Ref. Kirchgemeinde Biel

What Ref. Kirchgemeinde Biel does

The Reformierte Gesamtkirchgemeinde Biel/Bienne is a Swiss Reformed (Protestant) church parish serving approximately 12,000 registered members across the bilingual municipalities of Biel/Bienne and Leubringen/Evilard in Canton Bern. The organization is structured as two constituent parishes — the German-speaking Deutschschsprachige Kirchgemeinde Biel (DKG) and the French-speaking Paroisse réformée évangélique française de Bienne (PFR) — operating under the umbrella of the Reformierte Kirchen Bern-Jura-Solothurn. Its core functions include worship services, life-cycle ceremonies (baptisms, weddings, funerals), pastoral care, and community social support. The parish also operates as a venue rental business, managing a portfolio of 7 churches/chapels (Stadtkirche, Pasquartkirche, Pauluskirche, Stephanskirche, Kapelle Leubringen, Kapelle Magglingen, Zwinglikirche) and 6 parish halls (Calvinhaus, Wyttenbachhaus, Paulushaus, La Source, Ring 4, Gertrud Kurz-Haus) available for concerts, weddings, meetings, and cultural events, with scheduling managed through the kOOL (Kirchen-Tool) reservation platform accessible at kool.ref-bielbienne.ch. Revenue is generated primarily through statutory church taxes (Kirchensteuer) collected from registered canton members, supplemented by transactional venue rental fees (e.g., CHF 50 per gallery seating, CHF 2 per coffee) and voluntary donations, some of which flow to affiliated social service partners (Gassenarbeit Biel, Gassenküche Biel, Passantenhilfe/Heilsarmee, HEKS, Mission 21). The parish is governed by an elected Gesamtkirchgemeinderat (parish council) with 11 members split between the two linguistic communities, presided over by Eva Thomi, and supported by central administration led by Central Administrator Jean-Jacques Amstutz (in role since 2009, retiring June 2026) and Head of Central Services Christoph Zbinden. Communication is delivered bilingually through the corporate website, monthly reformiert. newspaper (German), Bienn'Attitudes magazine (French), and the Réformés.ch and Ensemble platforms of the regional church network.

Name

Ref. Kirchgemeinde Biel

Legal name

Reformierte Gesamtkirchgemeinde Biel/Bienne

Website

https://ref-bielbienne.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Reformierte Gesamtkirchgemeinde Biel/Bienne is a bilingual (German/French) Swiss Reformed church parish serving ~12,000 registered members in Biel, Leubringen, and Magglingen, providing worship services, pastoral care, and venue rentals across seven churches and six parish halls under the Reformierte Kirchen Bern-Jura-Solothurn umbrella.

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

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

Keywords

• Religious services
• Worship services
• Pastoral care
• Venue rental
• Community outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Biel/Bienne

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Church Taxes (Kirchensteuer): Parish receives statutory church tax contributions from members registered in the canton
2. Venue and Facility Rentals: Churches, chapels, and parish halls are rented out for concerts, weddings, meetings, and events. Fees are charged based on facility type and duration.
3. Donations and Offerings: Voluntary contributions from congregation members for religious services and charitable causes

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Reformierte Gesamtkirchgemeinde Biel is a bilingual (German/French) Protestant church parish providing worship services, life-cycle ceremonies (baptisms, weddings, funerals), pastoral care, and religious education to approximately 12,000 registered members in Biel and Leubringen. It also rents out its portfolio of churches, chapels, and parish halls to community organizations and external tenants for events, concerts, and gatherings, and supports social-outreach programs for vulnerable populations in the Biel region.

Product overview

Reformierte Gesamtkirchgemeinde Biel operates as a dual-language (German/French) Protestant church parish offering religious services and facility rentals. The organization provides worship services (baptisms, weddings, funerals), manages a portfolio of seven church buildings and six parish halls available for rental, and utilizes kOOL Church Tool software for facility reservation and scheduling. The kOOL system serves as the primary digital platform for managing room bookings, calendar views, and resource allocation across all venues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• reformiert. Monthly newspaper publication of the German-speaking parish
• Bienn'Attitudes
• kOOL Ref Biel-Bienne

Products and services

• Church and Chapel Rental (Venues) Rental of seven church and chapel venues — Stadtkirche (240 seats), Pasquartkirche, Pauluskirche, Stephanskirche, Kapelle Leubringen (50 seats), Kapelle Magglingen (100 seats), and Zwinglikirche — for worship services, concerts, weddings, theater performances, and community events. Used by external organizations and private event organizers in the Biel region.
• Parish Hall Rental Rental of six parish halls — Calvinhaus/Maison Calvin (280m², 240 persons, with bistro), Wyttenbachhaus (187m², 200 persons, with stage and grand piano), Paulushaus (173m², 200 persons), La Source (96 seats), Ring 4, and Gertrud Kurz-Haus — for assemblies, meetings, theater, concerts, seminars, and private events.
• Worship and Religious Services (Ecclesiastical Acts) Regular Protestant worship services in German and French, plus life-cycle ceremonies including baptisms, weddings (Kirchliche Trauung), and funerals. Conducted for approximately 12,000 registered parish members in Biel and Leubringen across the parish's churches and chapels.
• Pastoral Care and Community Programs Pastoral counseling, social-outreach support (financing Gassenarbeit Biel street work, Passantenhilfe/Heilsarmee homeless assistance, Gassenküche Biel community kitchen), youth and family programs, and ecumenical marriage counseling (Ökumenische Eheberatung / Centre Social Protestant).

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered supportive and core.

• HEKS (Hilfswerk der Evangelischen Kirchen Schweiz)supportiveOthersThe parish supports HEKS (Swiss Protestant Church's aid organization) financially as part of its commitment to Protestant humanitarian aid work in Switzerland and internationally.
• Mission 21 (Evangelisches Missionswerk Basel)supportiveOthersThe parish supports Mission 21 (Evangelical Mission Works Basel) as part of its engagement with Protestant missionary organizations.
• Theater Orchester Biel Solothurn (TOBS)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Zwinglikirche is rented permanently to TOBS (Theater Orchestra Biel Solothurn), making it a long-term venue tenant for performing arts events.
• Gassenarbeit BielsupportiveOthersStreet work outreach organization in Biel supported financially by the parish for social outreach to marginalized community members.
• Passantenhilfe (Heilsarmee)supportiveOthersThe Salvation Army's transit assistance program in Biel receives financial support from the parish.
• Gassenküche BielsupportiveOthersCommunity kitchen providing meals to those in need, supported by the parish.
• Ökumenische Eheberatung / Centre Social ProtestantsupportiveOthersEcumenical marriage counseling and Protestant social center services supported by the parish.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche Basel-Stadt: City-level Reformed parish network in Basel with analogous Kirchgemeinde structure, church tax mechanism, and historic-venue portfolio. Directly comparable as a same-faith, same-funding-model, urban-parish peer.
• Reformierte Kirchen Bern-Jura-Solothurn: The cantonal umbrella organization of which Reformierte Gesamtkirchgemeinde Biel is a member parish. It is comparable as the same Reformed denomination operating at regional scale, sharing governance models, aid-organization ties, and Kirchgemeinde structure.
• Römisch-Katholische Landeskirche des Kantons Bern: Catholic counterpart in the same Canton of Bern, also collecting church tax and operating parishes in Biel/Bienne. Comparable as the primary denominational competitor for members in the same geographic market.
• Reformierte Kirche Zürich: Largest Reformed parish network in Switzerland with similar Kirchensteuer funding model and Kirchgemeinde structure. Comparable as a same-denomination peer operating under the same Swiss Reformed church law with bilingual ministry exposure.

Peers

• Diakonie Schweiz: National umbrella for Protestant social-diakonal work in Switzerland. Comparable as a faith-based, member-funded organization operating within the same Reformed ecosystem as the Biel parish.

Emerging players

• Christkatholische Kirche der Schweiz: Smaller Swiss denomination with similar parish structure and Swiss-recognized church-tax status. Comparable as a smaller-faith peer competing for the same Reformtretend demographic.

Others

• HEKS (Hilfswerk der Evangelischen Kirchen Schweiz): The Swiss Protestant aid organization that the Biel parish financially supports and partners with. Comparable as a faith-based ecosystem organization dependent on the same Reformed-network funding flows.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ref-kirchgemeinde-biel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Ref. Kirchgemeinde Biel