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Protestant Church of Switzerland

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Swiss Protestant Churches
ClassificationProtestant
OrientationReformed
Methodist
PolityA federation of 26 regional and denominational churches that practice their own forms of church governance.
AssociationsWorld Communion of Reformed Churches, World Council of Churches, Conference of Churches on the Rhine, Community of Protestant Churches in Europe
RegionSwitzerland
Origin1920[1]
Congregations982
Members2,416,973[2]

The Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches (Schweizerischer Evangelischer Kirchenbund, Fédération des Eglises protestantes de Suisse, Federazione delle Chiese evangeliche della Svizzera, Federaziun da las baselgias evangelicas da la Svizra - SEK-FEPS) is a federation of 26 member churches — 24 cantonal churches and two free churches (Free Church of Geneva and the Evangelical-Methodist Church of Switzerland). The SEK-FEPS is not a church in a theological understanding, because every member is independent with their own theological and formal organisation. It serves as a legal umbrella before the federal government and represents the church in international relations. Except for the Evangelical-Methodist Church, which covers all of Switzerland, the member churches are restricted to a certain territory.

The president of the Federation is Gottfried Locher.

Social Issues

As with most mainline European denominations, the Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches has many member churches that permit prayer services or blessings for same-sex civil unions. As early as 1999, the Reformed churches in St. Gallen, Fribourg, and Lucerne had allowed church celebration services for same-sex couples.[3] The Reformed Church in Aargau has also permitted prayer services of thanksgiving to celebrate a same-sex civil union.[4] The Reformed Church of Vaud, in 2013, also permitted prayer services as a way for same-sex couples to celebrate their civil union.[5] Other member churches that allow either prayer services or blessings for same-sex union are the churches in Bern-Jura-Solothurn, Schaffhausen, Tessin, Thurgau, and Zürich.[6]

Members of the Federation

Reformed "Landeskirchen" of Switzerland

See also

Sources

  1. ^ http://www.kirchenbund.ch/en/fspc/about-us
  2. ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/federation-of-swiss-protestant-churches
  3. ^ "Service But No Blessing for homosexual partners. The Reformed Church". archive.thetablet.co.uk. The Tablet UK. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
  4. ^ "Segnungsfeiern". ref-ag.ch. Reformed Church in Aargau. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
  5. ^ "Schwule dürfen keine Eheringe tauschen". blick.ch. Blick. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
  6. ^ Bechtold, Markus. "Homosexuelle machen die Ehe stark". evangelisch.de. Evangelisch.de. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
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