Evangelical Reformed Church

What Evangelical Reformed Church does

The Evangelical Reformed Church (Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche) is a German public-law corporation (Körperschaft des öffentlichen Rechts) headquartered in Leer, Lower Saxony, serving approximately 151,000 members across 136 congregations organized in nine synodal associations. Its institutional origins trace to the 1571 Emden Synod and the Reformed theological tradition of Zwingli and Calvin, and it is one of 20 member churches of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD). Leadership rests with Kirchenpräsidentin Dr. Susanne Bei der Wieden, succeeding the retiring Henning Goeden. The organization operates two principal subsidiaries: Diakonisches Werk, which delivers social-welfare services, and Digitalekirche, which consolidates digital ministry operations.

The church is funded primarily through German church tax (Kirchensteuer), a state-administered surtax of roughly 8–9% of income tax for registered members, supplemented by donations processed through the Diakonie Spendenportal. Its digital product portfolio includes the main website reformiert.de, the Tauffrisch baptism campaign, multiple podcast series produced through Digitalekirche, ReformiertWiki, the Reformiert magazine, and Kirchenrecht online. Ecumenical engagement spans partner Reformed churches in South Africa, Indonesia, and Ghana/Togo, and a civil-society partnership with United4Rescue for Mediterranean rescue operations. As a public-law corporation under German religious-corporate law, the church operates under a statutory governance framework distinct from commercial enterprises, with member representation exercised through synodal assemblies.

Name

Evangelical Reformed Church

Legal name

Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche

Website

https://reformiert.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Evangelical Reformed Church (Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche) is a German public-law corporation headquartered in Leer, serving approximately 151,000 members across 136 congregations, funded through state-collected church tax and operating Diakonisches Werk social-welfare and Digitalekirche digital-ministry subsidiaries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Denominational & Ecclesiastical Governance Bodies (Dioceses, Synods, Conferences) (BPAGAJAB)

Keywords

• Protestant church services
• Pastoral care ministry
• Diaconal social work
• Religious education programs
• Ecumenical engagement

Headquarters

HQ city

Leer

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Evangelical Reformed Church delivers Protestant religious services, pastoral care, and lifecycle rites (baptism, confirmation, marriage, funeral) through 136 local congregations across Germany. It also operates diaconal (social welfare) services via its Diakonisches Werk, youth and women's programs, church music, ecumenical engagement, and digital ministry initiatives including podcasts and online pastoral counseling.

Product overview

The Evangelical Reformed Church operates primarily as a traditional Protestant church with a main website (reformiert.de) providing general information about the church, its 136 congregations, and faith resources. The church's digital presence extends across multiple sub-platforms including the Diakonisches Werk for charitable services and donations, the Digitalekirche initiative for podcasts (Zärtliche Verstörung, Gegen Gewalt, On Tour, ZÄRTLICH VERSTÖREND FRAGEN), the Tauffrisch baptism campaign website, and ReformiertWiki for internal church knowledge management. The church also publishes the Reformiert magazine and maintains an online church law database.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Protestant Religious Services (Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage, Funeral) Core lifecycle religious rites and worship services delivered to members and seekers through 136 local congregations and pastors across Germany.
• Pastoral Care and Counseling Individual spiritual guidance and pastoral counseling provided by local pastors to members and seekers, including digital counseling via the #ansprechbar initiative.
• Diaconal Social Welfare Services (Diakonisches Werk) Charitable and social welfare services provided by the Diakonisches Werk der Evangelisch-reformierten Kirche, including disaster relief, donation management, and humanitarian causes such as the United4Rescue Mediterranean sea rescue initiative.
• Digital Church (Digitalekirche) Digital ministry platform offering podcasts, prayers, After-Work-Talk, Before-Work-Besinnung, and pastoral counseling (#ansprechbar) to reach digitally engaged audiences.
• Church Music Program (Kirchenmusik) Choral work, brass music (Bläserarbeit), and organ music programs including the Orgellandschaft Ostfriesland organ heritage initiative.
• Youth and Women's Programs Youth work (Jugendarbeit) including KonfiCamp and women's ministry (Frauenarbeit) with Weltgebetstag (World Day of Prayer) participation, structured across synodal associations.
• Ecumenical Engagement and International Partnerships Ecumenical programs including partnerships with churches in South Africa, Ghana/Togo, and Indonesia; membership in the Weltgemeinschaft Reformierter Kirchen (World Communion of Reformed Churches).

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• United4RescueminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2020Church alliance co-founded to purchase and operate sea rescue ships in the Mediterranean. The Evangelical Reformed Church contributed 15,000 Euro for ship acquisition. The alliance includes approximately 150 members including EKD, Diaconic Works, and individual congregations. The Poseidon research vessel was purchased for 1.5 million Euro to conduct rescue operations.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria: Largest German EKD member church; comparable as a regional Protestant Landeskirche operating congregations, Diakonie, and digital ministry within Germany.
• Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD): Umbrella federation of which this church is a member; provides shared services, advocacy, and inter-church coordination relevant to operational comparison.
• Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hanover: Major northern German EKD Landeskirche that overlaps geographically with the Evangelical Reformed Church in Lower Saxony and East Frisia, operating similar parish and Diakonie structures.
• Evangelical Church of Westphalia: Large EKD member church with comparable presbyterial-synodal governance, congregational network, and Diakonie subsidiary operating across a defined German region.

Direct peers

• Swiss Reformed Church (Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche Schweiz): National federation of Reformed churches in Switzerland with shared Zwingli/Calvin heritage, comparable presbyterial-synodal structure, and similar Diakonie and digital ministry offerings.
• Protestant Church in the Netherlands (PKN): Closely comparable as a national Protestant church body with Reformed-Calvinist heritage, organized in congregations with synodal governance and similar sacramental and diaconal services.

Regional players

• Reformed Church in America: North American Reformed denomination with direct theological lineage to Dutch Reformed traditions; comparable governance (classes/synods), congregational structure, and Diakonal-style programs.
• Church of Scotland: Presbyterian-Reformed national church with similar presbyterial-synodal governance, parish-based sacramental services, and Diakonal/social-care mission operating in a secularizing European context.

Others

• Vereinigte Evangelische Mission (United Evangelical Mission): German-based ecumenical missionary organization of EKD member churches; comparable as a partner/ally entity supporting Diakonie, ecumenism, and humanitarian projects aligned with this church's mission.
• Weltgemeinschaft Reformierter Kirchen (WGRK): Global fellowship of Reformed churches; comparable through shared Reformed identity, ecumenical engagement, and humanitarian partnerships (e.g., United4Rescue).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@BASISKIRCHE
• Facebookfacebook.com/reformiert
• Instagraminstagram.com/echt_reformiert
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/evang-kirchgemeinde-teufen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Evangelical Reformed Church