Intercontinental Church Society

Name

Intercontinental Church Society

Legal name

Intercontinental Church Society

Website

https://ics-uk.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1825

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Mission Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Missions & Evangelism Organizations (Domestic & International) (BPAGAJAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites) (BPAGAJAL)

Keywords

• Anglican chaplaincy services
• Church planting ministry
• Short-term mission programs
• Religious charity services
• English-speaking community ministry

Headquarters

HQ city

Coventry

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Giving: ICS relies primarily on donations from supporters who fund the ministry operations, chaplaincy programs, and church planting initiatives. Donations can be made for specific objectives or general charitable purposes.
2. Membership: Chaplains and supporters can become members of ICS, contributing financially to the organization while participating in its governance and mission activities.
3. Legacy Giving: ICS receives gifts in wills and through legacy planning to sustain long-term ministry work worldwide.
4. Shop Sales: Sale of Christmas cards, notelets, and books such as 'A Church In The Alps' about St Peter's Zermatt. Products priced at £4.00-£4.90.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Intercontinental Church Society is an Anglican mission agency that recruits, deploys, and supports chaplains and church planting teams to provide English-language worship, pastoral care, and community connections for English-speaking people living, working, studying, or holidaying abroad. It operates a global chaplaincy network, seasonal short-term mission programs in European resorts, and a multi-year church planting initiative, supported by donations, membership subscriptions, legacy gifts, and small online shop sales of cards and books.

Product overview

Intercontinental Church Society (ICS) is an Anglican mission agency founded 200 years ago, focused on serving English-speaking communities worldwide. Rather than a technology platform, ICS offers a portfolio of ministry services including: a Short-term Mission (STM) program sending volunteer chaplains to European holiday resorts (Switzerland and Corfu); a chaplaincy network of approximately 48 mission partners across 19 countries; a church planting initiative with a ten-year vision for Europe; an eCards digital greeting card service; an online shop for Christmas cards, notelets, and books; and a publications/news platform. These services are delivered through a Squarespace-based website enabling donations, appeals, and e-commerce, with no public API or developer tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Short-term Mission (STM) Program Seasonal chaplaincy program sending ordained and lay ministers to serve in European holiday resorts (Switzerland and Corfu) for two-week minimum periods. Volunteer chaplains conduct Sunday services, organize mid-week events, and provide pastoral care to tourists and English-speaking residents.
• Chaplaincy Network Network of Anglican chaplaincies across Europe, North Africa, South America, and the South Atlantic serving English-speaking communities, including Patronage Chaplains (recruited by ICS), Associate Chaplains (licensed clergy linked with ICS), and Patronage Assistants.
• Church Planting Initiative Ten-year vision to plant new Anglican congregations across major European cities, structured in strategic phases (Identify, Develop, Plant), partnering with the Gregory Centre for Church Planting (CCX) and supported by the Church Planting Enabler (Revd Canon Ben Harding).
• eCards

Quantifiable outcome

• Support and deploy nearly 50 chaplains and short-term chaplains annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• Diocese in EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe primary Anglican diocese under which ICS chaplains are licensed and authorized to serve. This is the foundational ecclesiastical partnership enabling all ICS ministry activities across continental Europe, North Africa, and South America.
• Anglican Province of AlexandriacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of ICS's patrons; an Anglican province covering North Africa and parts of East Africa, working with ICS on shared mission objectives.
• Bush Church Aid SocietysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAn Australian Anglican mission agency that partners with ICS, particularly for shared mission initiatives and cross-cultural ministry support.
• Partnership for World Mission (PWM)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerLinks the General Synod and National Church Institutions with mission agencies and Diocesan Companion Links. PWM connects ICS with the broader Anglican Communion's global mission network.
• Global ConnectionssecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerA UK-based network connecting churches and mission agencies for collaborative global mission engagement.
• Gregory Centre for Church Planting (CCX)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with ICS on church planting training, coaching, and support for new congregations across European cities.
• Ski Club of Great BritainminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRecreational organization whose representatives in Zermatt assist ICS chaplains by helping promote services and connect with English-speaking visitors.
• DownHill Only Ski ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWengen-based ski club that supports ICS short-term mission activities in the resort.

Scale indicators4 records

Direct peers

• Church Mission Society (CMS): The UK Church of England's largest Anglican cross-cultural mission agency, partnering CMS members globally. Closest direct peer to ICS: shared Anglican mission focus, member/donor funding model, and chaplaincy-style ministry to English-speaking communities abroad.
• USPG (United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel): Historic Anglican mission society headquartered in the UK, sending people and partnering with churches worldwide. Directly comparable to ICS in mission-agency governance, donor base, and overseas chaplaincy-style partnerships.
• Church of England Diocese in Europe: The canonical Anglican diocese that licenses ICS chaplains and underpins ICS's continental ministry. Functionally interlocked with ICS: licensees of the same chaplains, share chaplaincy locations, and jointly deliver English-speaking Anglican worship across Europe.
• South American Mission Society (SAMS): UK-based Anglican mission society focused on South America but with a comparable model of placing and supporting chaplains/mission partners abroad. Closely comparable as a small, donor-funded Anglican mission agency with retired clergy and laity engagement.

Broad incumbents

• Mission to Seafarers: Anglican charitable society with chapel/chaplaincy infrastructure serving English-speaking communities in port cities globally. Comparable in chaplaincy deployment, donor-funded model, and Anglican missional identity, though focused on seafarers rather than expatriates and tourists.
• Church Pastoral Aid Society (CPAS): Church of England charity focused on developing clergy, churches, and parochial ministry. Comparable as a donor-funded Anglican mission-adjacent organization supporting ordained ministry and congregational development across England and beyond.
• Church Army: Church of England evangelistic mission agency with community-focused ministry and a donor/charity funding model. Comparable in mission-agency mandate, evangelistic focus, and use of lay and ordained members in missional deployment.
• Scripture Union (SU): UK-anchored Christian charity delivering faith formation, volunteer mobilization, and community mission programs. Comparable in volunteer-led, donor-funded evangelical/Anglican mission model, though focused on children and youth rather than expatriate chaplaincy.

Regional players

• Bush Church Aid Society (BCA): Anglican mission agency supporting chaplaincy and ministry in remote and cross-cultural Australian contexts. Listed as a partner of ICS and structurally similar: small staff, donor-funded, places chaplains in underserved English-speaking communities.

Emerging players

• Gregory Centre for Church planting (CCX): UK-based Anglican mission partner specializing in church planting training and coaching. Already tightly coupled with ICS through the Church Planting Initiative, and operates in the same planting geographies (e.g., Lyon, Liège), making it a direct capability peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/IntercontinentalChurchSociety
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/intercontinental-church-society

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Intercontinental Church Society