Die Arbeitsgemeinschaft Christlicher Kirchen in Deutschland ACK

What Die Arbeitsgemeinschaft Christlicher Kirchen in Deutschland ACK does

Die Arbeitsgemeinschaft Christlicher Kirchen in Deutschland ACK is a non-profit ecumenical coordination body that facilitates dialogue, cooperation, and joint action among Christian denominations in Germany. Founded in Spring 1948 by Kirchenpräsident Pastor Martin Niemöller of the Evangelische Kirche in Hessen und Nassau — a few months before the World Council of Churches was established in Geneva — the national ACK unites 18 member churches, 5 guest churches, and 4 permanent observers. The Wiesbaden regional chapter (ACK Wiesbaden) was founded in 1984 following a visit to the British twin town of Tunbridge Wells and is structured as a non-registered association (nicht eingetragener Verein). The organization operates under the Charta Oecumenica, a Europe-wide framework for ecumenical cooperation jointly adopted by European churches.

The organization's core activities center on organizing public ecumenical and interfaith events — including the annual Ökumenisches Fest, ACK-Pilgertag, Nacht der Kirchen (Night of Churches, ~80 offerings across ~20 churches), Friedenslicht von Bethlehem ceremony, Delegiertenversammlungen, and the Wandernde Friedensgebete interfaith peace prayer program — all of which are free to attend. The Wandernde Friedensgebete initiative extends participation beyond Christian communities to include Jewish, Muslim, and Bahá'í communities, hosting daily peace prayers at houses of worship across Wiesbaden during September. Communication with the public is conducted through the website ack-wiesbaden.de and a Facebook page (facebook.de/ackwiesbaden). The Wiesbaden operation is headquartered at the Haus an der Marktkirche (Schlossplatz 4, 65183 Wiesbaden) under Geschäftsführer Pfarrer Andreas Günther, with Rev. Christopher Easthill (Anglikanische Kirche) serving as chairman and approximately 6 employees across the operation.

The business model is entirely non-commercial: the ACK is funded through voluntary contributions from its member churches and community donations, with no pricing or revenue-generating products or services. There is no proprietary technology, no commercial product offering, no intellectual property, and no technology platform. The strategic intent is to intensify ecumenical cooperation among churches in Europe by acting jointly at all levels of church life where feasible. The national structure comprises 14 regional ACKs and approximately 200 local ACKs, forming a three-tier ecumenical network across Germany, with ACK Wiesbaden operating as one of the local chapters under the regional ACK Hessen/Rheinhessen.

Name

Die Arbeitsgemeinschaft Christlicher Kirchen in Deutschland ACK

Legal name

Die Arbeitsgemeinschaft Christlicher Kirchen in Deutschland ACK

Website

https://ack-wiesbaden.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Die Arbeitsgemeinschaft Christlicher Kirchen in Deutschland ACK is a non-profit ecumenical coordination body uniting 18 Christian denominations at the national level and in Wiesbaden, organizing free interfaith and ecumenical events for member churches and the local community since 1948.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ecumenical and Interfaith Coordination Services

NAICS

Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (81399), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Interfaith & Ecumenical Councils and Dialogue Organizations (BPAGAJAJ)

Keywords

• Ecumenical coordination
• Interfaith dialogue
• Church cooperation
• Peace prayer events
• Religious community organizing

Headquarters

HQ city

Wiesbaden

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Voluntary church contributions and member church dues: The ACK Wiesbaden operates as a non-registered association (nicht eingetragener Verein) funded primarily through voluntary contributions from its member churches and community donations. No commercial revenue streams are pursued.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Die Arbeitsgemeinschaft Christlicher Kirchen in Deutschland (ACK) is a non-profit ecumenical coordination body that brings together 18 Christian member churches, 5 guest churches, and 4 permanent observers to foster ecumenical understanding and joint action. It organizes public events such as the annual Ökumenisches Fest, Wandernde Friedensgebete (interfaith peace prayers), Nacht der Kirchen, Friedenslicht von Bethlehem, and Delegiertenversammlungen, operating at national, regional (14 ACKs), and local (~200 ACKs) levels across Germany.

Product overview

Die Arbeitsgemeinschaft Christlicher Kirchen in Deutschland ACK is a religious organization facilitating ecumenical dialogue and cooperation among Christian churches. It does not offer commercial products or technology services. The organization's activities include organizing ecumenical events such as the annual Ökumenisches Fest, Wandernde Friedensgebete (interreligious peace prayers), Geist-reich festivals, and various worship services. The member churches participate in collaborative events rather than a unified commercial product offering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ökumenisches Fest
• Wandernde Friedensgebete (Interfaith Peace Prayers)
• Nacht der Kirchen (Night of Churches)
• Friedenslicht von Bethlehem (Peace Light from Bethlehem)
• ACK-Pilgertag (Pilgrimage Day)
• Delegiertenversammlungen (Delegate Assemblies)
• Jahresprogramm (Annual Program Calendar)

Quantifiable outcome

• 200 local ACKs across Germany form the grassroots foundation of German ecumenism
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Alt-Katholische KirchecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember church of ACK Wiesbaden since its founding in 1984. The Alt-Katholische Friedenskirche (Nähe Michelsberg, Weiherstraße) has served as the venue for the geistreich pilgrimage events. The alt-katholische tradition dates to the post-Vatican I period (1870/71) and is part of the Utrechter Union.
• Anglikanische Kirche (Church of St. Augustine of Canterbury)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember church and host venue of ACK Wiesbaden activities. The Church of St. Augustine of Canterbury (Frankfurter Str. 3, 65189 Wiesbaden) is led by Rev. Christopher Easthill, who currently serves as the chairman of ACK Wiesbaden. The church was built in 1863/64 and serves a congregation of British, American, German, and other nationals.
• Römisch-Katholische Kirche (Katholische Stadtkirche Wiesbaden)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember church of ACK Wiesbaden. The Catholic community in Wiesbaden comprises 22 churches organized in three parishes (St. Birgid, St. Bonifatius, St. Peter und Paul). Stadtdekan Klaus Nebel leads the Catholic presence. The Bistum Limburg, led by Bischof Georg Bätzing, co-organized the 2024 Friedenslicht Aussendungsgottesdienst.
• Evangelische Kirche in Hessen und Nassau (EKHN), Dekanat WiesbadencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey member church and administrative host of ACK Wiesbaden. The Dekanat Wiesbaden (43 parishes) houses the Profilstelle Ökumene at Haus an der Marktkirche, where Pfarrer Andreas Günther serves as Geschäftsführer of ACK Wiesbaden. The EKHN, led by Kirchenpräsident Dr. Volker Jung, was co-host of the 3rd Ökumenischer Kirchentag 2021 in Frankfurt.
• Syrisch-Orthodoxe Kirche von Antiochien (St. Jesaja Kirche)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember church of ACK Wiesbaden, hosting the Ökumenischer Gottesdienst for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in 2024. The St. Jesaja Kirche (Willi-Juppe-Str. 11, 65199 Wiesbaden-Dotzheim) was consecrated on 03.07.2016 by Patriarch Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem II. The Wiesbaden congregation serves approximately 400 families, covering the broader region including Mainz, Rheingau, and Limburg.
• Griechisch-Orthodoxe Kirche (St. Georgios)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember church of ACK Wiesbaden. The Greek Orthodox community 'Heiliger Georgios Wiesbaden-Mainz' (Rheingaustr. 170, 65203 Wiesbaden-Biebrich) was founded in 1968 and built its own church in 1995 with support from the faithful. Led by Erzpriester Georgios Papassalouros. Part of the Metropolis of Germany under the Ökumenisches Patriarchat von Konstantinopel.
• Neuapostolische KirchecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGuest church (Gastkirche) of ACK Wiesbaden. The Neuapostolische Gemeinde Wiesbaden, founded April 11, 1898, now serves approximately 700 believers at its Rundkirche (Schiersteiner Str. 40, 65187 Wiesbaden). Part of the Gebietskirche Westdeutschland, a Körperschaft des öffentlichen Rechts.
• Heilsarmee (Salvation Army) WiesbadencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember church of ACK Wiesbaden. The Heilsarmee has operated in Wiesbaden since 1957, running a residential and overnight shelter for homeless men with 210 beds at Schwarzenbergstraße 7, 65189 Wiesbaden. Founded by William Booth in 1878, the organization combines spiritual mission with extensive social welfare work across 42 facilities in Germany.
• Baptistengemeinde WiesbadencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember church of ACK Wiesbaden, also serving as the office of the hauptamtlicher Geschäftsführer of ACK Hessen/Rheinhessen (Baptistenpastor Lothar Peitz, Bad Schwalbach). The Baptist congregation at 'Kirche überm Wellritztal' (Friedrich-Naumann-Str. 25, 65195 Wiesbaden) has roots dating to 1880 and shares its building with Immanuel Baptist Church. Led by Pastor Christopher Nork.
• Koptisch-Orthodoxe Kirche (St. Georg und St. Mauritius Gemeinde)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember church of ACK Wiesbaden. The St. Georg und St. Mauritius Gemeinde (c/o St. Mauritius Gemeinde e.V., Abeggstr. 37, 65193 Wiesbaden) was founded in May 2014 under S.E. Bischof Anba Michael and has been meeting at St. Mauritius church since January 2019. Services are held on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month at 09:30.
• Move ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember church of ACK Wiesbaden. Founded in 1990 as a new evangelical Free Church, Move Church (Daimlerring 8b, 65205 Wiesbaden) serves over 1,600 people across 3 locations in Wiesbaden, Frankfurt, and Gießen, plus an online campus launched in 2020. Led by Manfred Richter.
• Selbständige Evangelisch-Lutherische Christuskirche (SELK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember church of ACK Wiesbaden. The SELK congregation traces its roots to 1849 and has approximately 500 members. The national SELK has ~35,000 members across ~200 congregations. Led by Pfarrer Michael Ahlers (Daimlerstraße 38, 65197 Wiesbaden).
• Äthiopisch Orthodoxe Tewahido Kirche (St. Giorgis Gemeinde)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember church of ACK Wiesbaden. The Giorgis Gemeinde was founded in 2003 and holds services at the Evangelische Ringkirchengemeinde (Kaiser-Friedrich Ring 5) from 6–9 AM on Sundays. Bishop Abune Josef consecrated the community in May 2004, and it is led by Pfarrer Gedamu Demsash.
• Assyrische Kirche des Ostens (Mar Shimon Bar Sabrae)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember church of ACK Wiesbaden. The community, founded in 1988 as the first and only Assyrian Church of the East congregation in Germany, has ~450 members in Wiesbaden. Led by Pfarrer Daniel Shamshoon (Hessenring 6). Services are held in eight locations across Germany.
• Antiochenisch-Orthodoxe Kirche (Hlg. Johannes Chrysostomos Gemeinde)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember church of ACK Wiesbaden since 1985 (founding member of ACK Wiesbaden). Led by Patriarch Ignatius IV with seat in Damascus. The Wiesbaden congregation (Am Kupferberg 2, 65187 Wiesbaden) is part of the Antiochenisch-Orthodoxe Erzdiözese von Europa.
• Evangelisch-methodistische Kirche (Friedenskirche)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember church of ACK Wiesbaden. The Friedenskirche (Anton-Hehn-Straße 30, 55246 Mainz-Kostheim) serves the combined Wiesbaden-Mainz Bezirk. Led by Pastorin Stefanie Schmid. The Methodist tradition, founded by John Wesley around 1730, has ~70 million members worldwide.
• Alte Kirche des OstensminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a member church of ACK Wiesbaden. Currently listed on the ACK Wiesbaden website with placeholder content (Informationen über diese Kirche folgen in Kürze).
• Bistum LimburgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Bistum Limburg, led by Bischof Georg Bätzing, co-organized the central Aussendungsgottesdienst (dispatch ceremony) for the Friedenslicht von Bethlehem in December 2024, which was held at St. Peter und Paul in Schierstein. Bischof Bätzing participated in the ceremony alongside ACK representatives.
• Jüdische Gemeinde WiesbadencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Jewish Community of Wiesbaden is a partner in the Wandernde Friedensgebete interfaith peace prayer initiative, hosting prayer events at the Synagogue. Dr. Jacob Gutmark, a Vorstandsmitglied, has emphasized the Jewish peace mission and commitment to interfaith harmony.
• Islamische Gemeinschaft (Islamischer Kulturverein Imam Hossein and others)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMuslim communities in Wiesbaden — including the Islamischer Kulturverein Imam Hossein (led by Dawood Nazirizadeh) — partner with ACK Wiesbaden in the Wandernde Friedensgebete interfaith peace prayer initiative, hosting daily prayers at mosques throughout September.
• Bahá'í-Zentrum WiesbadenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Bahá'í Center in Wiesbaden participates in the Wandernde Friedensgebete interfaith peace prayer initiative, hosting a prayer event at its center as part of the broader program of daily prayers across Christian churches, the Synagogue, mosques, and the Bahá'í-Zentrum.
• Amnesty International WiesbadenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmnesty International Wiesbaden co-hosted a public lecture with ACK Wiesbaden featuring Bishop Antonio Ablon of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente on September 24, 2020, on the topic of human rights and the church's resistance in the Philippines.
• Hamburger Stiftung für politisch VerfolgteminorOthersThe Hamburg Foundation for Politically Persecuted Persons supported Bishop Antonio Ablon (Iglesia Filipina Independiente) as a scholarship holder, enabling his exile in Germany and his subsequent lecture at ACK Wiesbaden and Amnesty International Wiesbaden in September 2020.
• ACK Hessen/Rheinhessen (regional ACK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACK Hessen/Rheinhessen is one of 14 regional ACKs in Germany and is closely affiliated with ACK Wiesbaden. Its hauptamtlicher Geschäftsführer is Baptistenpastor Lothar Peitz (Bad Schwalbach). Both regional and local ACKs operate under the umbrella of the national ACK.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Council of European Churches (CEC): Pan-European ecumenical body of which the ACK is a member and through which the Charta Oecumenica is implemented. Operates the same inter-church coordination model at a broader geographic scale.
• World Council of Churches (WCC): Global ecumenical body founded shortly after the ACK in 1948. Functions as a larger, broader incumbent in the same ecumenical coordination space, with overlapping member denominations and shared ecumenical frameworks.
• Rat der Europäischen Bischofskonferenzen (CCEE): Council of European Catholic Bishops' Conferences. While denominationally narrower, it participates in the same ecumenical dialogue frameworks (including Charta Oecumenica) and partners with ACK on shared events.

Emerging players

• Gemeinschaft Evangelischer Kirchen in Europa (GEKE / CPCE): Community of Protestant Churches in Europe focused on pulpit and eucharist fellowship. A more specialized ecumenical body focused on a subset of ACK's member denominations, particularly useful as a programmatic peer.
• Religions for Peace: Global multi-religious coalition advancing interfaith cooperation for peace. Comparable to ACK's Wandernde Friedensgebete program at a global scale, with similar interfaith peace-building mandate.

Direct peers

• Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI): National ecumenical council coordinating cooperation among the major Christian denominations in Britain and Ireland. Operates the same model of inter-church coordination, joint worship, and public-facing ecumenical events as the ACK.
• National Council of Churches USA: US national ecumenical council coordinating cooperation among Christian denominations. Closest functional analog to the ACK in terms of structure (member denominations, joint events, advocacy).
• Ökumenischer Rat der Kirchen in Österreich: Austrian national ecumenical council coordinating cooperation among Christian churches in Austria. Operates the same inter-church coordination model at the national level in a neighboring German-speaking country.
• ACK Hessen/Rheinhessen: The regional ACK chapter that encompasses the Wiesbaden area. Operates under the same national umbrella with the same ecumenical coordination mandate across roughly the same member denominations, making it the most direct comparable peer at the regional level.

Regional players

• Schweizerischer Evangelischer Kirchenbund (SEK): Federation of Swiss Protestant churches that also engages in broader ecumenical coordination. A comparable religious coordination body in a nearby German-speaking region with overlapping denominational representation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ackwiesbaden
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/die-arbeitsgemeinschaft-christlicher-kirchen-in-deutschland-ack

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Die Arbeitsgemeinschaft Christlicher Kirchen in Deutschland ACK