CEC) in Larnaca, Cyprus

10.–12.10. Working meeting with the Presidium of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and of the Patronage Committee calvin09 in Berne

28.10. «New Helvetic Society» in Geneva, Paper30.–31.10. Partner conference of the Evangelical Church

in Germany in Hanover, Paper2.11. Festive opening of the Jubilee Year calvin09 in

Geneva, Paper2.–6.11. Synod of the Evangelical Church in Germany

in Bremen, Greeting6.11. Talk with Federal President Pascale Couchepin,

Head of the Federal Department of Home Affairs, in Berne.

6.11. Conference of the Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Schaffhausen on the FSPC Position «Ordination from a Reformed Perspective», Paper

8.11. Church service on the appointment of Jose Marti as the new president of the Synodal Council of the Evangelical Reformed Church of the Valais in Sion, Greeting

21.–23.11. Jubilee celebrations on the 90th anniversary of the Evangelical Church of the Bohemian Breth-ren in Prague, Greeting

21.–23.11. Future Congress of the Consortium of Evan-gelical Youth in Germany in Bad Herrenalb

25.11. Swiss Council of Religions25.11. «New Helvetic Society» in Winterthur, Paper26.11. Discussion circle «Church and Economy» in

Zurich27.11. Ecumenical pastoral care at the university and

other colleges in Lucerne, Discussion «Ecumen-ism on trial from a Reformed point of view»

2.–3.12. Retreat of the Swiss Bishops’ Conference and the Council of the FSPC in Zäziwil

3.–�.12. Annual Consensus Conference of the Swiss Palliative Care Association (pallitaiv.ch) in Biel, Participation in a panel discussion.

9.12. Discussion with a delegation of the Swiss Reformed Working Party on Church and Agri-culture in Berne

10.12. Discussion with a delegation of the Association of Evangelical Free Churches and Communi-ties in Switzerland, the Swiss Evangelical Alli-ance and the Réseau évangélique in Bern

11.12. Working discussion of the Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport Army Pas-toral Care with Church authorities in Berne

12.–1�.12. Symposium on the occasion of the 40th anni-versary of the death of Karl Barth in Basle, Greeting

1�.–15.12. Presidium of the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe (CPCE).

CONTACTS

1 2

�3

15

The Manage-ment

Working�programmeThe Management summarizes the planning of its work

for the current year in a written working programme which it presents to the Council for approval. It is conceived as roll-ing planning and can be changed by the inclusion of urgent topics.

Finances:�Estimate�of�Costs�and�Annual�AccountsThe Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches is financed

by its members. The membership contribution is deter-mined in the estimate of costs and is then passed on to the member Churches in accordance with a quota system approved by the Assembly of Delegates.

For several years the Financial Plan was based on the assumption that the contributions of the member Churches, adjusted for price increases, would remain the same. There were temporary increases as a result of special short-term projects. In view of the uncertain financial development of the member Churches the Assembly of Delegates assigned to the Council the task of working out a variant in the next Financial Plan which envisaged a reduction in the member-ship contributions.

The costs of the Federation arise in two major spheres. On the one hand there are the contributions which the FSPC makes to national and international organizations (to the WARC, CPCE, CEC, WCC, copyright fees etc.). These make up approximately one third of the costs. On the other hand there are the operating costs of the Office and the Council. Of these two thirds result from expenditure on staff and one third are running costs (see p. 62).

1� �Rev.�Theo�Schaad Director

2� �Rev.�Serge�Fornerod,�MPA�Director of the Ecumenical Relations Department

3� �PD�Dr�Christina�Tuor-Kurth Director of the Institute for Theology and Ethics

�� Rev.�Simon�Weber�Head of the Communication

The Management coordinates the work of the Office, receives the tasks assigned by the Council and distrib-utes them among the departments. It deliberates on the developments in the work of the office and for the attention of the Council it adopts the annual report and the working programme, which are passed on for the attention of the Council. It consists of the heads of the departments and is led by the Manager. The Presi-dent of the Council participates in the discussion of topics at meetings which usually occur on a monthly basis.

THE�MANAGEMENT

16 ORGANIZATIONAL�CHART�OF�THE�OFFICE

Organizational Chart of the OfficeAs�of�January�15,�2009

Management

Thomas�Wipf

President of the Council

Markus�Sahli�(70�%)

Personal Assistant to the

President of the Council

Beatrice�Bienz�(70�%)

Administrative Assistant

to the President of the Council

Theo�Schaad

Director

Beatrice�Bienz�(30�%)

Administrative Office to the

Assembly of Delegates

Helene�Meyerhans�(60�%)


to the Council

Eva�Wernly�(70�%)


to the Director

Serge�Fornerod

Director of the Ecumenical

Relations Department

Christina�Tuor-Kurth�(80�%)

Director of the Institute

for Theology and Ethics

Simon�Weber

Head of the Communication

Theo�Schaad

Head of the Central Services

17ORGANIZATIONAL�CHART�OF�THE�OFFICE

Elisabeth�Balmer�(80�%)

Secretary

Annemarie�Bieri�(80�%)

Scientific Assistant

Jonathan�Bucher�(50�%)

Project assistant calvin09

Martin�Hirzel�

Executive Secretary for Ecumenism

and Religious Communities

Matthias�Hügli�(90�%)

Executive Secretary for Church

Relations and Swiss Churches Abroad

Carla�Maurer

Executive Secretary at the Conference

of European Churches in Strasbourg

Christine�Messer�(�0�%)

Secretary

Markus�Sahli�(50�%)


Relations in Switzerland

(up to 31.12.2008)

Christian�Vandersee�(90�%)

Executive Secretary for External

Relations, Agencies and Missionary

Organisations

vacant


Relations in Switzerland

vacant

Secretary

Hella�Hoppe�(60�%)

Senior Economic Affairs Officer

Michèle�Laubscher�(70�%)

Secretary

Frank�Mathwig

Senior Theology and Ethics Affairs

Officer

Simon�Röthlisberger�(60�%)

Senior Migration Affairs Officer

Otto�Schäfer�(80�%)

Senior Theology and Ethics Affairs

Officer

Anja�Scheuzger�(70�%)

Secretary

Jacques-Antoine�von�Allmen�(60�%)

Senior Theological Affairs Officer

Brigitte�Wegmüller�(90�%)

Secretary

Matthias�Wüthrich�(60�%)

Senior Theological Affairs Officer

vacant

Social Affairs Officer

Jacqueline�Blaser�(60�%)

Administrative Assistant Reception

Christine�Maurer�(80�%)

Secretary

Mirjam�Schwery�(60�%)

Secretary

Christian�Straumann�(80�%)

Financial Planning, Personnel and

Information Technology Officer

Jacqueline�Tschumi�(60�%)

Assistant Accounting

Cécile�uhlmann�(80�%)

Accountancy Officer

Thomas�Flügge�(60�%)

Executive Secretary for

Public Relations

Monica�Jeggli�(80�%)

Journalist and Editor

Ecumenical�Relations

Theology�and�Ethics

Central�Services

Communication

André�Röthlisberger�(20�%)

Webassistant

Monika�von�Grünigen�(70�%)

Secretary

The current list of departmental staff can be found under www.sek.ch/en/about-us

The�spirit�of��{consideration}We�reach�out�to�others�–�so�that�we�may�never�stand�empty-handed.

20

Ecumenical Relations

Ecumenical�Relations�in�Switzerland

The�Cultivation�of�Relations�with�the�Member�Churches

The�Conference�of�Church�Presidiums�(CCP)��[Konferenz�der�Kirchenpräsidien�(KKP)]

At the end of 2007 it was decided to transform the Konferenz der Kirchenleitungen (KKP) [Conference of Church Leaders (CCL)] into a Konferenz der Kirchenpräsidien (KKP) [Conference of Church Presidiums (CCP)]. In accordance with the new conception the main purpose of this body is to offer a platform for the direct contacts among the presidi-ums and with the president of the FSPC. The most impor-tant goals are the personal exchange of ideas and the forma-tion of opinion among the persons responsible in regard to the developments in the Church, ecumenism, society and politics. In this new form the CCP held four discussion meet-ings in 2008.

First Meeting: 8 February 2008Two main themes dominated in the first meeting. On

account of the noticeably stronger mediatization of the internal affairs of the Church in recent years the church pre-sidiums enquired into possible effects of this public discus-sion on ecclesiastical topics. In order to present themselves as Reformed with a recognizable common voice they agreed to exchange information on developments and ecumenical debates more consistently than in the past. In the context of the harmonization of the curriculum throughout Switzer-land (HarmoS) the future significance of religious instruc-tion in compulsory schools is under discussion. A majority of the church presidiums approved a common commitment of the three National Churches in their dealings with the Erziehungsdirektoren Konferenz (EDK) [Conference of Can-tonal Ministers of Education] in order to keep a «window» open for confessional and ecumenical religious instruction in compulsory schools - without however levelling the dif-ferent models of cooperation between Church and State in the field of religious instruction.

Second Meeting: 16 May 2008The central themes of the second discussion meeting

were on the one hand the widely ramified financial currents in Swiss Protestantism, which a working group will now analyse more precisely. On the other hand new develop-ments in the discussion on the relationship between Church and State and on corporate religious freedom are emerging. The church presidiums agreed to continue pursuing these themes actively from a specifically Reformed point of view.

The Department of Ecumenical Relations cultivates relations with the member Churches, the partner Churches in Switzerland and abroad, the regional and international confessional and ecumenical organisa-tions and alliances, with Jewish and other religious communities and with the relief and missionary organ-isations.

ECuMENICAL�RELATIONS

21

As an indication of a long-term problem it was pointed out that as a result of the inter-religious dialogues the Churches are often only seen as «religions». Attention is required in future in order to ensure that the National Churches are not equated indifferently with «religious communities» of some kind or other.

Third Meeting: 22 August 2008The focal point of the first part of the meeting was devel-

opments in ecumenism at the level of the cantonal Church-es. A number of the participants agreed in their reports that ecumenical cooperation at the local level was becoming increasingly more difficult because the Roman Catholic Church was withdrawing and insisting on its confessional identity. The ecumenical church services and the pastoral care in hospitals are, for example, affected, as is the reliable co-financing of ecumenical projects. In the second part of the meeting the participants were informed by the leaders of the project «FAKIR – Finanzanalyse Kirchen: Gesellschaftliche Nutzen und Kosten ausgewählter Religionsgemeinschaften in der Schweiz» [Financial Analysis of the Churches – the Social Benefits and Costs of Selected Reli-gious Communities in Switzerland], which is being planned in the context of the National Research Programme 58. The Church presidiums took the opportunity to make sugges-tions from an ecclesiastical perspective and declared their willingness to accompany the research work in a critical yet supportive manner.

Fourth Meeting: 24 October 2008Once again the exchange of ideas and opinions on ques-

tions of ecumenism were at the top of the agenda. Against the background of the Federal Court decision on partial church secession the discussion concentrated on develop-ments in Swiss state-church law. The Insitut für Religionsrecht (Institute of Religions Law) in Freiburg has been com-missioned by the FSPC to clarify the effects this decision could have on the Reformed Churches. Further topics for discussion were the clarification of the relations between the FSPC (and the Reformed member Churches) and the Schweizerische Evangelische Allianz (SEA) [Swiss Evangeli-cal Alliance]. It is in particular in the mutual interest of the Church presidiums that the SEA should dispense with col-lective membership in Evangelical-Reformed church com-munities. The phenomenon of the increased influx of mem-bers of the Evangelical-Lutheran confession from Germany into Eastern Switzerland also provided material for discus-sion. This brings up new questions on the ascertainment of church membership against the background of the Leuen-berg Agreement.

The�Cultivation�of�Relations�with�the�Free�Churches

The�Cultivation�of�Relations�Between�the�FSPC�and�the��Association�of�Free�Evangelical�Churches�and�Communities�in�Switzerland,�the�Swiss�Evangelical�Alliance�(SEA)�and��the�Réseau�Évangélique�

The delegations of the Council of the FSPC and the rep-resentatives of the Free Church associations meet twice annually for the exchange of information and ideas – usual-ly with a thematic focal point (see also p. 39).

Bilateral�Dialogue�with�the�Swiss�Mennonite�Conference�(SMC)�Seven full-day talks of the joint dialogue commission

took place and a further meeting of the delegations of the FSPC and the SMC (see also p. 39).

Relief�and�Missionary�Organizations�

The�Commission�for�External�Relations��Kommission�für�Aussenbeziehungen�(KAB)

In accordance with its mandate the function of the KAB is to coordinate the international relations of the FSPC and those of the relief and missionary organisations. The exchange of information on international contacts and pro-grammes is therefore a fixed feature of the three regular meetings each year alongside the focal points and specific themes which are dealt with. The first two meetings (17 March and 4 June) were characterized by further work on the draft of the «Guidelines for the External Relations of the FSPC». The aim was to consolidate the document on the basis of the input provided by the relief and missionary organizations and to clarify the concepts used. In principle the value of a clearly structured strategy of external relations and the allotment of tasks was recognized by all. At the same time, however, it became equally clear that a matching of the guidelines with the different guiding principles of the relief and missionary organizations and their new strategies would be no easy matter. The third meeting (November 6) was devoted to the annual planning for 2009. On the basis of a survey of the planned activities first agreements were reached and registered, whereby the need for additional coordination also became evident. A discussion as opened on the possible need to act on the topic of the «Discrimina-tion of Christian Minorities» and also on the newly arisen need for a uniform regulation for sending volunteers to the Iglesia Evangélica del Rio de la Plata (IERP).


22

Expert�Pools�for�Various�Regions�of�the�World�(PEX)Within the framework of the cooperation structures of

the FSPC and the aid and missionary organizations the expert pools serve as information platforms. As expert bod-ies on certain regions of the world they are designed to facil-itate the exchange of experiences and the coordination in the areas concerned. In the future the discussion of focal topics is to acquire a greater weight. In the course of the year the seven PEX have met once or twice. At the meetings the experts reported on developments in specific regions and on special programmes or visits. In South Africa and Zimba-bwe the developments are strongly determined by political tension and the refugee situation, which have led, particu-larly in the countryside, to precarious humanitarian situa-tions. The FSPC is endeavouring to initiate the development of partnerly relations between DM-échange et mission and the Uniting Reformed Church of South Africa (URCSA). For the regions of West and Central Africa a report was made among other things on the participation of an election obser-vation group in Togo which supported the local democrati-zation process. In regard to the Arab countries there was discussion above all of the various situations involving the discrimination of Christian minorities. In spite of the con-cern expressed, it was felt advisable to avoid hasty actions, as ill-considered Western initiatives would run the risk of contributing to deterioration in the situation of the local Christian communities. A report on South America pointed out that a number of Christian Churches were suffering in part from an identity crisis, as their dictatorial counterparts were successively disappearing and the number of mem-bers was strongly declining. One of those affected is the Evangelical Church on the Rio de Plata (IERP) to which the evangelical communities in the border triangle of Argenti-na, Uruguay and Paraguay belong. Thematically there was above all discussion on the growing food crisis. Furthermore possibilities were considered on how the ecumenical water declaration signed with Brazil can be made more effective. For the Asian region the importance of the Korean Church with more than 1.400 missionaries worldwide must be emphasized. As the mediation of the reformatory legacy has occurred via the USA, contact between the Korean Churches and the country of origin, Switzerland, is particularly impor-tant – especially in the Calvin Jubilee Year 2009.

Cooperation�with�the�Relief�Organizations:�Task�Fields�and�Coordination�Structures

As a consequence of the «Projekt Werke» (Project Relief Organizations) resulting from a motion of the Northwest Swiss Churches of 2004 the two boards of trustees of the Swiss Interchuch Aid and Bread For All took up direct con-

tact with each other at the suggestion of the FSPC in order to consider the future of the two organizations. On the occa-sion of the autumn AD the delegates of the FSPC informed themselves on the preliminary results of the work. Taking the intensification of cooperation as a starting point, the options of a merger or a new joint relief organization will be intensively examined, whereby the chances and the risks involved in each case must be carefully weighed up. After a decision by the boards of trustees on the direction to be taken the next step should be the conduct of detailed talks with all the partners involved in the organizations. Parallel to these activities the FSPC also attempted to clarify the task fields of the relief and missionary organizations from a Church perspective on the basis of the basic mandate of the Church. The position paper which was also presented to the delegates of the FSPC for discussion at the autumn AD must, however, be substantially revised in close cooperation with the relief and missionary organizations.

Cooperation�with�the�Missionary�Organizations:�Outline�Agreement�with�Service�Level�Agreements�–�Development�of�a�Follow-up�Solution

The focal points of the two missionary organizations mission21 and DM-échange et mission have changed only slightly in comparison to the year before. There were conse-quently no problems involved in bringing the service level agreements up to date with minor modifications within the outline agreement. In order to leave sufficient time for the elaboration of a follow-up solution for the expired outline agreement the Assembly of Delegates of the FSPC had extended the latter until the end of 2010. The negotiations on a follow-up solution for the outline agreement were taken up by a working group consisting of representatives of the FSPC and the two missionary organizations at the begin-ning of the year. All parties confirmed that the path they had chosen to follow with close cooperative structures is mean-ingful and must, therefore, be continued upon in the search for a follow-up solution. More shared responsibility in respect to the whole of Switzerland, more transparency, dia-logue and trust and a closer involvement of the cantonal Churches should be aspired to. In the course of the further work it will be necessary to clarify whether a form of man-dating could replace the present service level agreements.


23


Working�Community�of�Christian�Churches�in�Switzerland�(WCCC-CH)�Arbeitsgemeinschaft�christlicher�Kirchen�in�der�Schweiz�(AGCK-CH)

The WCCC-CH met for two plenary session again this year

First Meeting: May 14The interim report of the working group «Religionsge-

meinschaften – Bund» [Religious Communities – Federal Government] was presented to the first assembly. In the autumn of 2007 the WCCC-CH had set up a special working group with the task of thematizing the question of the con-tacts between the religious communities and the Federal Government and of developing a conception for a «contact point with the federal authorities». The working group first took stock of the situation in order to register all the points at which the Churches stand in a relationship to the federal authorities, to examine the legal basis for the relationship and to ascertain the specific ecclesiastical or religious themes for which points of contact with the Federal Government/Departements already exist. It is expected that this founda-tional work will provide clues to the way the cooperation between the instances of the Federal Government and the member Churches of the WCCC-CH can be improved. The second part of the analysis was devoted to the relations between the Federal Government and the Churches from the point of view of the Federal Government. The relevant information was collected at two hearings with the federal officials concerned with the issue. The evaluation of the two parts of the analysis should now permit well-founded con-clusions for the development of a conception of a «contact point». The final report of the working group with recom-mendations for further work is expected in the course of the year 2009.

Second Meeting: October 20The second meeting was devoted, on the one hand, to

statutory business, whereby Bishop Vitus Huonder was elected president for the period of office 2009/2010. On the other hand possibilities were to discussed as to how the exceptional fact that in the years 2010, 2011 and 2014 the Easter dates of the Churches in the West and the East hap-pen to coincide can be used as a sign of common bonds and unity with the Orthodox Churches. Further discussion top-ics were the Oecumenica-Label, which has now been offi-cially launched with a flyer and the mutual prayer for the National Day of Prayer which the WCCC-CH has made avail-able to the Churches.

The�Protestant�/�Roman�Catholic�Dialogue�Commission�Evan-gelisch�/�Römisch-katholische�Gesprächskommission�(ERGK)

The Dialogue Commission has been working on its man-date «Kircheneinheit und Kirchengemeinschaft. Elemente einer ökumenischen Sicht» (Church Unity and Church Com-munity. Elements of an Ecumenical View) since 2003. After the first interim report at the beginning of 2005 and the subsequent feedback from the Church leaderships the work of the ERGK was bogged down because of the lack of per-spectives. At its first meeting in this year (in March) the Commission took stock of the situation and decided to con-tinue its work by summarizing the insights it had collected in the form of a report. After revising and approving this concluding report in the autumn meeting (in September) the Commission passed it on to the FSPC and the Swiss Bishops’ Conference. In the report it was emphasized that the guiding categories contained in the mandate, «Church Community» and «Church Unity», had proved to be unpro-ductive for the ecumenical discussion. The ERGK proposes instead that future work should be more strongly oriented on already existing documents such as the Charta Oecu-menica and the Lima Document. These should be enlarged upon and implemented in pragmatic, theologically justifia-ble steps. It is expected that concrete proposals for a new joint mandate for the ERGK will be made at the first meeting in 2009. The successor of the Protestant Co-President Dr Frank Jehle, who resigned in the course of the year, is Dr Markus Anker.

Meeting�of�the�Council�of�the�FSPC�–�Swiss�Bishops’�Confer-ence�(SBC)

The delegations of the Council of the FSPC and the Swiss Bishops’ Conference met again this year for their regular exchange of information and for the purposes of coordina-tion in ecclesiastical and socio-political questions. For the first time since 2001, however, a two-day-long closed confer-ence of the two full bodies took place at the beginning of September. After the ecumenical debates in the past year (2007) this summit conference gave a fresh impetus in ecu-menical issues. The main topic of the conference was the joint treatment of the understanding of the Church in the Roman Catholic and the Reformed tradition. On the basis of two introductory papers the representatives of the Churches discussed what makes up the Church, each from its own perspective. They discovered both great areas of common ground and also continuing fundamental differences and used these insights to develop further perspectives for ecu-menisn. In this context commitment to the Charta Oecu-menica signed in 2005 seems particularly important and this was confirmed by both sides. It was also emphasized


2�

that Christians share responsibility, for example, in their commitment to human rights, for the renewal of the mutual recognition of baptism (of 1973), in transmitting and deep-ening faith and also in the treatment of mixed marriages or socio-political issues. In view of such future challenges the FSPC and the SBC expressed their intention to search for ways of increasing the mutual commitments of the two Churches in the future.

The�Cultivation�of�Relations�with�Other��Religious�Communities

The�Protestant�–�Jewish�Dialogue�Commission��Evangelisch-Jüdische�Gesprächskommission�(EJGK)�

In the course of the year the Dialogue Commission devot-ed itself fully to the completion of the joint declaration on the relationship between Jews and Christians. The Commis-sion worked intensively on the text, revising and editing its contents, and then presented it to the representatives of the Schweizerischer Israelitischer Gemeindebund (SIG) [Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities] and the FSPC for con-sultation. The planned declaration will differ from earlier declarations in that it does not attempt to define common ground but takes differences as the starting point for the approach to dialogue. It then endeavours to formulate the-ses on the direction which should today be taken together. In terms of content the central concepts are «freedom», «scripture» and «responsibility». The definitive version of the declaration is expected to appear in the second half of 2009.

The�Swiss�Council�of�Religions�(SCR)�Schweizerischer�Rat�der�Religionen

In the third year of its existence the Swiss Council of Religions met for four regular meetings. There were two changes in personnel in the course of the year. After the resignation of Prof. Alfred Donath, his place as representa-tive of the Schweizerischer Israelitischer Gemeindebund (SIG) [Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities] was taken by the organization’s newly elected president, Dr. Herbert Winter. The Föderation Islamischer Dachorganisationen (FIDS) [Federation of Islamic Umbrella Organizations] was represented on an interim basis by the member responsible for communications, Kaldoun Dia-Eddine.In accordance with its mandate, one of the main tasks of the SCR is to cul-tivate contacts with the federal authorities on religio-politi-cal questions. Accordingly, two official discussion meetings with the head of the Eidgenössisches Departements des Innern (EDI) [Federal Department of Home Affairs], Federal

Councillor Pascal Couchepin, were included in the pro-gramme. After the first of these exchanges between the SCR and the EDI in the year 2007 the meetings seem to be devel-oping into a fixed discussion platform esteemed by both sides. In practice the discussion meetings have for the moment taken on the function of a contact point between the Churches and religious communities and the Federal Government. This year the emphasis in the discussions was on questions in connection with the minaret initiative and on the internal coordination of religio-political themes at the federal level. Taking a decision of the Federal Court on swimming instruction as a starting point, the participants in the discussion considered which institutions in our country make the decisions in questions of religious policy and reli-gious freedom. The position of the Federal Council was guided by the desire to find solutions which are as prag-matic as possible at the local level instead of introducing fundamental general religio-political regulations. Within the SCR four main themes were at the centre of interest in the course of the year: In view of the national petition for a referendum «Für ein Minaretverbot» [For a Ban on Mina-rets] there was intensive debate, on the one hand, about a joint statement and, on the other, about the possibilities for preventive, confidence-building measures among the gene-ral public. Against the background of the «HarmoS Project» (Harmonization of the Compulsory School) the SCR dis-cussed mutual interests in regard to «Religious Instruction» as a possible subject. It submitted a request to the Erziehungsdirektorenkonferenz (EDK) [Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education] asking it to examine the question of religious instruction in the harmonized curricula with great care. Furthermore, the SCR requested and received informa-tion from the Eidgenössisches Departement für auswärtige Angelegenheiten (EDA) [Federal Department for Foreign Affairs] on the UNO initiative «Alliance of Civilizations» and the idea of a specifically Swiss platform for it. Finally it was decided to create a jointly financed secretarial post (30%) as a decisive step towards the further development of the SCR.

The�Inter-Religious�Working�Committee�Switzerland� �Interreligiöse�Arbeitsgemeinschaft�in�der�Schweiz�(IRAS-COTIS)

The cooperation of the FSPC with the IRAS-COTIS con-centrated on the «Week of the Religions» (2.–8. November), on which the FSPC is represented as a member of the steer-ing group. The «Week of the Religions» which is coordinat-ed by the IRAS-COTIS at the national level, serves as a plat-form for encounters and acquaintanceships between people of different religious confessions. The approximately 70 events in 60 towns and communities ranged from cultural


25

activities, concerts and mutual visits to inter-religious prayer. In this way the potential of religion to create bonds in an increasingly pluralized society was thus placed in the fore-ground.

The�Work�of�the�FSPC�on�IslamCollection of Arguments (Argumentarium) and Hearing on the Minaret Initiative

On the occasion of the submission of the popular initia-tive «For a Ban on Minarets» a collection of arguments (Agu-mentarium) was drawn up in the summer entitled «Between Belfry and Minaret». The text deals with the background to the initiative, the legal situation and coexistence in a multi-cultural and multireligioius society and ascertains that from the point of view of the Church the minaret initiative is an ineffectual attempt to face the challenges of a pluralistic society. At a hearing for representatives of the member Churches the national petition for a referendum and the central statements of the argumentation of the Church were elucidated in detail. The participants were in agreement that the Churches have an important duty to fulfil in view of the explosive socio-political and religious questions involved. What is needed is a critical dialogue based upon a convinced but at the same time open confession of faith. (See also p. 41).

Conferences of the Islam Representatives. At the invitation of the FSPC the Islam representatives of

the cantonal Churches met for two conferences in the course of the year (May and November) At the first meeting the conference dealt mainly with the open letter (2007) of 138 Islamic dignitaries «A Common Word Between Us and You» and the reactions to date of Christian ecumenism to this offer of a dialogue. The afternoon was spent on a visit to a mosque in a multicultural district of Lucerne and on talks with the imam. This mosque provides an integrative model which is new in Switzerland, as it is open for believers of different ethnic origin and the Friday prayer is held in Ger-man. The main topic of the second meeting was the work of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in the field of Chris-tian-Muslim relations. The programme representative of the WCC presented the ongoing dialogue projects, particularly those which were initiated anew as a result of the open letter of the 138 Muslim dignitaries. She also reported on the WCC area of work «Accompanying Churches in Situations of Con-flict» which led to a lively discussion on the possibilities the Swiss Churches have to live out their solidarity with Chris-tians in the Near East.

Diverse�Relations

Coordination�groups�of�Korean�CommunitiesAfter a lengthy process of clarification it proved possible

to sign the cooperation agreement between the Korean Churches in Berne and Zurich. It provides the framework for the appointment of the new pastor Ki-Chun Kim, who comes from the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea (PROK). As previously, the two communities are sup-ported by the Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Zurich, mission21 and the mother Church PROK. The mid-term aim is, however, to enable them to become inde-pendent.

In regard to the Korean community in Geneva a «Memo-randum of Cooperation» was also signed in spring. It regu-lates the cooperation between the sender Church, the Pres-byterian Church of Korea (PCK), the Korean community in Geneva, DM-échange et mission and the FSPC. A further important point was the agreement on a new work permit for M.Yoo as the new pastor of the community.

Decade�to�Overcome�ViolenceWithin the framework of the «Decade to Overcome Vio-

lence» (2001–2010) the FSPC primarily has a coordinating function and ensures the link with the more comprehensive programmes of the World Council of Churches (WCC). In the course of the year two meetings took place with those responsible for the Decade in the cantons. The cantonal rep-resentatives for the Decade exchanged information on cur-rent and planned activities. In 2008 many of the activities were carried out in the context of the ongoing focal topic «Trafficking in Women/Trafficking in Human Beings», par-ticularly in connection with the Euro08. For 2009 the repre-sentatives expressed their intention to deal with the theme of the «Initiative for Protection against Gun Violence», to make use of the FSPC collectionof arguments (Argumenta-rium) on the initiative and to develop spiritual-liturgical resources on the theme. In the December meeting the Dec-ade representatives debated the first preparatory steps for the «International Ecumenical Peace Convocation» which is planned to take place in Kingston (Jamaica) in 2011. The draft of a peace declaration is being worked on in the WCC and will be disseminated to the world-wide Churches and their Decade representatives in the course of 2009 for con-sultation. As a preparation for this peace convocation dele-gates of the WCC are visiting various countries afflicted by strife and violence. These so-called «Living Letters» are meant to strengthen relationships, express solidarity and provide an impetus for overcoming local violence.


26

Religious�Issues�are�dealt�with�at�the�federal��

level�–�or:�rabbis,�imams�and�pastors�stay�on�the�

ball�together.

The�GroundThe football ground of FC Köniz (2nd regional league)

in Liebefeld near Bern. Great crowd? Not necessary on this occasion. The event is unique. Representatives of reli-gious organizations and political parties compete in a match which unites peoples. The Council of Religions and members of the federal parliament have come together. In Switzerland church affairs are a matter for the cantons – but religious questions must be dealt with at the federal level. This is made manifest here on 25 May 2008 at 7.30 p.m.

The�GuestsThe stands are half full. Members of the Jewish com-

munity and the Moslem communities sit together peace-fully beside members of the Synod Board of Berne-Jura-Solothurn and staff of the Swiss Federation of Protestant Churches. Guest of honour is the former federal council-

lor Adolf Ogli, the former UNO Special Commissioner on Sport for Development and Peace. In his short address («I know you want to play and not to listen») he referred to the clear rules of football. If everyone, including those active in politics, the economy and science, kept to the rules of fair play, we would be living in a safer, well-ordered and better world. As President of the Council of Religions Pastor Thomas Wipf pointed out the symbolism of the event. «The Churches and religious communities want to act with one another and not against one ano-ther.» And the President of the Swiss Football Associa-tion, Ralph Zloczower was visibly pleased.

The�TrainingTwo weeks before the match the rabbis, imams and

pastors of FC Religions met for the first time. And two hours before the match there was a second training ses-sion. «I noticed immediately that it would go well» said Andi Egli, former player of the national team and trainer in the Super League.

The�Line-upSix Jewish, six Moslem and eight Christian footballers

volunteered to play for FC Religions. But who will play in

Church 08 – The MatchFC�Religions�versus�FC�National�Council


27

which position? Who will be the N° 1 in goal? They walk on to the pitch in blue and white shirts for the welcome greeting, smile at the spectators and turn around. They are all wearing a N° 7 on their backs. It will be easy for the commentator, as he can describe every player precise-ly. «N°7 elegantly picked up the pass from N° 7» Are all equal under the aspect of perfection? One dares to dream.

FC National Council has put out a strong side. 1 fe-male national councillor (GPS), 12 male national council-lors (1 CVP, 2 FDP, 4 GPS, 2 SP and 3 SVP), 2 members of the Council of States (SVP), and staff of the Parliamentary Services take on the task. They are delighted with the good attendance at the match. «Usually only a couple of our wives watch the game and they mostly disappear after a quarter of an hour».

The�MatchAt 7.30 p.m. on the dot the referee blows the whistle

for the kick-off. The players «get stuck in». The first goals are soon scored. Substitutions are frequent as the players are no longer the youngest. And the playing time is reduced to 35 minutes for each half.

The�Result6:1 for the Council of Religions. A politician later

remarked: We usually take care to play on equal terms, but this time the age difference was too glaring. Who cares? 7 goals – in its own way the game was perfect.

Markus Sahli

Church 08 – The MatchFC�Religions�versus�FC�National�Council


28

International�Relations

Swiss�Churches�Abroad��Schweizer�Kirchen�im�Ausland�(CHKiA)

In the course of the year the Commission of Swiss Churches Abroad met for five regular working meetings. Apart from the regular accompaniment and support of the various Swiss Churches abroad the CHKiA also composed special messages in 2008 at Easter, Whitsun, the Day of Prayer and Repentance and Christmas. These are a particu-lar sign of the ties existing between the communities abroad and their old geographical and confessional home. The Com-mission also discussed ways of improving the flow of infor-mation and public relations, in order to make the different Swiss Churches abroad and their activities known to a broader public.

London:�Swiss�Church�of�LondonAfter the departure of Pastor Davin Leuenberg, the newly

elected pastoress, Nathalie Dürmüller, took up her office in the Swiss Church of London in September and quickly set-tled in the community and her new fields of work. The Com-mission of the CHKiA had prepared for this step by under-taking the necessary negotiations on the contract and by closely accompanying the initial period of office. Happily the ecumenical relations of the Swiss community seem to be growing steadily and the contacts with the Swiss Embassy are also running smoothly. The fact that many ecumenical partners took part in the service celebrating the investiture of the new pastoress was an impressive sign of this fact. After a long period of preparation the ground-breaking cer-emony for the renovation of the Swiss Church took place in the second half of the year. The fundraising for the achieve-ment of the total sum needed to meet the construction costs is however still in progress.

Milan:�Chiesa�Christiana�Protestante�di�MilanoThe negotiations on the contract for Pastor Marcel Cav-

allo in the Swiss community in Milan were also brought to a successful conclusion. After four active years he has been able to expand and consolidate essential areas of work, for example regular religious instruction in Swiss schools, holi-day camps with young people from all the Protestant Churches in Italy or joint activities with the Schweizer Verein (Swiss Association).

Misiones�(Argentina):�Iglesia�Evangélica�SuizaThe cooperation with the community in Misiones has

been embedded in the relations with the entire Evangelical Church in Río de la Plata (IERP) through an agreement reached in 2007. Since then cooperation with the other com-munities in the region covered by the Church, which stretch-es across parts of Argentina and Paraguay, has been clearly strengthened. The community was able to realize this in a very concrete fashion as the general synod of the IERP was held in Misiones this year.

The�World�Alliance�of�Reformed�Churches�(WARC)

European�Council�of�the�World�Alliance�of�Reformed�Churches��(1.–3.�February,�Paris)�

The European Council of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, to which the Church leaderships of all the Euro-pean member Churches each send one representative, took an important step towards the strengthening of unity in its meeting at the beginning of the year. In a unanimously approved declaration the mutual recognition as Churches, pulpit and Eucharistic fellowship, mutual recognition of ministries and consent to accept responsibility for one another were bindingly laid down. The declaration thus sent out a strong signal of inner unity worldwide. The World Alli-ance of Reformed Churches has been requested by its Euro-pean Council to take over this declaration at the global level in order to fill the concept of «community» with solid con-tent.

union�of�the�World�Alliance�of�Reformed�Churches�(WARC)�–�Reformed�Ecumenical�Council�(REC)

At the end of 2007 the pathbreaking decision in favour of a union of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the Reformed Ecumenical Council was taken. Under the title «World Communion of Reformed Churches» a new Church community will thus arise, which in the future will unite approximately 80 million Reformed Christians worldwide. In 2008 the leading bodies of the two organizations initiated the union by drafting a joint constitution and statutes and concretizing the structures of the new organization. The union is specifically linked with the hope of strengthening fundamentally the common witness of the Reformed Churches throughout the world and setting an example of reconciliation. The General Assembly which will unify the two organizations is planned to take place in Grand Rapids, USA, in 2010 under the motto «Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace».


29

Rapprochement�of�the�World�Alliance�of�Reformed�Churches�(Reformierter�Weltbund)�and�the�Lutheran�World�Federation�(Lutherischer�Weltbund)

The Lutheran-Reformed Joint Commission met in Bue-nos Aires for its third conference (3.–9. October). The Com-mission has been assigned by the two confessional world federations to examine ways of finding a more visible unity between the Reformed and the Lutheran Churches. The meeting this year dealt in particular with the topic «Under-standing of the Church». Taking the fundamental ecclesio-logical text «The Church of Jesu Christ» of the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe as their starting point, the experts on the subject discussed different forms of the Church. The outcome of the discussion was that the existing differences in the form of the Church do not carry enough weight to require separation of the Churches. Other factors have presumably prevented the two Reform traditions from achieving a closer community. This knowledge and the con-clusions drawn from it will flow into the final report of the commission, which is expected to appear in 2009.

Community�of�Protestant�Churches�in�Europe�(CPCE)

The work of the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe is being strategically led between the plenary assem-blies (6th General Assembly in Budapest in 2006) by the Council of the CPCE and is given structural and organiza-tional support by its Office in Vienna. Important issues are, above all, the theological doctrinal discussion groups which at the moment are concentrated on three thematic fields. The working groups «Scripture-Confession-Church» and «Ministry-Ordination-Episcopé» have already worked out substantial documents in the course of the year, each in cooperation with a representative of the FSPC. As a next step the results will be passed on to the member Churches of the CPCE for consultation. The third thematic field «New Social Challenges Facing the Protestant Churches in Europe» was entrusted to a circle of young ecumenists. As the approach to this topic is more broadly based, a first draft of the text can only be expected at the beginning of 2009 at the earliest. In addition the Council has pressed ahead with the integration of the existing regional groups in the CPCE, which was initiated in 2007. The Konferenz der Kirchen am Rhein (KKR) [Conference of Churches on the Rhine] and the Regional Group South East Europe were newly constituted as regional groups.

Conference�of�European�Churches�(CEC)�

Conference�of�the�Central�Committee��(6.–11.�October,�Cyprus)

The Central Committee consisting of 40 members is the top executive organ of the CEC. It meets four times a year for planning and consultation. The meeting this year dealt pri-marily with the preparations for the 13th General Assembly of the CEC in summer 2009 in Lyon. The Central Committee confirmed the planning to date, which envisages four main themes for the General Assembly: the fiftieth anniversary of the foundation of the CEC (1959), consultations on the focal point for work in the next six years, the theme «Called to One Hope in Christ» and the future of the CEC as an ecu-menical organization in Europe. The meeting of the Central Committee was clouded by inner Orthodox tensions sparked off by the membership application from two Orthodox Churches of different origin in Estonia. The representatives of the Russian-Orthodox Church thereupon felt compelled to suspend their cooperation with the CEC until further notice. The CEC-Presidium is now called upon to take up clarifying talks with all concerned before the General Assem-bly. From the Swiss point of view it can be reported that the Federation of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Switzerland and Liechtenstein has been welcomed as an associate mem-ber of the CEC.

Conference�of�the�«Churches’�Commission�for�Migrants�in�Europe»�(7.–11.�October,�Cyprus)

Parallel to the Central Committee the «Churches’ Com-mission for Migrants in Europe» (CCME) met in the same place. On this occasion the long envisaged integration of the CCME in the CEC was officially put into effect. As the third commission of the CEC the CCME will in future lend a cor-responding weight to the theme of migration in the Church-es of Europe. A first sign of this is the joint decision to declare the year 2010 the year of the answer of the Churches of Europe to the challenge of migration. The other thematic focal point of the conference was trafficking in human beings. The representatives of the European Churches con-sulted on the overall conditions in the field of human rights and on possible ways to combat human trafficking. It was put on record that the Churches cannot remain inactive in the face of human trafficking but are called upon to deci-sively oppose this modern form of slavery in accordance with their biblical mission.


30

Conference�of�the�Commission�«Church�and�Society»��(9.–13.�April,�Prague)

At its annual meeting the CEC Commission «Church and Society» laid down the priorities for the work of its offices in Brussels and Strasbourg for the coming year. Apart from the regular accompaniment of the European process of inte-gration vis-à-vis the European institutions, priorities were set in the fields of social policy, sustainable development, bioethics and religious education in an inter-religious con-text. The question of the role of religions in European civil society will also be further pursued, particularly from a legal standpoint. Particular weight is attached to the intercultural dialogue, which has acquired even more significance after the publication of the White Book of the European Council. Intensive dialogue is, however, also necessary within the Conference of European Churches. The completely differ-ent understanding of the Western and Eastern (Orthodox) Churches, for example, in regard to human rights requires intensive treatment.

Conference�of�the�Commission�«Churches�in�Dialogue»��(23.–27.�June,�Pullach/Germany).

The main task of the CEC Commission «Churches in Dia-logue» is the cultivation of the ecumenical-theological dia-logue. The thematic focal point of its work at the moment is the dialogue between the Orthodox and non-Orthodox Churches As a preparation for the conference theological experts from CEC member Churches were assigned the task of evaluating the dialogue of their Churches with the Ortho-dox Churches. The resultant evaluation shows that although a number of positive results have been achieved in regard to the dialogues, these have only been scantily communicated and have consequently hardly succeeded in attracting the awareness of the Church. The greatest differences between the two traditions continue to exist in the sphere of ecclesiol-ogy. In order to achieve a better reciprocal understand of the Church, however, talks would also be helpful on liturgical questions and the witness of the Church in modern society. With a statement on the «Theology of the Religions» the Commission also initiated a process of consultation among the member Churches with the aim of finding a common theological basis on which the CEC member Churches could build their relations with other religions. Both thematic processes will flow into the CEC General Assembly in 2009 as a contribution of the Commission «Churches in Dia-logue».

Representation�of�the�FSPC�in�the�Commission�«Church�and�Society»�of�the�CEC�in�Strasbourg.�

The newly appointed representative of the FSPC in the Commission «Church and Society» of the CEC took up her post in October 2007 for a term of five years. The main task of the CEC Office in Strasbourg is to represent the voice of the European Churches vis-à-vis the Council of Europe. This involves the cultivation of a high degree of contact with the various commissions of the Council of Europe, but also the production of foundational documents of a thematic kind and the participation in conferences of experts. The focus of the work of the FSPC representative is on the themes human rights, Europe of the Regions, gender issues and intercul-tural dialogue. The work this year was particularly deter-mined by the question of dealing with the increasing cul-tural diversity in Europe, as the Council of Europe issued a White Book on intercultural dialogue in the summer. The Church and Society Commission participated actively in the consultation process and the genesis of the White Book and was thus able to bring in its proposals – in particular in regard to the inter-religious dimension of the intercultural dialogue. For the field of activity «Europe of the Regions» the Conference of Churches on the Rhine and the other regional groups of the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe (CPCE) are important partners in the implemen-tation of regional initiatives and projects.

The�World�Council�of�Churches�(WCC)��

Conference�of�the�WCC�Central�Committee��(13.–20.February,�Geneva)

Under the title «Making a Difference Together» the Cen-tral Committee of the WCC consisting of 150 members met for its second conference after the 9th General Assembly in Porto Alegre. The most important organ of the WCC after the General Assembly is responsible for the implementation of the outcomes of the completed work on focal points and for the steering and control of the ongoing task fields. The first part of the conference was devoted to a retrospective: The General Secretary of the WCC and the moderator of the Central Committee each presented a report on the past two years. In this period it proved possible to constitute all the commissions under new directors and to take up the work in the six fixed programme units. The issue identified by the General Assembly as an important element of the future activity of the WCC was also tackled, namely the close coop-eration with the regional ecumenical organizations, in the case of Europe with, for example, the Conference of Euro-pean Churches (CEC). As the financial situation of the WCC


31

has also been stabilized in the meantime, it is now in a pro-ductive and result-oriented phase of its work. In the context of the conference of the Central Committee the celebration of the sixtieth anniversary of the WCC also took place, a particular highlight being the festival service in Geneva Cathedral. The historical retrospectives which were under-taken emphasized the decades-long unbroken endeavours of the WCC to promote the visible unity of the Church. The second part of the conference was characterized by the the-matic work. Here the Central Committee had to take deci-sions on the programmes planned for 2009–2013. The deci-sions were based on the resolutions adopted in Porto Alegre, but involved a strict setting of priorities in view of the lim-ited financial resources. A sub-project of the programme devoted to the ecumenical movement in the 21st Century deserves special emphasis. The «Global Platform for Theo-logical Reflection and Analysis» is designed to strengthen theological reflection in all the WCC programmes and has placed its focus for the coming years on theological reflec-tion on the topic of migration. The «Global Christian Forum» was also mentioned positively, a platform for the exchange between the member Churches of the WCC, the Internation-al Evangelical Alliance, the Roman Catholic Church and the representatives of the Pentecostal-Charismatic associations which was founded by the WCC. It remains to be seen how far the positive experiences made there can also be rendered fruitful for a theological dialogue and ecumenical coopera-tion. Furthermore, it was decided that as a conclusion of the WCC Decade to Overcome Violence (2001–2010) an Inter-national Ecumenical Peace Convocation will take place in the Jamaican capital, Kingston. Surprisingly, the General Secretary Pastor Dr Samuel Kobia announced his resigna-tion for personal reasons. His period of office would have run out at the end of December 2008, but was extended for a year in order to give the appointments committee which was set up sufficient time to find a successor.

Palestine�Israel�Ecumenical�Forum�(PIEF):�Conference�«Prom-ised�Land»�(10.–1�.�September,�Berne)

In the summer of 2007 the WCC had called together over 130 representatives of Christian Churches from all over the world to a conference on the Near East question in Amman (Jordan). The final document appealed to the Christian Churches to work concretely for a just peace and common solidary action in the Near East. Following upon this «Amman Call» the WCC summoned an international ecu-menical conference with the title «Promised Land» to Berne at the invitation of the Reformed Churches of Bern-Jura-Solothurn and the FSPC. 85 Christian theologians and church leaders from the Near East, Europe and the USA

were invited to participate. One of the main interests of the meeting lay in the encounter with representatives of the Pal-estinian church representatives. A further concern was the furtherance of the discussion on the concept of the «Prom-ised Land» from the point of view of one’s own country of origin. The aim was to perceive different thought-complexes and to identify sensitive points and reciprocal prejudices. It became clear that the Palestinian and the European Chris-tians approach this theme very differently. For European theologians a degree of abstraction from daily life in the Holy Land is possible when considering the land question. At the same time European theology is also strongly influ-enced by its own history of anti-Semitism and thus empha-sizes the roots in Jewry and the importance of the Christian-Jewish dialogue. For Palestinian scholars, however, the immediate experience of an existential threat and the unclear identification of their own religious roots stand in the foreground. The final document «Berne Perspective», which was composed after an intensive discussion, points out that the Bible must never be misused in order to justify political actions. The maintenance of the distinction between the history of the Holy Land and biblical accounts and between biblical Israel and the modern state of Israel is also particularly important. The participants at the conference spoke in favour of continuing the dialogue initiated on peace and justice in the Near East, in which Jews and Muslims should also be included in the future. To promote peace work in Church communities worldwide a handbook is planned, which will build on the panel discussions and the final document.

Conference�«Ecumenical�Water�Network»�(EWN)��(22.–23.October,�Bossey/GE)

The EWN has been formed as an independent network of ecumenical organizations under the umbrella of the WCC, which promotes the ethical use of water resources. The first meeting – in which representatives from various African countries, Brazil, the USA, Canada, India, the Philippines, Syria, Georgia, Norway, Sweden, Germany and Switzerland participated – was concerned with the official establishment of the network, the creation of a steering committee and the discussion of the working programme. In view of the future challenges the programmatic support of regional actors, lob-bying and the coordination and exchange of information were emphasized as the most important fields of activity. For its part the FSPC presented the fundamental work of the «Ecumenical Declaration on Water as a Human Right and a Public Good» and elucidated the cooperation of the partner organizations Swiss Interchurch Aid and Bread for All at the level of implementation. (See also p. 40).


32

Visits�and�Journeys�of�Delegations

Invitation�to�the�General�Assembly�of�the�Presbyterian�Church�in�the�uSA,�PC�uSA�(20.–28.�June)

In accordance with its legislative aims the FSPC has set itself the goal of making contact with the American member Churches of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches. The FSPC took advantage of the official invitation to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the USA (PC USA) to make contacts and to deepen its acquaintance with these partner Churches and their activities. In his message of greetings to the assembled delegates the President of the FSPC Council underlined that the shared inheritance was an opportunity for the revival of mutual exchange. He also emphasized the common task, namely to strive as Reformed Protestants for unity on the basis of the Leuenberg model of unity in reconciled difference, which is relevant for both European and American Protestants.

Visit:�Delegation�of�the�Presbyterian�Church�in�Cuba��(19.�August)

Through the mediation of the relevant representative of DM-échange et mission the FSPC received a delegation of the Presbyterian Church of Cuba for a contact visit. The rep-resentatives of the Cuban Church are happy to make inter-national contacts and to carry out exchanges with sister Churches, as the growing presence of Evangelical and Pente-costal Churches is increasingly giving rise to problems.

Visit:�Pastor�Dr�Douwe�Wisser,�Theological�Secretary�of�the�World�Alliance�of�Reformed�Churches�19.�November)

In the middle of the year Dr. Douwe Wisser was appoint-ed as the new theological secretary of the WARC. The FSPC had the privilege of receiving him for a first official visit lasting a full-day in November. This provided an opportu-nity to exchange ideas on current theological topics, on the planning of the Calvin Jubilee Year 2009 at the international level and on the fusion of the WARC and the Reformed Ecu-menical Council, which is planned for 2010.

National�und�International�Contacts

Contacts�with�the�Swiss�Federal�Government�

Federal�Commission�for�Migration�IssuesThe Federal Commission for Migration Issues was

established by the Federal Council on 1 January 2008. It arose out of a merger between the earlier Federal Commis-sion for Foreigners and the Federal Commission for Refu-gees. The Federal Commission for Migration Issues is a non-parliamentary commission. It advises the Federal Council and the administration on migration issues and publishes reports, statements and recommendations. The FSPC is rep-resented in the Federal Commission for Migration Issues. For the FSPC the Commission is an important medium for the exchange of ideas, which helps to recognize current developments in the field of migration at an early stage and to cultivate relations with other institutions. In 2008 six plenary assemblies and a number of meetings of working groups took place. (See also p. 45).

Federal�Commission�Against�Racism.The Federal Commission Against Racism is a non-parlia-

mentary commission established by the Federal Council in order to implement the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. The FSPC is represented on the Federal Commission Against Racism. In August the Swiss delegation appeared before the Com-mittee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD). In this context the Federal Commission Against Racism for the first time presented a political statement of its own. In September a delegation of the European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) visited Switzerland for the fourth time. International bodies regularly call for an expansion of the activities of the Federal Commission Against Racism and an increase in its resources (see also p. 45).

Armed�Forces�Pastoral�CareIn order to encounter the shortage of military chaplains

a plan was developed in 2007 for the appointment of chap-lains on a part-time basis. Of the total number of 1.8 posts (180%), one 50% post has been occupied. On the occasion of the regular meeting of the Head of the Armed Forces Pasto-ral Care with the Church authorities it was agreed that three further part-time posts should be occupied in a balanced way reflecting the regional language and the ecumenical situation. As an additional measure the army has created a Promotional Commission for the Armed Services Pastoral Care which has developed first ideas on how to raise the


33

attractiveness of the office of chaplain. It also turned out that there was an increasing need for clarification in the case of members of the army who wished to be freed of certain duties for reasons of faith. In order to provide the command-er with a uniform means of dealing with the issue guidelines entitled «The Army and Islam» are being prepared by the military chaplains. The Church authorities were also informed that the security policy report of the Federal Coun-cil will probably appear in the middle of 2009. The Churches were encouraged to participate in the public debate on an up-to-date concept of security with considerations of their own.

Federal�Office�for�Migration:�Theme�Day�«Religious�Caregivers»At the invitation of the Federal Office for Migration the

FSPC took part in the theme day «Religious Caregivers». The Federal Office concerned is responsible for the issue of residence permits to religious caregivers (imams, rabbis, monks) in Switzerland. In accordance with the currently valid practice these residence permits were not hitherto tied to any particular conditions in regard to professional train-ing. As the leading religious figures within the religious communities fulfil an important function in regard to suc-cessful integration, however, the federal authorities wish in future to place greater weight on the question of their train-ing and further training. A good command of languages, wide general education, familiarity with the rule of law and democracy and the capacity for pluralism appear, above all, to be important in this context. The Federal Office for Migra-tion will include the discussions at the meeting and the sug-gestions made in its further considerations.

Swiss�Conference�of�the�Cantonal�Ministers�of�Education:�Schweizerische�Erziehungsdirektorenkonferenz�(EDK):��The�«HarmoS»�Project

On the occasion of a consultation in the regional secre-tariat for German Switzerland of the Conference of Canton-al Ministers of Education a delegation of the FSPC was informed on the state of affairs in regard to the project «Deutschsprachiger Rahmenlehrplan für die öffentliche Schule» (German-Language General Curriculum for the State Schools) in the context of the «HamoS Project». The main concern was to acquire information on the envisaged inclusion of the subject «Religious Instruction» in the cur-riculum and to clarify the opportunities the National Churches would have to influence the ongoing process. The Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education is planning a broadly-based consultation on the draft of the curriculum for the middle of 2009.

International�Meetings

«Reformed�European�South�Africa�Consultation»,�RESAC�(18.–20.�May,�utrecht)

The RESAC is a partnership of European Churches (Swit-zerland, Germany the Netherlands) with the South African Uniting Reformed Church of South Africa (URCSA). It arose in connection with the rejection of apartheid by the World Alliance of Reformed Churches. Its present goal consists above all in giving the URCSA financial and legal support in its Church activities and in its endeavours to achieve a reuni-fication with the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC). This sup-port continues to be necessary as the cooperation with the DRC is moving at a snail’s pace and reunification in the fore-seeable future seems highly improbable. For this reason the European partner Churches are trying to give the URCSA a voice in the context of the ecumenical alliances and to sup-port it with concrete project-oriented financial resources.

Evangelical�Church�in�Germany�Evangelische�Kirche�in��Deutschland�(EKD),�Chamber�of�Theology:�Consultation�on�the�Theme�«Confession»�(6.–7.�June,�Hanover)

On the initiative of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany Vereinigten EvangelischLutherischen Kirche Deutschlands (VELKD) the Evangelical Church in Germany is at present considering declaring the Confessio Augustana (CA) to be its primary confession of faith. The Chamber of Theology, which has been entrusted with the examination of this question, consequently invited Reformed experts in particular to make a statement on the issue. The President of the Council, Thomas Wipf, had to represent the positions of both the Reformed Churches in Switzerland and the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe (CPCE). From the Swiss point of view it must be especially emphasized that the «Freedom of Confession» which has been valid in Switzerland since the 19th Century by no means involves an absence of confession, but that in the traditional Reformed understanding the actual and commu-nal confession of faith is important. As the CPCE sees itself as a confessional community whose texts consequently have confessional character, the President of the Council pointed out that the introduction of the CA as the primary confession of faith by the Evangelical Church in Germany would signify a step backwards from the point of view of the CPCE. The statements made by the representatives were received with interest by the Chamber of Theology.


3�

Special�Projects

Calvin�Jubilee�Year�2009�(calvin09)The project work of the FSPC in the report year was

determined by the preparations for the jubilee year 2009 in commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the birth of the Geneva reformer Johannes Calvin. The FSPC felt a special obligation in regard to Calvin’s legacy. It was due essentially to him and to the Zurich reformer Heinrich Bullinger that Swiss Protestantism was united in the «Consensus Tiguri-nus» and that the Reformation of Calvinist stamp succeeded in radiating out worldwide from Switzerland. For this rea-son the FSPC sees it as its duty to make a weighty contribu-tion to the Jubilee Year and to further it at the national and international level. A great part of the activities were devot-ed to the development of contacts to the various actors at home and abroad and to international coordination. The vis-ible result of these endeavours is the international website www.calvin09.org which, apart from basic information on Calvin’s life and work, also contains a mass of materials and suggestions, special Calvin products, recent publications and a calendar of events.

The Jubilee Year commenced with an official ceremony in front of the Reformation Wall in Geneva, which was organized jointly by the FSPC and the World Alliance of Reformed Churches. With this highly symbolic act they recalled the fact that «Calvin’s town», Geneva, was the reformer’s place of refuge and the most important site of his activities. At the same time the President of the Council invited the Reformed Churches in Switzerland and world-wide to use the opportunity to make Calvin’s work and impulses in the sphere of theological ethics, ecclesiology or ecumenism a fruitful source of inspiration for meeting the challenges of the modern world. In a number of the member Churches of the FSPC communities, universities or muse-ums have already planned a wide variety of Jubilee activi-ties. Their scope ranges from expert conferences, lectures, concerts, exhibitions and film and theatre performances to journeys following Calvin’s traces. A survey which is con-tinuously brought up to date is presented in the calendar of events «Eventpool»on the website mentioned above. In addition the FSPC has also carried out a number of projects of its own for the Calvin Jubilee Year. Together with the The-ologischer Verlag Zürich (TVZ) it published a collection of articles by Calvin experts in the autumn. The generally understandable introduction «1509 – Johannes Calvin – 2009: Sein Wirken in Kirche und Gesellschaft» [1509 – John Calvin – 2009: His Influence on Church and Society] pur-sues the influence of the reformer, for example, on ethics, modern democracy, capitalism, religious tolerance, the shap-

ing of the Church or social existence. The mini-exhibition «Mein lieber Calvin!» (My dear Calvin!) is available for use by church communities. It consists of 20 small placards illustrating Calvin’s life and work in concentrated form, which can be freely combined around different themes. At the request of the FSPC the Swiss Post Office has issued a special stamp celebrating the 500th anniversary of Calvin’s birth. The practical Jubilee Guide 09 provides, on the one hand, an easily readable approach to the most important stages in the life and work of Calvin and, on the other hand, gives a survey of the most important Jubilee activities in Switzerland and the neighbouring countries. For Whit Sun-day (31 May) a further highlight has been planned, namely a Eurovision divine service in Geneva Cathedral, which will be transmitted throughout Switzerland and in other Euro-pean countries. The executive committee of the World Alli-ance of Churches will participate as will many invited guests and the communities of the inner city of Geneva.

�Euro�08�–�«Church�08»�With the ecumenical bi-national project «Kirche 08 – am

Ball seit 2008 Jahren» (Church 08 – On the Ball for 2008 Years) the Churches in Switzerland and Austria underlined their presence during the European Football Championship in 2008. The FSPC mainly played a coordinating role between the various actors in the two countries and contributed with the logo and a special fan scarf to a common image of the Christian Churches in the eight venues. The joint aim of the Churches was to make their presence felt on the occasion of the Euro 08 in the classical fields of Church activity, namely church service, education and social outreach, and to bring up topical issues such as the dialogue of the cultures, peace-ful coexistence, human trafficking or fair trade. In addition the materials brochure «Gott ist rund?» (God is round?) was produced for Church communities and parishes with sup-porting offers and ideas for implementation. The imple-mentation of various other projects was the responsibility of the cantonal Churches where the venues were situated. From the point of view of the FSPC two events which were planned and carried out with its direct participation deserve emphasis: On Sunday 25 May a national ecumenical service took place in the Grossmünster (Great Minster) in Zurich in which about 800 voluntary helpers were blessed. On 27 May an inter-religious football match took place in Berne under the patronage of the Council of Religions in order to set an example for the dialogue of cultures, fair play and non-vio-lence. (See also p. 26–27).


1

5

8

6

3

�

7

2

9

10

35

Department�of��Ecumenical�Relations�

� 1�Rev.�Serge�Fornerod,�MPADirector of the Ecumenical Relations Department

� 2�Elisabeth�BalmerSecretary

� 3�Rev.�Annemarie�Bieri�Scientific Assistant

� ��Jonathan�BucherProject assistant calvin09

� 5�Rev.�Dr�Martin�HirzelExecutive Secretary for Ecume-nism and Religious Communities

� 6�Matthias�HügliExecutive Secretary for Church Relations and Swiss Churches Abroad

� 7�lic.�theol.�Carla�MaurerExecutive Secretary at the Conference of European Churches in Strasbourg.

� 8�Christine�MesserSecretary

� 9�Rev.�Markus�SahliExecutive Secretary for Church Relations in Switzerland (up to 31.12.2008)

10�lic.�theol.�Christian�VanderseeExecutive Secretary for External Relations, Agencies and Missionary Organisations



The�spirit�of�{contemplation}We�write�with�clarity�–�so�that�our�words��may�stand�the�test�of�time.

38

Theology and Ethics

The main themes dealt with by the Departmental Insti-tute for Theology and Ethics (ITE) in the report year lay in three spheres with the following focal points:

1.�Theology Questions of Faith Understanding of the Church

2.�Ethics Bioethics Environmental Ethics Economic Ethics Political Ethics

3.�Diaconal�Outreach Social Issues Migration

The cross-sectional theme «Human Rights» is dealt with under political ethics, the cross-sectional theme «Environ-ment» under environmental ethics and the cross-sectional theme «Gender» in various sections.

Theology

The�Focal�Points�«Questions�of�Faith»�and�«understanding�of�the�Church»

Baptism�A consultation was carried out with the member Church-

es on the FSPC Position «Baptism from a Protestant Perspec-tive» in which individual communities and persons also made statements. The consultation clearly revealed the ten-sion between undisputed theological knowledge and the «people’s church» perspective determining the self-concept of most of the member Churches. Further work on the theme will require the naming of these tensions and perseverance with them, for example in regard to the connection between baptism and membership of the Church or the sequence of baptism and Eucharist.

OrdinationIn January the FSPC Position 10 «Ordination in refor-

mierter Perspektive» (Ordination from a Reformed Perspec-tive) was published. It is an important point of reference in the Swiss discussion landscape. The Position was discussed by various experts at a symposium of the Evangelical-Reformed Church of the Canton of Schaffhausen held on

The Departmental Institute for Theology and Ethics (ITE) works on the foundations of theological and ethical questions. It observes relations between the Church and society, particularly with federal authori-ties, social institutions, the economy and other non-religious institutions.

THEOLOGY�AND�ETHICS

39

6 November on the theme of ordination. The Position was also included in the doctrinal discussion of the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe (CPCE) on «Ministry –Ordination – Episcopé» as a document which reflects the Reformed and the Swiss discussion on the ministry. In the course of this year the Position will be published in French and English. A document on the implementation of the AD resolution of autumn 2007 on ordination was drawn up for the attention of the Council. It was presented in May to the Conference of Church Presidiums. As a first step it is planned to survey the state of the discussion on questions of the ministry in the member Churches and professional associa-tions. On the basis of the results a project will be developed in the FSPC which will coordinate further work in regard to the future document on ordination called for by the AD.

ConfessionOne of the legislative aims of the Council for 2007–2010

is the shaping of the discussion within the FSPC on the sig-nificance of the confessions. In the context of a growing break with tradition the question of confession has acquired a new urgency. For this reason thematic work on the issue of confession has been undertaken in the FSPC at various lev-els. The issue is also a subject of heated discussion at the European level. Accordingly the Evangelical Church in Ger-many has also dealt with it and has invited the FSPC to make a statement from the Swiss-Reformed perspective. (See the paper of the President of the Council, Thomas Wipf, presen-ted to the Chamber of Theology of the EKD on 6 June entitled «Bringt uns ein [gemeinsames] Bekenntnis weiter?» (Can a [common] confession help us move forward?). In the Com-munity of Protestant Churches in Europe (CPCE) doctrinal discussions are taking place at the moment on the topic «Scripture, Confession, Church», in which the FSPC is also participating.

Liturgy�CommissionAll the language regions are represented in the commis-

sion: Pastoress Simona Rauch, Vicosoprano, was appointed as the representative of Italian-speaking Switzerland. With the creation of a Commission for Liturgy and Music at the Conférence des Églises protestantes romandes (CER) the representation of French-speaking Switzerland has taken on an institutional form. Thematically the Commission dealt with the paper «Taufe in evangelischer Perspektive» (Bap-tism from a Protestant Perspective) and its liturgical impli-cations.

Relations�with�the�Free�ChurchesBilateral Dialogue with the Swiss Mennonite Conference

(SMC) On the one hand intensive work has been done in the

dialogue commission on the understanding of baptism with the aim of achieving mutual recognition. On the other hand the conclusion of the dialogue process has been envisaged. The commission has set itself the goal of presenting not only a joint declaration but also materials which promote mutual understanding in the Church communities. In order to win more time for this work the mandate of the dialogue com-mission has been extended to the end of 2009.

Dialogue of the FSPC with the Association of Free Evangelical Churches and Communities in Switzerland [Verband evangelischer Freikirchen und Gemeinden in der Schweiz (VFG)], the Swiss Evangelical Alliance [Schweizerische Evangelische Allianz (SEA)] and the Réseau Évangélique

The four associations met twice for a day-long discus-sion. The meetings have been restructured: Half of the day is spent at the level of the Churches (FSPC, VFG, Réseau) and the other half of the day at the level of the movement (FSPC, VFG, SEA, Réseau). This new structure makes it possible for the delegates of the church leaderships to discuss more pur-posefully, for example in regard to political statements. Two bilateral discussions took place between the FSPC and the SEA and also between the FSPC and the Landeskirchenforum (Forum of National Churches). There was discussion of the concern that the SEA should continue to be recognizable as a movement of evangelical Christians with a distinctive theological stamp. The problem of the collective member-ship of Reformed church communities in the SEA was also discussed.

Ethics

Focal�point:�Bioethics

End�of�LifeOn the basis of the FSPC publication Position 9 «Das

Sterben leben – Entscheidungen am Lebensende aus evan-gelischer Perspektive» (Living the Process of Dying – Deci-sions at the End of Life from a Protestant Perspective), which was published in the late autumn of 2007, the FSPC was an important partner in discussions at the Church and political level in Switzerland and Europe. Some of the stages in this ongoing discussion process were a hearing of the Kommission für Rechtsfragen des Nationalrates [Commission for


�0

Legal Questions of the National Council], a round table in the Eidgenössisches Justiz und Polizeidepartement (EJPD) [Federal Department of Justice and Police] with Federal Councillor Widmer-Schlumpf and the participation in the Annual Consensus Conference of the Swiss Palliative Care Association (palliative.ch) entitled «Gemeinsam für ein Leben bis zuletzt» («Together for a life until the end»). In the context of the «Biel Manifesto» and the «Swiss End of Life Care» coalition the FSPC committed itself actively to the establishment and expansion of palliative medicine and care in Switzerland. The work on the theologico-ethical questions involved in decisions on the end of life will be continued in dialogues with the member Churches, diaconal institutions in Switzerland and with Churches at the Euro-pean level.

Focal�Point:�Environmental�Ethics

Energy�EthicsResponsibility for the basic resources on which life

depends is a fundamental part of the ethical and theological reflections at the ITE. In 2008 the topic of «energy» stood in the foreground. In May the FSPC Study 1 «Energieethik» (Energy Ethics) was published, which was received with interest in several member and partner Churches and in the non-religious public sphere – also in places outside Switzer-land. The study combines reflection on basic ethical values and the rules for their application («maxims») with a spir-itual and pastoral care approach. The difficult farewell to the age of fossil energy is compared with a spiritual «trial», with a general social process of mourning and renewal as its char-acteristic phases. For this change, which endeavours to achieve the goal of the «2000-Watt-Society», the Churches can provide encouragement – prophetic, pastoral and practi-cal. The study was presented and discussed in a number of newspapers and periodicals, at conferences and in dialogues with the Church communities.

WaterAs a signatory to the Brazilian-Swiss ecumenical declara-

tion on water «Water as a Human Right and a Public Good» the FSPC is in demand as a dialogue partner for the member Churches, the relief organizations and the Ecumenical Water Network (EWN). Examples are its participation in a confer-ence of the OeME (Ecumenism Mission Development) in Lucerne on 29 September and in a large regional divine serv-ice of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Montbéliard in France on 9 November L’eau, don de Dieu pour la vie. (See also p. 31).

Creation�SpiritualityThe environmental commitment of the Church today

stands within a tradition of piety and responsibility towards creation, which must always be called to mind. «Calvin and Nature» (see the contribution at www.calvin.09.org) is not an artificial topic or a case of surfing on the commemorative culture of the Protestant Churches, but rather a genuine, original aspect of the Geneva reformer John Calvin. In this context Albrecht von Haller should also be called to mind. The brochure’«Die Maler Robert als Vorläufer heutiger Öko-theologie» (Stiftung Sammlung Robert, Biel) [The Painters of the Robert Family as Precursors of Present Day Ecotheol-ogy], which was co-financed by the Reformed Churches of Berne-Jura-Solothurn, again makes available to the public a particularly rich inheritance of Christian and especially Protestant interpretation of and closeness to nature of the period between 1870 and 1970. A further publication on this topic on which the FSPC also participated is the collection of texts «Geist und Klima» («Spirit and Climate») of the Evan-gelical-Reformed Regional Church of Zurich.

Focal�Point:�Economic�Ethics

Open�Forum�DavosFor the sixth time the FSPC and the World Economic

Forum organized the Open Forum Davos together in 2008. The aim of the Open Forum is to enable a public debate on the central challenges of globalization between the partici-pants in the World Economic Forum, experts and the gen-eral public and so to contribute to the formation of public opinion. Once again controversial debates took place bet-ween decision makers from economics, politics, church, science and the media in seven panel discussions. The deci-sion to do without an overall motto and to choose the seven topics for discussion exclusively in accordance with the cri-teria of topicality, controversial nature and relevance for the future again proved its worth. One of the panels, for exam-ple, discussed whether the revival of religiosity represents a danger for the secular state and how far states in Europe can guarantee religious pluralism and at the same time preserve their own Christian cultural and life forms. Geopolitical questions were at the centre of two further panel discus-sions. The one inquired into the effects of the American presidential elections on the political, military and econom-ic leading role of the USA; the other discussed whether Rus-sia is developing new geopolitical ambitions as a result of its growing self-confidence. A further focal point of the Open Forum 2008 was ecological sustainability. There was contro-versial discussion on the degree to which the protection of


�1

the climate is polarizing the world and on the (tense) rela-tionship between economic growth and ecological sustain-ability.

It again proved possible to win first-class panelists from at home and abroad for the discussions. Among these were, for example, Mohammad Khatami, the former president of Iran; Howard Dean, the chairman of the Democratic Nation-al Committee in the USA; Robert Edgar, former General sec-retary of the National Council of Churches, USA; Pascal Couchepin, President of the Swiss Confederation; Christian Levrat, President of the Social Democratic Party of Switzer-land; Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke, General Director and CEO of the Nigerian Stock Exchange; Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme; and Ichiro Kamoshita, Minister of the Environment from Japan. The FSPC was represented at the Open Forum Davos by Thomas Wipf, President of the Council.

More than 2000 persons attended the Open Forum Davos and many more followed the debates on television on the information channel of Swiss Television.

Focal�Point:�Political�Ethics

Human�RightsIn the sixtieth year of the Declaration of Human Rights

the joint declaration of the three national churches was a constant component of the work of the FSPC on Human Rights Day. Questions of human rights as an FSPC cross-sectional theme were a source of heated discussion above all in the context of the debates on migration and religious free-dom, but also in the work of the FSPC in the federal commis-sions on migration and against racism. (See also p. 32 and 45).

Minaret�InitiativeThe popular inititiative «Gegen den Bau von Minaret-

ten» (For a Ban on Minarets) which was submitted in sum-mer called for an article of the Constitution legally forbid-ding the building of minarets. This demand was the high peak of a controversial discussion on the relationships with the Muslim population in Switzerland in which the Chur-ches participated. In its detailed collection of arguments (Argumentarium) «Zwischen Glockenturm und Minarett» (Between Belfry and Minaret) the Council of the FSPC pre-sented and commented on the legal, ethical and theological aspects of the issue. The contribution provides basic mate-rial and arguments for the formation of opinion in the mem-ber Churches and also in political and public life. (See also p. 25).

Weapons�InitiativeThe popular initiative «Für den Schutz vor Waffenge-

walt» (Protection against Gun Violence) was launched in response to acts of violence and a high suicide rate involving army weapons. After an intensive discussion process the Council of the FSPC also prepared a detailed collection of arguments (Argumentarium) on this initiative, which was made available to the public on the occasion of the submis-sion of the national petition for a referendum. The basic text «Gewaltprävention – Zwischen individueller Freiheit und staatlicher Reglementierung» (The Prevention of Violence – Between Individual Freedom and State Reglementation» is designed to support the search for an ethical judgment on the issue and is at the same time a contribution to the «Dekade zur Überwindung von Gewalt 2001–2010» (Decade to Overcome Violence) of the Ökumenischer Rat der Kir-chen / ÖRK (World Council of Churches / WCC).

Naturalization�InitiativeThe FSPC has drawn up a statement on the popular ini-

tiative «für demokratische Einbürgerungen» (for democrat-ic naturalization). The statement was published as a Gemeinsamer Text (Joint Text) together with the Schweizerischer Israelitischer Gemeindebund (SIG) (Swiss Federation of Jew-ish Communities), the Christkatholische Kirche der Schweiz (Christ Catholic Church of Switzerland) and the Schweizer Bischofskonferenz (SBK) (Swiss Bishops’ Conference) in the run-up to the referendum of 1 June. The popular initiative, which called for a decision on naturalization at the ballot box, was clearly rejected by the sovereign power.

Quota�Refugee�PolicyIn earlier years Switzerland regularly accepted large

groups of asylum seekers collectively in the context of a quota refugee policy. In view of the many spheres of war, the FSPC has drawn up a collection of arguments (Argumenta-rium) which pleads for a return to the quota refugee policy in Switzerland. The collection, in which the FSPC refers among other things to the Swiss humanitarian tradition, will be published at the beginning of 2009.


�2

If�I�have�to�explain�to�friends�what�we�do�in�the�

Institute�for�Theology�and�Ethics�they�soon�ask�

the�question�«Are�you�the�magisterium�of�the�

Reformed�Churches�in�Switzerland�then?»�It�takes�

some�patience�to�explain�our�work�in�comparison�

to�the�Roman�model.�We�work�on�theological�and�

ethical�questions�at�the�request�of�the�member�

Churches.�In�our�considerations�we�are�com-

mitted�to�taking�into�account�the�claims�and�con-

cerns�of�a�variety�of�groups.�

Partners�in�the�theological�dialogue�

The member Churches: According to the Protestant understanding theology

does not run from top to bottom, does not flow from the clergy to the layman. It occurs in a dialogue. The ITE must conduct this dialogue in such a way that Christians with-out an academic education in theology can participate: in church boards, synods and synodal boards.

Professional groups: Those theological questions are debated fervently

which are relevant for the life of the Church. Under what circumstances can children be baptized? Who is invited to participate in the Eucharist? For which Church services is ordination intended? All of these topics affect the daily work and interests of professional groups such as pastoral persons and social deacons and deaconesses. Their thoughts and opinions based on practical experience are indispensable.

Gemeinschaft evangelischer Kirchen in Europa GEKE (Community of Protestant Churches in Europe CPCE):

As a member of the CPCE the FSPC operates within a European discussion forum. It formulates its theological positions on the basis of the consensus which arises in the context of the CPCE. Occasionally the FSPC reminds the Swiss Churches that they represent unconventional posi-tions in comparison with other European Churches, for example in regard to the freedom of confession of faith.

Theological Faculties: Theology is reflection with the open bible, listening to

voices from tradition, perception of tendencies in aca-demic research. To this end the exchange of ideas with university teachers is indispensable.

For a Dialogical TheologyHow�theological�positions�arise�in�the�ITE


�3

Praxis�and�Teaching�–�Two�Worlds�MeetIt does not come as a surprise: these claimant groups

represent different interests which can scarcely be reduced to a common denominator. Fields of tension are also opened up by the fact that the ITE deals with doctri-nal issues and at the same time keeps an eye on practical questions. Should the teaching simply be implemented in Church practice? Or should the teaching take its orienta-tion from what is practicable? The truth of Protestant teaching is demonstrated by the degree to which it reflects the life of the Church and offers a stimulus and a challenge. The ITE provides a bridge between teaching and praxis on which two-way traffic is possible. The teaching asks questions about the shape praxis takes on; the praxis calls for rootedness in the teaching.

Searching�TogetherThe life of the Church changes just as life in society

does. All the documents stemming from the ITE are con-sequently milestones in a search process which accompa-nies the Churches. To accompany this process and to steer it for Switzerland is one of most important tasks of the ITE. In this process dialogue is of central significance. It occurs through hearings, conferences and other plat-forms of exchange. It can and should also arise «in pass-ing» – in encounters between various dialogue partners at

conferences, over an apéro, at lunch, during breaks. Every dialogue can turn into debate in which the power wielded by the partners to the discussion plays a part. Who has the last word? According to the Protestant view institutional power should not be decisive, but the power of argument and the better understanding of the gospel. Thus the theological dialogue entails the risk that a per-sonal position must be reconsidered in order to make progress in the common search. And that is an acceptable risk, is it not?

Jacques-Antoine von Allmen


��

Diaconal�Outreach

Focal�Point:�Social�Issues�and�Conferences

Diaconal�ConferenceThe spring conference took up the question of how new

fields of diaconal activity could be recognized. The partici-pants were encouraged to look beyond the horizon of the courant normal in their functions and in their spheres of activity and to observe social developments attentively.

Women’s�ConferenceThe spring conference dealt with the equal treatment of

women and men in the evangelical Churches and organiza-tions in respect to Church law. In a questionnaire the state of equal treatment as reflected in the rules of the member Churches was established and presented to the conference. A collection of best practice examples is now available.

Joint�Autumn�Conference�of�the�Women’s�Conference�and�the�Diaconal�Conference

Under the title «Women have depressions, men have burn out» approximately 120 participants discussed gender specific behaviour in dealing with health issues and espe-cially questions of psychological health. In the papers facts and figures of the federal administration were presented and relevant and also liberating ideas of man from the Chris-tian tradition were reflected upon.

Commission�on�Church�and�TourismThe European Way of St James: Project I has been con-

cluded. 40 regions from different European countries will participate as partners in the follow-up project. A field sur-vey has revealed that only around 20 % of the pilgrims belong to the narrow circle of a church community; a fur-ther 50 % are searching for meaning, spirituality and a change in life. In 2008 pilgrims generated more than 30.000 overnight stays in Switzerland.

European Football Championship 2008: The member of the commission Michael Landwehr participated in the project «Church 08» and drew up the collection of materials «God is round» for Church communities and parishes. As a result of the Church activities it proved possible to enter into a fruitful dialogue with a wide public.

EAG für Messen und Projekte (Protestant Working Group for Fairs and Projects): After the dissolution of the EAG Schweiz (Evangelische Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Gastro-nomie, Hotellerie und Tourismus = Protestant Working

Group for Fairs, Hotels, Catering and Tourism) a working group was formed which is to lend shape to Christian inter-ests in the spheres of tourism, hotels and catering by means of projects and attendance at fairs.

Calendar of Events in the Internet: The Evangelical-Re-formed Church of the Canton of Graubünden has developed an exemplary calendar of events for the internet in coopera-tion with tourist organizations. Together with the corre-sponding commission of the Swiss Bishops’ Conference a project outline has been sketched in order to make this model available to the other cantonal Churches

Fund�for�Women’s�WorkAs regulated by the statutes the fund primarily supports

Protestant women in Switzerland with an overall sum of 85.000 SF. The Fund for Women’s Work contributed to the campaign «16 Tage gegen Gewalt an Frauen» (16 Days against Gender Violence), which took place under the patron-age of the FriedensFrauen Weltweit (Peace Women across the Globe) in Berne Cathedral. Support was also given to a conference on the topic of violence in relationships between couples. The fund also made a financial contribution to the project of the Evangelical Reformed Church of Basle, which presented a documentation on the theme «Women-Church-Theology» 20 years after the proclamation of the ecumeni-cal decade «Churches in Solidarity with Women». Simone Stähelin, member of the commission since its foundation in 1990 has resigned her mandate for reasons of age. The com-mission is happy to have won Barbara Marti, the publisher of «Frauensicht» as a new member.

Focal�Point:�Migration

Immigrant�ChurchesOn 29 October the conference «Heimat in der Fremde –

Migrationskirchen als Orte der Integration?» (At Home Abroad – Immigrant Churches as Sites of Integration) took place. The conference was organized in cooperation with the Migration Office of the Reformed Church of Basle-Stadt, the Pfarramt für weltweite Kirche (Parish Office for a Global Church) of Basle Stadt and Basle-Land and mission 21 and was well attended by a total of 120 participants. At present a study on immigrant churches from a social-scientific and theological perspective is being prepared at the Institute for Theology and Ethics. The study focuses on those immigrant churches which have been newly formed in recent years.


�5

Immigration�Representatives�of�the�Member�ChurchesIn September 2008 a meeting of the immigration repre-

sentatives of the member Churches of the FSPC took place. The focal issues were the minaret initiative and Islam in Switzerland. The meeting also served to facilitate the exchange of opinions and the networking of the member Churches of the FSPC.

Pastoral�Care�for�Refugees�in�the�Reception�Centres.The ecumenical pastoral care services in the extremely

busy reception and processing centres and in the transit areas of the airports in Zurich and Geneva were widely used. The FSPC continues to play an important role in pastoral care at the reception centres, both for the pastoral care workers and as a source of contact with the federal authorities. The national Meeting of Pastoral Care Workers organized by the FSPC provides a platform for the exchange of ideas and net-working. The FSPC also provides impulses of varying con-tent, among others for further training in German and French on the legislation on asylum (together with the Schweizerische Flüchtlingshilfe SFH – Swiss Refugee Council).

In the Joint Committee (Gemeinsamen Ausschuss; (Comité mixte), the controlling instance for the pastoral care services at the reception and processing centres, the FSPC represent-ed the interests of the pastoral care workers and the nation-al Churches. The FSPC organized various meetings of this committee. In addition the FSPC also played a decisive role in regard to the contents, the organization and the imple-mentation of the Forums EVZSeelsorge (Forum for Pastoral Care at the Reception and Processing Centres). In the Forum this year the topic «Transcultural Competence» was the cen-tre of interest. The Forum was attended by pastoral care workers, members of the cadre of the Federal Office for Migration, representatives of the ORS (Organization for the Care of Refugees) and the security company Securitas.

Federal�Commissions

The�Federal�Commission�for�Migration�IssuesSince the beginning of 2008 the FSPC has been repre-

sented on the new Federal Commission for Migration Issues. The working group on forced marriage drew up a statement on this issue and participated in the consultation of the fed-eral authorities on the measures to be taken against forced marriage. «Identities» was the annual theme of the Federal Commission for Migration Issues. What does it mean when we define identities and when they are attributed to us? In its work on this kind of more general question the Federal Commission for Migration Issues offers no readymade solu-

tions but only impulses to set people thinking about the way the processes of identity formation function. (See also p. 32.)

Federal�Commission�Against�RacismA focal point of the work done by the Federal Commis-

sion Against Racism in 2008 was the topic of Islam and hos-tility to Islam, with special reference to the initiative to ban minarets and the decision of the Swiss Federal Supreme Court against exempting Moslem children from the obliga-tion to attend swimming lessons at school. Further accents were set by international organizations in their relations towards Switzerland. Four larger publications were worked on in the current year. Tangram N°21 «Internet», Tangram N°22 «Multicultural Societies», the statement of the Federal Commission Against Racism on the so-called «Initiative to Ban Minarets» and the report to the UN Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) on the fourth, fifth and sixth Swiss reports to the CERD. A conference of experts on the topic of multiple discrimina-tion was held in cooperation with the University of Applied Science of North West Switzerland (Fachhochschule Nord-westschweiz) and the University for Social Work (Hoch-schule für Sozialarbeit). (See also p. 32).

Further�Activities

CommissionsApart from the activities in the FSPC’s own commissions

delegates of the ITE worked in various other bodies: At the national level: in the Eidgenössische Kommission für Migra-tionsfragen (Federal Commission for Migration Issues), in the Eidgenössische Kommission gegen Rassismus (Federal Commission against Racism), in the Arbeitskreis Kirche-Wirtschaft (Working Party on Church and Economy) and on the executive of the oeku Kirche und Umwelt (oeku Church and Environment). At the international level: in the Assembly of the Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe (CCME), in various theological discussion groups of the GEKE (Community of Protestant Churches in Europe / CPCE) and in the European Christian Environmental Network (ECEN).

Hearings,�Lectures�and�Other�ActivitiesStaff of the ITE held lectures in Church communities,

parish chapters, educational centres and seminars of theo-logical faculties at home and abroad on almost all of the topics the institute works on. Hearings with representatives of member Churches on various themes such as baptism served the purpose of networking.


7

�

1

8

10

5

2 3

6

9

Institute�for�Theology�and�Ethics

� 1�PD�Dr�Christina�Tuor-KurthDirector of the Institute for Theology and Ethics

� 2�Dr�Hella�HoppeSenior Economic Affairs Officer

� 3�Michèle�LaubscherSecretary

� ��Dr�Frank�MathwigSenior Theology and Ethics Affairs Officer

� 5�lic.�phil.�hist.�Simon�RöthlisbergerSenior Migration Affairs Officer

� 6�Rev.�Dr�Otto�SchäferSenior Theology and Ethics Affairs Officer

� 7�Anja�ScheuzgerSecretary

� 8�Rev.�Dr�Jacques-Antoine�von�AllmenSenior Theological Affairs Officer

� 9�Brigitte�WegmüllerSecretary of Department

10�Rev.�Dr�Matthias�WüthrichSenior Theological Affairs Officer


THEOLOGY�AND�ETHICS�6

�7PuBLICATIONS

Publications of the FSPC

FSPC�Series

FEPS�Étude�1Éthique de l’Énergie – Vers une nouvelle ère énergétique.

Perspectives durables après la fin du pétrole. 175 pages.

FSPC�Position�6Entitling Human Beings – Human rights and human

dignity in a theological-ethical perspective, 73 pages.

FSPC�Position�9Between Life and Death – Making choices about the final

stages of life from a Protestant perspective, 39 pages.

Gemeinsamer�Text�5�Rechtsstaatlich einbürgern – Argumente gegen die Initi-

ative «für demokratische Einbürgerungen», 16 pages. (together with Schweizer Bischofskonferenz SBK, Christkatholische Kirche der Schweiz CKS and Schweizerischen Israelitischen Gemeindebund SIG)

Additional�Publications

Lukas Zürcher: «Good Offices in South Africa» – The South Africa policy of the Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches between 1970 and 1990, 150 pages.

Martin Ernst Hirzel and Martin Sallmann ed. : John Calvin’s Impact on Church and Society, 1509–2009, 253 pages (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.).

A complete list of the publications of the staff members can be found on their personal page under www.sek.ch

The�spirit�of�{concern}We�choose�our�words�with�care�–�so�that�you�may�know�precisely�where�we�stand.

50

Church�08Under the name «Church 08» the ecumenical presence of

the Churches during the European Football Championship 2008 was communicated at the project, regional and local level. The Department of Communication of the FSPC was responsible for national communication and for the media conference at the start of the project in January. The interna-tional ecumenical website www.kirche08, which provides information on all the events and projects at the football venues in Austria and Switzerland, was also created here. The football match between FC Religions and FC National Council also succeeded in attracting the attention and inte-rest of the international media.

calvin09On 2 November the opening ceremony for the Calvin

Jubilee Year 2009 took place in front of the Reformation Wall in Geneva. At the subsequent press conference the highlights of the festivities planned for the 500th anniver-sary of the birth of John Calvin were presented together with the products especially created for this occasion: a the-ological cultural guide, numerous publications, a mini-exhi-bition for Church communities and an especially created praline whose taste ranges over four values characteristic of Calvin. The website in four languages www.calvin09.org, opened in September 2009, was from the start above all a platform for all those concerned with the preparation of the Jubilee. In the meantime it has become an inter-active inter-net portal with a calendar of events listing all the activities in Geneva, Switzerland and throughout the world, an online shop and also texts by and about Calvin.

Open�Forum�DavosThe platform www.openforumdavos.ch is run by the

FSPC in partnership with the World Economic Forum. All interested persons can download, view and comment on the activities of the Open Forum. On the occasion of the meeting in 2009 a special issue of the Bulletin was produced. In it an evangelical position to each of the seven public discussion panels is presented. After the customary distribution this special issue of the Bulletin in three languages (G/E/F) will be handed out to all the visitors at the Open Forum.

«Reliably�Opened»In Cooperation with the Commission for Church and

Tourism the brochure «Verlässlich geöffnet. Eine Handreic-hung für offene Kirchentüren» (Reliably opened – a hand-out for open church doors) was produced. The brochure is meant to encourage church communities and boards to reflect on an opening of their church doors on weekdays.

Communica-tion

The Communication Department is responsible for work on public relations. It deals with questions com-ing from the media and produces press releases, the periodical «Bulletin» and the annual report. It also maintains the internet page www.sek-feps.ch Finally it assists the Department for Church Relations and the Departmental Institute of Theology and Ethics with the creation, production and communication of the texts they publish for the FSPC.

COMMuNICATION

1 2 3

� 5

51

Bulletins�2008

Bulletin 1/2008Energiezukunft

Bulletin 2/2008Kulturraum Kirche

Bulletin 3/2008Kirche im interkulturellen Europa

Bulletin 4/2008, 1/2009Special Issue «Open Forum Davos» 2009

COMMuNICATION

Communication

1� �Rev.�Simon�Weber�Head of the Communication

2� �Dipl.�theol.�Thomas�Flügge Executive Secretary for Public Relations

3� �lic.�phil.�Monica�Jeggli Journalist and Editor

�� André�Röthlisberger Webassistant

5� Monika�von�Grünigen Secretary


52

Press releases 2008

1�.1.2008Kontrovers. Offen. Beharrlich. Das Open Forum DavosControversial. Open. Insistent. The Open Forum Davos

17.1.2008Minarettinitiative: Gegen die Verhärtung der Fronten wirken Minaret Initiative: Working against the hardening of the fronts

2�.1.2008Open Forum Davos 2008 eröffnet Open Forum Davos 2008 opened

26.1.2008Open Forum Davos: Andersdenkende kommen zu Wort Open Forum Davos: Differently minded people have their say

�.3.2008Wie klingt Calvin? How does Calvin sound?

12.3.2008Frauenkonferenz fordert mehr Einsatz für Gleichstellung Women’s Conference demands more commitment to equal treatment

13.3.2008A great Swiss reformer and ecumenist has died: Lukas Vischer

9.�.2008Religion gehört zum schulischen Bildungsauftrag (Gemeinsames Communiqué mit der Gemeinschaft Evange-lischer Kirchen in Europa GEKE) Religion is part of the educational mandate of the schoolsJoint communiqué together with the Community of Protes-tant Churches in Europe CPCE)

6.5.2008Integration braucht verlässliche Einbürgerungsverfahren (Gemeinsames Argumentarium mit der Schweizer Bischofs-konferenz SBK, der Christkatholischen Kirche der Schweiz und des Schweizerischen Israelitischen Gemeindebundes SIG) Integration requires reliable naturalization procedures (Joint collection of arguments (Argumentarium) together with the Swiss Episcopal Conference SEP, the Christ Catho-lic Church of Switzerland and the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities.)

9.5.2008Energiestudie: Gerechtigkeit für künftige Generationen Energy Study: Justice for future generations

COMMuNICATION

53

15.5.2008Nationale Präsenz der Kirchen an der Euro 2008 National presence of the Churches at the Euro 08

25.5.2008Ein nationaler Gottesdienst – Start der Präsenz der Kirchen an der Euro 2008 A National Church Service – start of the presence of the Churches at the Euro 2008

27.5.2008FC Religionen gegen FC Nationalrat 6:1 – Anstoss zum Fairplay FC Religion versus FC National Council 6:1 – Kick-off for fair play

15.6.2008Abgeordnetenversammlung des Kirchenbundes tagt in Bel-linzona Assembly of Delegates of the FSPC meets in Bellinzona

17.6.2008Abgeordnetenversammlung: Kirche hat «Wächterfunktion über das Wertesystem» Assembly of Delegates: The Church has a «watchdog func-tion for the value system»

18.6.2008Weltflüchtlingstag: Schutz ist nötig – Vielfalt bereichert World Refugee Day: Protection is necessary – Diversity enriches

3.7.2008Kirchenbund begrüsst Bundesratsentscheid zur SterbehilfeThe FSPC welcomes the decision of the Federal Council on euthanasia

8.7.2008Minarettinitiative ist untauglich The minaret initiative is ineffectual

11.9.2008Internationale Konferenz zum israelisch-palästinensischen Konflikt in Bern International Conference in Berne on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Berne

1�.9.2008«Berner Perspektiven» nach internationaler theologischer Konferenz zum israelisch-palästinensischen Konflikt «Berne perspectives» after the international theological con-ference on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

19.9.2008Grusswort Calvins zur Lutherdekade Greeting of Calvin on the Luther decade

2.10.2008Institut für Theologie und Ethik des SEK unter neuer Leitung Institute for Theology and Ethics of the FSPC under new leadership

11.10.2008calvin09: Offizielle Hymne zum Calvin-Jahr veröffentlicht Calvin09: official hymn for the Calvin Year published

Der Reformierte Weltbund zu Gast in BernThe World Alliance of Reformed Churches as a guest in Berne

31.10.2008«Ein Europa, das auch für Fremde zur Heimat wird»«A Europe which also becomes a home for foreigners»

2.11.2008Eröffnung des Jahres calvin09Opening of the year Calvin09

3.11.2008«Calvin hat die kirchlichen Ämter radikal demokratisiert» «Calvin radically democratized Church ministries»

Lucien Boder neues Mitglied des Rates SEKLucien Boder is a new member of the Council of the FSPC

�.11.2008Interkultureller Dialog: «Der gemeinsame Nenner im Europarat ist klein» Intercultural Dialogue: «The common denominator in the European Council is low»

Schweizerischer Rat der Religionen: SEK co-finanziert Sekretariat Swiss Council of Religions: FSPC co-finances secretariat

7.11.2008Energietagung: Professionelles Marketing für den Umweltschutz Energy Conference: professional marketing for environmental protection

11.11.2008Frauen- und Diakoniekonferenz: Frauen haben Depressionen, Männer haben Burnout Women’s and Diaconal Conference: Women have depressions, men have burn out

21.11.2008Open Forum Davos 2009

3.12.2008SBK-SEK Retraite: Neue Impulse für die ÖkumeneSwiss Bishops Conference – FSPC Retreat: New impulses for ecumenism

COMMuNICATION

5�

6.15.�It�is�a�good�day. The summer is fragrant, the aroma of coffee lends the flight of a bumble bee a new verve and the mailbox is not too full. Apparently I have made a mistake on the Calvin web site. A letter is missing in «Johanes». I’ll fix it right away.

7.00.�The�coffee�is�tepid,�the�bumble�bee�has�gone. My colleague arrives. Asks if I had already seen what was printed in a newspaper on Calvin. The text is full of mis-takes; we have to do something. The thing with Calvin is not clear to many people. We have to change that, for example with our internet page. Nonetheless time and again there are journalists who do not make use of our fund of texts. In an hour the weekly Calvin meeting starts; we don’t have much time. Johanes will have to wait a while to be corrected.

8.00.�Calvin�Meeting. Fresh coffee; the group is well motivated. The project leader has missed the tram. What happened back then two years ago? The Assembly of Delegates of the FSPC decided that in 2009 the anniver-sary of Calvin’s 500th birthday would be celebrated. Together with the World Alliance of Reformed Churches an international patronage committee was called into being. A logo was created, a label: calvin09. In small let-ters and without spacing. And then: We must have an internet page. With all the information on Calvin, with materials, with a calendar of events of course and natu-

rally in four languages: German, English, French, Spanish. An interface for the Jubilee Year worldwide.

The�project�leader�arrives. Without coffee. Calvin’s brain is too small he says and looks at me reproachfully. Good I say, but I can’t do anything about that now. And actually he was a clever man. Of course he means my internet page. Calvin’s thought paths are drawn there, in an ani-mated sketch of his brain. And that happens to be too small and must be made larger, so I’ll have to get on the telephone later. An incidentally his Christian name is writ-ten with two «n»s. It’s on the homepage where everyone can see it. Yes, I know. I’ll fix it right away.

10.00�It’s�a�full�day. The sun is shining. The coffee lends an energetic touch to the sound of the typing on my key-board and my mailbox is full to the brim. The meeting is over. I have received four calls in my absence. But I ring the number of the web agency anyway. Telephone appointment. «There is a problem with Geneva», the agency says. Well, the place is pretty expensive I think, but of course they again mean the internet page. There they have an inter-active map of Geneva on which the most important stations of Calvin’s life are indicated with little needles. But the positions of the needles are now wrong. On the map the Reformation Wall has sunk into the lake and the UNO building has mutated to the Calvin College. A nice idea, but unfortunately mistaken. We rack

A Day for Johannes C.Or:�A�look�at�the�daily�life�of�the�person�responsible�for�our�web�site

COMMuNICATION

55

our brains: Good, then the opening of the web site will have to be put off for a while. Yes, I HAVE seen that an «n» is missing, thank you.

12.15�Made�it. Midday. A short breather in the kitchen. A colleague is eating alphabet soup. I concentrate on not searching for an «n» in it. I fail. A number of things accu-mulated today. Just as it was with the Calvin project shortly before the kick-off. That was at the beginning of November in Geneva, at the Reformation Wall. The inter-net page was completely reworked for the occasion. Newly structured. More inter-activity. The Churches at home and abroad notice this. Many contacts arise. With Churches from France, Germany, Austria, the USA and even with China. And of course in Switzerland. There is even a Calvin shop. It is possible to buy a mini-expo there, an exhibition for church communities. Or Calvin pralinés especially created for the Jubilee.

15.00.�It’s�a�strenuous�day�The sun is beating down, the coffee is cold and the battle with the mailbox in full swing. Why did Calvin study after his retirement, some-one asks. Obviously there is a translation error in a text. What it ought to say is that as a young man Calvin had inherited an annuity («Rente» in German) so that he could study. But according to the translation he had received an old-age pension (also «Rente» in German). That has to be cleared up quickly. The text is already at

the layout stage. Telephone calls. While I am waiting for someone to pick up the receiver at the other end I ask myself why Calvin couldn’t have been named Huldrych. Then at least there wouldn’t be an «n» missing.

16.00�The�day�seems�never-ending. The summer is disap-pearing behind a roller blind, there’s water instead of cof-fee and a message from a colleague appears in the mail-box. She had just by chance discovered a mistake on the Calvin home page and quickly corrected it. I go over to the window to see what is monotonously knocking on the pane. A bumble bee. Its legs have the shape of an «n». It seems to be smiling. I smile as well.

Thomas Flügge

COMMuNICATION

The�spirit�of�{cooperation}We�work�as�parts�of�a�whole�–��so�that�we�may�stand�together�as�one.

58

Central Services

Staff35 persons work in the Office, sharing 27 full positions.

For the preparation and implementation of the Calvin Jubilee Year 2009 two temporary part-time positions were created.

On 31 January 2008 Professor Christoph Stückelberger, Head of the Institute for Theology and Ethics, became Head of the Stiftung Globethics.net (Globetics.net Foundation), which he himself founded. Since 1 October Dr. Christina Tuor-Kurth has been running the institute. Pastor Christoph Waldmeier left the FSPC on 31 January 2008 and took over the parish of the French-speaking Reformed church com-munity of Winterthur. For almost five years he had looked after the Swiss Churches abroad and had cultivated rela-tions to other Churches, particularly in the Far East. His suc-cessor is Pastor Mathias Hügli: At the end of March the appointee for the Diaconal Outreach and Social Questions, Anne Walder lic,jur. left the FSPC. Monika von Grünigen, who had earlier worked in the Office, returned from abroad and took over the administrative assistantship in the Depart-ment of Communications.

PropertyFrom April to August the second stage of the overall ren-

ovation of the property was carried out. After the ground floor had been reconstructed in 2005 and the installations completely renewed it was now the turn of the three office floors. Daily business continued except for the two weeks when the corridors and the staircase were renovated. The offices were all brought up to the same standard: parquet flooring (usually the original 100-year-old floors) and uni-form lighting and furnishing. Among other things the sani-tary rooms were renovated and – finally – have warm water. The staffroom was enlarged and can be combined with the conference room to make one large room. The conference room on the ground floor had been converted into an open-plan office with six workplaces, which were occupied by the staff members whose offices were just being renovated. In spite of all the planning and the care taken we had to strug-gle with the construction dust everywhere. Today the prop-erty is totally renovated. A great thank you is owed to the contractors, the tradesmen and the staff.

Information�technologyTogether with the renovation of the offices and the rewir-

ing of the house, all of the computer hardware was replaced. New servers, processors and a telephone exchange integrat-ed into the server now back up the electronic communica-tions.

The Central Services Department is responsible for the administration of the FSPC. It supports the Assembly of Delegates, the Council, the Management and the financial and personnel administration in their work. The friendly reception of visitors is also one of its duties.

CENTRAL�SERVICES

1

�

7

2 3

5

8 9

6

10 11

59

Central�Services��Department

� 1�Rev.�Theo�SchaadHead of the Central ServicesDepartment

� 2�Beatrice�BienzAdministrative Assistant to the President of the Council

� 3�Jacqueline�BlaserAdministrative Assistant Reception

� ��Christine�Maurer Secretary

� 5�Helene�MeyerhansAdministrative Assistant to the Council

� 6�Rev.�Markus�SahliPersonal Assistant to the President of the Council

� 7�Mirjam�SchwerySecretary

� 8�Christian�StraumannFinancial Planning, Personnel and Information Technology Officer

� 9�Jacqueline�TschumiAssistant Accounting

10�Cécile�uhlmannAccountancy Officer

11�Eva�WernlyAdministrative Assistant to the Director


CENTRAL�SERVICES

60

One�day�a�visitor�called�by�and�announced:�«My�

great-grandfather�built�this�house.�I�would�be�

interested�to�know�what�has�become�of�it.»�He�is�

surprised�to�find�the�Office�of�the�FSPC�here�–�his�

wife�is�a�pastoress.�The�talk�turns�upon�the�build-

ing�of�the�house,�the�arrangement�of�the�rooms,�

reconstruction�and�the�surroundings.�The�tour�

around�the�house�turned�into�a�search�for�traces.�

A�House�at�the�Height�of�its�TimeThe plans date from 1908. A stately villa was to be

built. Two generous apartments at right angles to the street. The lower one opened onto the garden terrace, the upper one boasted a large balcony. Beside the ent-rance a large coach house for the vehicle fleet, at the back the cellars. For the servants four attic rooms, a wash basin as a washing facility.

In the year 1910 Emil Steuli and his family occupy the upper apartment. The son of a weaving mill owner from Horgen works as a lawyer for the federal railway. He writes home: Eight rooms with two balconies on one floor, namely living room, dining room, study and sewing room, then children’s rooms and the parents’ bedroom.

Beside the two guestrooms two bathrooms with a water closet, the kitchen with a gas cooker; the boiler also runs on gas, which provides hot water for the kitchen and the bathroom. All the rooms have electric lights including the two rooms for the servants in the attic and there is also a telephone connection with a receiver in the corri-dor. The annual rent without additional costs amounts to 2.500 francs.1

Gas for the kitchen and bathrooms! The technical rev-olution becomes visible in the renovation of 2008. The former bathrooms had flues in order to warm the water with boilers. When the flues were removed there was no trace of soot. They had never been used. The gas pipes are still hanging from the corridor ceiling. Now they will depart for the scrap metal depot.

The traces of the people who lived in the house are slight and puzzling. Who left a whole bundle of the Ber-nische Jagdverordnung (Berne Hunting Regulations) of the year 1923 at the bottom of a built-in wardrobe?

The reconstructions of the 50’s and 60’s point to mod-ern times. The retaining walls of the garden have been knocked down. Six newly built garages provide a good clue to the renting of the building. To this day the Presi-dent of the FSPC is guaranteed the free use of a garage.

The hall and the staircase are rebuilt. A hint of the Bauhaus style is traceable. The entrance and the coach house, which has been converted into a conference room,

Traces – Thoughts�on�the�restructuring�of�the�Office

CENTRAL�SERVICES

61

are austere and cold. The FSPC took over the house in 1968. The history of the house is linked with the history of the Federation.

A�Home�for�the�Federation�of�Protestant�ChurchesThe move from the rented rooms in Lentulusstrasse to

the home in the Sulgenauweg was made possible by a generous legacy. The American lawyer John Jeffries bequeathed his estate to the value of 1.6 million US dol-lars to the Federation. A member of the executive at that time spent a lengthy period of time in the USA in order to liquidate the inheritance. The traces of this generosity: A representative building, freshly renovated, a fund of 2.8 million francs (out of which half of the renovation costs have now been met after forty years), an English-lan-guage legal library in the attic and a painting of the donor in a heavy gold frame.

«On 30 September 1968 the official inauguration of the seat of the FSPC at 26 Sulgenauweg in Berne took place in the presence of a delegation of the Federal Coun-cil and of the World Council of Churches. It contains among other things a conference room for the executive and the commissions and rooms for the office.»2

At the beginning the house is too large. A floor is therefore rented out to the Schweizerischer Nutz-fahrzeugverband ASTAG (Swiss Commercial Vehicle Asso-ciation). What traces will the spatial closeness and the

social contacts between theologians and the staff of the association have left behind in both organizations?

The FSPC grows. At the beginning of the 70’s the Institut für Sozialethik (Institute for Social Ethics) moves in, at the beginning of the 80’s the Arbeitsstelle Ökumene Schweiz (Protestant Office for Ecumenism) and then the specialist departments for immigration and human rights.

A�House�for�the�FutureFrom 2002 on first clarifications are undertaken with

the architect on the maintenance of the value of the building and on structural modifications. They lead to the two comprehensive phases of renovation in 2005 and 2008. They too leave traces, traces of a forward-looking FSPC well equipped to meet the future.

Theo Schaad

1 According H.P. Treichler: «Die Löwenbraut», NZZ Editors 1999, page 271.

2 Arnold Mobs: Die evangelischen Kirchen der Schweiz im Zeit-alter der Oekumene und der zwischenkirchlichen Hilfe – 50 Jahre Kirchenbund 1920–1970.

CENTRAL�SERVICES

62

Annual Financial Statement 2008

Income�Statement��

Institutions

Ecumenical Relations Department

Institute for Theology and Ethics

Communication Department

Central Services Department

Contributions

Reserves/Special accounts

Total�

2008 2007

�31.12.2008�� 31.12.2007�

Costs

CHF

950’298

1’263’313

1’245’256

653’257

2’700’737

568’700

2’206’736

9’588’297

Earnings

CHF

177’802

85’134

147’989

35’763

6’934’873

0

2’206’736

9’588’297

��

Costs

CHF

833’819

1’349’187

1’452’327

523’445

1’941’666

571’742

2’768’184

9’��0’370

Earnings�

CHF

91’270

107’968

158’360

0

6’314’588

0

2’768’184

9’��0’370

�Assets

CHF

4’994’825

1’591’635

6’586’�60

Liabilities�

CHF

521’896

1’543’197

1’794’121

1’988’434

738’812

6’586’�60

��Assets�

CHF

7’188’257

103’677

7’291’93�

Liabilities�

�

CHF

554’332

2’114’196

1’866’885

1’988’434

768’087

7’291’93�

Balance�

Financial assets

Assets

Outside Capital

Reserves

Special accounts

Endowment fund

Funds

Total�

ANNuAL�ACCOuNTS

63

Statistics�of�the�official�Church�Acts�2007

Aargau 189’603 1’305 1’904 392 41 433 2’019 281 1’755

Appenzell AI/AR 26’795 99 97 196 186 182 368 49 38 87 357 42 167

Basel-Landschaft 103’400 362 394 24 780 542 565 1’107 102 109 221 1’117 172 675

Basel-Stadt 36’100 162 313 19 15 34 479 101 823

Bern-Jura-Solothurn 650’782 2’200 2’108 36 4’364 3’555 3’387 6’942 914 579 1’493 7’302 338 3’071

Freiburg 34’401 117 146 263 184 196 380 17 27 44 271 20 298

Geneva EPG 66’695 95 75 9 179 56 50 106 79 31 110 652 125 18

Glarus 16’016 79 59 138 107 79 186 15 11 26 214 22 112

Graubünden 74’031 323 314 637 436 449 885 126 79 205 742 92 394

Lucerne 39’426 137 133 270 174 172 346 17 35 52 340 60 287

Neuenburg 58’996 120 142 2 264 191 191 382 91 13 104 827 1’695

Nidwalden 4’024 11 11 22 34 16 50 2 4 6 29 5 23

Obwalden 2’415 5 10 15 11 16 27 5 1 6 18 13

St. Gallen 117’465 406 380 4 790 705 667 1’372 93 135 228 1’318 171 722

Schaffhausen 34’017 109 105 12 226 175 171 346 59 16 75 471 50 182

Schwyz 17’553 62 64 126 71 74 145 10 22 32 98 29 122

Solothurn 31’065 90 85 3 178 194 161 355 27 22 49 298 83 453

Tessin 17’730 38 22 60 32 32 64 10 20 30 129 47 87

Thurgau 96’054 384 370 5 759 622 617 1’239 113 87 200 1’040 137 577

Uri 1’770 5 3 8 3 4 7 1 2 3 20 6 8

Waadt 242’273 520 527 20 1’067 808 807 1’615 490 138 628 2’829

Wallis 15’433 31 42 73 35 35 70 8 43 51 137

Zug 17’760 60 80 140 81 61 142 4 22 26 119 23 121

Zurich 483’409 1’536 1’599 20 3’155 2’120 2’049 4’169 547 459 1’006 5’547 462 2’820

Geneva, EELG 600 21 21 1 1 14 32 16

Evang.-meth. Kirche 6’952 27 33 42 102 121 41 6 47 180 185 125

2’384’765 Total 2007 15’300 22’641 5’187 26’567 2’370 14’564

Total 2006 15’412 22’831 5’396 26’721 2’722 12’344

Source: Member Churches

Mem

bers

Boys

Girl

s

Adu

lts

Tota

l

Boys

Girl

s

Tota

l

Prot

esta

nt

Mix

ed M

arria

ges

Tota

l

Fune

rals

Chu

rch

entr

ys

Chu

rch

quitt

s

Baptisms Confirmations MarriagesMember Churches

Statistics 2007

STATISTICS

6� DELEGATIONS�AND�COMMISSIONS

Delegations

Arbeitsgemeinschaft�Christlicher�Kirchen�in�der�Schweiz�(AGCK-CH)�(Working�Group�of�Christian�Churches�in�Switzer-land�/�WGCC-CH)Delegation of the FSPC to the plenary assembly: Pastor Luc-ien Boder, Biel; Pastor Martin Hoegger, Le Mont; Pastor Dr. Frank Jehle, St. Gallen; Pastor Thomas Plaz, Winterthur; Pas-tor Dr. Ruedi Reich, Zurich; Pastoress Ysabelle de Salis, Neu-châtel; Pastor Thomas Wipf (Council FSPC); Pastor Dr. Mar-tin Hirzel (FSPC); Delegation of the FSPC in the Presidium: Pastor Lucien Boder; Pastor Thomas Wipf (Council, FSPC)

Ökumenischer�Rat�der�Kirchen�(ÖRK)��(World�Council�of�Churches�/�WCC)Member of the Central Committee: Dr. Martin Hirzel (FSPC).

Reformierter�Weltbund�(RWB)��(World�Alliance�of�Reformed�Churches�/�WARC)Vice President and Member of the Executive Committee: Pastor Dr. Gottfried W. Locher, Berne

Konferenz�Europäischer�Kirchen�(KEK)��(Conference�of�European�Churches�/�CEC)Member of the Presidium: Pastor Thomas Wipf (Council FSPC)Commission «Church and Society»: Pastor Serge Fornerod (FSPC)

Gemeinschaft�Evangelischer�Kirchen�in�Europa�(GEKE)��(Community�of�Protestant�Churches�in�Europe�/�CPCE)Managerial President: Pastor Thomas Wipf (Council FSPC); Deputy Member of the Council: Pastor Dr. Martin Hirzel (FSPC)

Delegations and Commissions As�of�15.�January�2009

The annual reports of various commissions can be downloaded from www.sek.ch.

65DELEGATIONS�AND�COMMISSIONS

Commissions

Council

Evangelisch�/�Römisch-Katholische�Gesprächskommission�(ERGK)��(The�Protestant�/�Roman�Catholic�Dialogue�Commission)Delegation FSPC: Pastor Markus Anker (Co-President), St. Gallen; Prof. Reinhold Bernhardt, Basle; Pastor Sven Büch-meier, Baden; Pastoress Dr. Isabelle Noth, Berne; Pastor Dr. Niklaus Peter, Zurich. Office FSPC: Pastor Dr. Martin Hirzel

Gesprächsgruppe�SEK�/�Konferenz�der�Mennoniten�in�der�Schweiz�(FSPC�Bilateral�Dialogue�with�the�Swiss�Mennonite�Conference�(SMC))Delegation FSPC: Pastor Ruedi Heinzer; Pastoress. Esther Schweizer-Rüegg, Schaffhausen; Prof. Martin Sallmann, Lützelflüh

Evangelisch�/�Jüdische�Gesprächskommission�(EJGK)��(The�Protestant�–�Jewish�Dialogue�Commission)�Delegation FSPC: Pastor Albert Frey, Prahins; Pastoress Lucie Kaennel, Lausanne; Prof.Matthias Konradt, Berne; Pastor Bernhard Krebs, Enggistein. Office FSPC: Pastor Dr. Martin Hirzel

Finanzkommission�des�Rates��(Finances�Commission�of�the�Council)Chairman: Dr. Karl Kohli (Council FSPC); Werner Macher, St. Gallen; Willy Oppliger, Berne; Daniel Strebel, Baden; Dieter Zaugg, Zurich; Helen Gucker-Vontobel (Council FSPC); Pastor Thomas Wipf (Council FSPC). Office FSPC: Pastor Theo Schaad, Christian Straumann


Kommission�für�Aussenbeziehungen�(KAB)��(Commission�for�External�Relations)Chairman: Pastor Serge Fornerod (FSPC); Pastor Dr. Beat Dietschy, Berne (BFA); Pastor Jacques Küng, Lausanne (DM); Pastor Ueli Locher, Zurich (SIA); Pastor Martin Breitenfeldt, Basel (mission 21); Pastor Thomas Wipf (Council FSPC). Office FSPC: Christian Vandersee

Kommission�für�Schweizer�Kirchen�im�Ausland�(CHKiA)�(Commission�for�Swiss�Churches�Abroad)Chairman: Pastor Thomas Müry, Basle; Marianne Bianchi, Manno; Pastoress Barbara Brunner, Schaffhausen; Pastor André Joly, Lausanne; Pastor Norbert Wysser, Cordast. Office FSPC: Pastor Matthias Hügli, Elisabeth Balmer (Secretariat)

Kommission�Kirche�+�Mission�(Commission�Church�+�Mission)adjourned

Evangelische�Arbeitsgruppe�für�Neue�Religiöse�Bewegungen�(Evangelical�Workgroup�for�New�Religious�MovementsChairman: Pastor René Perrot, Ebmatingen; Pastoress Kris-tina Eppenberger Vogel, Bülach; Pastor Heimberto Kunkel, Carouge-Geneva; Pastoress. Silvia Liniger, Berne; Marcus Sartorius, Thun (Guest); Pastor Martin Scheidegger, Lucerne; Prof. Georg Schmid, Rüti; Jörg Weisshaupt, Zurich. Office FSPC: Pastor Dr. Martin Hirzel

Theology�and�Ethics

Ausschuss�Diakoniekonferenz��(Committee�of�the�Diaconal�Outreach�Conference)Chairman: Konrad Meyer, Basle; Anne-Marie Droz, Berne; Olivier Favrod, Lausanne; Sergio Jost, Zurich; Antoinette Killias, Zurich (SIA); Pastoress Hélène Küng, Lausanne (CSP); Roland Luzi, Zurich (DVS). Office FSPC: PD Dr. Chris-tina Tuor-Kurth, Anja Scheuzger (Secretariat)

Ausschuss�Frauenkonferenz��(Committee�of�the�Women’s�Conference)Chairwoman: Pastoress Sabine Scheuter Perret, Zurich; Eva Maria Fontana-Hübner, Binningen (EFS); Carmen Jud, Lucerne (Frauenkirche Zentralschweiz); Lilian Studer, Zurich (SIA); Pastoress Lisbeth Zogg Hohn, Berne. Office FSPC: PD Dr. Christina Tuor-Kurth, Anja Scheuzger (Secretariat)

Ausschuss�Fonds�für�Frauenarbeit��(Committee�of�the�Fund�for�Women’s�Work)Chairwoman: Irène Reday (Council FSPC); Nicolasina ten Doornkaat, Berne; Ria van Beek, Versoix. Office FSPC: PD Dr. Christina Tuor-Kurth, Michèle Laubscher (Secretariat)

Kommission�Kirche�und�Tourismus��(Commission�for�Church�and�Tourism)Chairman: Pastor Thomas Schweizer, Berne; Jacques Brunnschweiler, Aigle; Barbara Grass-Furter, Chur; Monika Knöpfel, Zurich; Pastor Michael Landwehr, Samedan; Stefan Otz, Interlaken. Office FSPC: Anja Scheuzger (Secretariat)

Liturgiekommission�(Liturgy�Commission)Chairman: Pastor Arend Hoyer, Thalwil; Pastor Peter Gum-bal, Adliswil; Pastoress Astrid Maeder, Berne; Prof. Andreas Marti, Liebefeld; Pastoress Katharina Vollmer Mateus, Gene-va; Pastoress Marianne Weymann, Geneva; Pastoress Simo-na Rauch, Vicosoprano. Office FSPC: Pastor Dr. Jacques-Antoine von Allmen, Michèle Laubscher (Secretariat)

66 NETWORK

Network Foundations,�in�which�the�Assembly�of�Delegates�or�the��Council�hold�a�function:– Hilfswerk der Evangelischen Kirchen Schweiz (HEKS)– Brot für alle (BFA)– fondia – Stiftung zur Förderung der Gemeindediakonie

im SEK

Foundations,�in�which�the�Assembly�of�Delegates�and/or�the�Council�are�electorate�or�regulating�authority:– Schweizerische Reformationsstiftung– Stiftung Pfarrsolidaritätsfonds

Organisations,�that�are�linked�with�the�FSPC�through�frame-work�agreements�or�service�level�agreements:– DM-échange et mission (Département missionnaire des

Églises protestantes de Suisse romande) – mission 21 – evangelisches missionswerk basel

Organisations,�with�which�the�FSPC�is�connected:– Schweizerischer Reformierter Pfarrverein (SRPV)– Centres sociaux protestants (CSP)– Diakonieverband Schweiz (DVS)– Protestantische Solidarität Schweiz (PSS) – Schweizerische Bibelgesellschaft (SB)– Reformierte Medien (RM)– Médias-pro, l'Office Protestant des Médias– Commissione per le trasmissioni evangeliche radio e TV

della Svizzera italiana– Evangelische Frauen Schweiz (EFS)– Schweizerischer evangelischer Missionsrat (SEMR)– Ökumenischer Jugenddienst Schweiz (OJS)

FSPC Annual Report 2008

Documents

Transcript of FSPC Annual Report 2008