Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche des Kantons Freiburg

What Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche des Kantons Freiburg does

The Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche des Kantons Freiburg (ERKF/EERF) is the cantonal Protestant church of the Canton of Fribourg, Switzerland, operating as a non-profit religious organization within the broader Evangelical Reformed Church of Switzerland (EKS/EERS). It serves members across 16 Kirchgemeinden (parishes) in the bilingual canton, delivering services in both German and French. Core activities include weekly worship services, pastoral care, chaplaincy in institutions, religious education (in cooperation with public schools), youth work, confirmation preparation, and ecumenical engagement. Governance is exercised through a Synode (parliamentary assembly) and Synodalrat (executive council), with operational delivery through cantonal specialist offices (Fachstellen) for Bildung (education), Jugend (youth), and Seelsorge (pastoral care).

The church's technology footprint is modest and conventional: a kirchenweb.ch CMS-powered website at ref-fr.ch serves as the primary digital interface for news, the bilingual 'Lettre R' newsletter, event calendars, and media releases. Matomo open-source analytics with anonymized IP addresses and a cookie consent management layer provide compliance-aligned visitor tracking. Social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn) and the televised 'Cultes TV' broadcast extend reach. The organization also operates the Crêt-Bérard retreat centre in canton Vaud (60 beds, 40 rooms) as a conference and spiritual retreat venue for French-speaking Swiss Reformed churches.

Revenue is primarily recurring through church taxes (Kirchensteuer) and cantonal financial support, with the 2025 Synodalkasse budget totaling approximately 2.521 million CHF. Supplementary revenue streams include donations, Sunday collections (e.g., for HEKS, SPS), retreat centre bookings, and training fees (e.g., 100 CHF per participant for the cantonal formation day). Core worship and pastoral services are provided free of charge. The 2025 accounts closed with a marginal surplus of 230 CHF, achieved via lower personnel costs from temporarily unfilled positions — indicating tight operating margins.

Name

Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche des Kantons Freiburg

Legal name

Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche des Kantons Freiburg

Website

https://ref-fr.ch

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche des Kantons Freiburg is the cantonal Protestant church of the bilingual (German-French) Canton of Fribourg, Switzerland, operating 16 parishes and funded primarily by church taxes and cantonal support to deliver worship, pastoral care, education, and youth work.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (813110)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD), Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites) (BPAGAJAL)

Keywords

• Religious services
• Pastoral care
• Religious education
• Worship ministry
• Spiritual formation

Headquarters

HQ city

Murten / Morat

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Church Tax (Kirchensteuer) and Cantonal Funding: As a recognized cantonal church in the canton of Fribourg, the Evangelical Reformed Church receives funding through church taxes and cantonal financial support. The annual budget for 2025 was approximately 2.521 million CHF.
2. Donations and Collections: The church collects donations through regular Sunday offerings, special cantonal collections (e.g., refugee Sunday for HEKS, confirmation gift for Protestantische Solidarität Schweiz), and campaign-based fundraising.
3. Conference and Retreat Centre Revenue: Crêt-Bérard, the church's retreat centre in the canton of Vaud, generates revenue through hosting seminars, retreats, meditation courses, and guest accommodations with 60 beds. Special reduced rates are offered to church groups.
4. Training and Education Fees: Fees charged for continuing education programs such as the cantonal formation day (100 CHF per participant including meals and refreshments) and various FriModula training modules for church workers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche des Kantons Freiburg (ERKF) is a cantonal Protestant church organization that delivers weekly worship services, pastoral care, institutional chaplaincy, religious education, youth ministry, and continuing education to members and the broader public across 16 parishes in the bilingual Canton of Fribourg, Switzerland. It also operates the Crêt-Bérard retreat centre serving French-speaking Swiss Reformed churches, and engages in social justice and ecumenical partnerships with organizations such as HEKS, DM, and SPS.

Product overview

Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche des Kantons Freiburg is a cantonal Protestant church organization (Kantonalkirche) serving the canton of Fribourg, Switzerland. Its digital presence consists primarily of an informational website (ref-fr.ch) managed via the kirchenweb.ch content management system. The organization does not offer commercial software products or technology platforms; its services are religious, pastoral, educational, and administrative in nature, including worship services, pastoral care, youth work, education, and church governance. No named digital products or modules were identified in the source material.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Weekly Worship Services
• Pastoral Care and Institutional Chaplaincy
• Religious Education and Catechism (Konfirmandenarbeit)
• Youth Ministry Programs
• Crêt-Bérard Retreat and Conference Centre
• Continuing Education and Formation Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• 2.521 million CHF annual budget managed for the cantonal church
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Association DignitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 June 2026Association Dignity is a non-profit association founded in 2023 in French-speaking Switzerland that advocates for adults who have experienced sexual violence. It works to break the silence and destigmatize the topic, particularly in church settings. The association presented at the ERKF's discussion synod on June 27, 2026, on the topic of protecting personal integrity.
• MachtraumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 June 2026Karin Iten from the organization 'Machtraum' delivered an interactive session at the ERKF's June 27, 2026 discussion synod on the topic of proximity and boundaries in church contexts. She worked with Synodalen in groups to analyze various situations involving the balance between closeness and appropriate boundaries.
• HEKS (Hilfswerk der Evangelischen Kirchen Schweiz)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 June 2026HEKS is the aid organization of the Evangelical Churches of Switzerland. ERKF conducts its annual cantonal collection for HEKS on Refugee Sunday (Flüchtlingssonntag), supporting HEKS's work with refugees and migrants in Switzerland through counseling, language courses, integration support, education, and housing assistance. ERKF publicly endorses HEKS as an organization that builds a more open and inclusive society.
• DM (Missionsgesellschaft)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2026DM (Missionsgesellschaft) is the mission society that presented its work to the ERKF Synod on June 2, 2026. DM works with 36 partner organizations and focuses on justice themes in 2026, organizing various events in Switzerland and abroad.
• Solidarität protestantische Schweiz (SPS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Solidarität Protestantische Schweiz (SPS) is the Protestant Solidarity Switzerland organization. ERKF supports the annual confirmation gift (Konfirmandengabe) collection in favor of SPS. In 2026, this supports the renovation of the Reformed holiday and training centre 'Maison de la réconciliation' (Haus der Versöhnung) in Berekfürdő, Hungary, a facility used by Swiss confirmation groups for over 25 years.
• ESPAS (Espace de soutien et de prévention - abus sexuels)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026ESPAS provides support and prevention services related to sexual abuse. Laure Lambelet from ESPAS presented at the ERKF's discussion synod on crisis preparedness, explaining the neurobiological responses affecting both victims and institutions in threatening situations.
• BildungkirchecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Bildungkirche is the continuing education institution for Reformed pastors and church workers in Switzerland, based at Blaufahnenstrasse 10, 8001 Zürich. ERKF participates in and promotes Bildungkirche's continuing education program for 2027, offering courses, study trips, coaching, and retreats for pastors, social diaconates, church musicians, and other church workers.
• Crêt-BérardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Crêt-Bérard is the last open house of the Reformed Church in French-speaking Switzerland. It operates as a conference and retreat centre with 60 beds, daily prayer services, meditation paths, a labyrinth, and a restaurant. Led by Pfarrer Alain Monnard, it serves Reformed churches from neighboring cantons. ERKF includes Crêt-Bérard in its prayers and trusts it as a witness to the Gospel.
• RefLabminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026RefLab is a 'digital laboratory' of the Zurich church, described as a 'digital campfire for spiritual nomads and discoverers.' It creates podcasts, blog posts and videos exploring faith, doubt, and hope. ERKF references RefLab's media content in its educational recommendations, including the 'Zwischen Erde und Eden' (Between Earth and Eden) blog garden series.
• Universität Freiburg - Deutschsprachige Mediathek für Didaktik und PädagogikminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026The German-language media library at the University of Fribourg provides educational media recommendations for religious education, ethics, and philosophy. ERKF's education office (Fachstelle Bildung) shares these recommendations in its newsletter to support catechists and religious educators.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Église évangélique réformée du canton de Genève: French-speaking urban cantonal Reformed church with comparable synodal governance, parish structure, and church tax funding. Comparable in formation/youth programming model and member service portfolio.
• Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche Basel-Stadt: Smaller urban cantonal Reformed church with comparable synodal governance, Kirchensteuer funding, and Fachstellen model. Comparable in scale (~10–20 parishes) and core service mix (worship, Bildung, Jugendarbeit, Seelsorge).
• Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche Zürich: The largest cantonal Reformed church in Switzerland, sharing ERKF's role as a legally recognized cantonal church with Kirchensteuer funding, parish network, synodal governance, and Fachstellen for Bildung/Jugend. Directly comparable in governance structure, offering portfolio, and funding model.
• Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche Bern-Jura-Solothurn: Another major bilingual (German/French) cantonal Reformed church with synodal governance, parish network, and similar Fachstellen structure. Closely comparable in scale of operations, cantonal tax funding, and formation/youth programming.
• Römisch-katholische Kantonalkirche Freiburg: The Roman Catholic counterpart church operating in the same Canton of Fribourg with parallel parish network, church tax funding, religious education in schools, and bilingual operations. The most direct peer in terms of shared territory, regulatory framework, and member services.
• Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche Aargau: Mid-sized German-speaking cantonal Reformed church with similar budget scale, parish network, and Fachstellen for Bildung/Jugend. Closely comparable in operating model, governance structure, and revenue mix (Kirchensteuer plus donations).
• Église évangélique réformée du canton de Vaud (EERV): French-speaking cantonal Reformed church neighboring Fribourg, operating Crêt-Bérard on behalf of French-Swiss Reformed churches. Directly comparable in language context, synodal governance, and shared retreat infrastructure.

Broad incumbents

• Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche Schweiz (EKS / EERS): The national umbrella body of which ERKF is a member; sets shared theological positions, coordinates HEKS/DM/SPS partnerships, and runs the Bildungkirche continuing education program ERKF participates in. Comparable as a higher-order governance and service entity rather than a parish-network operator.

Regional players

• Christkatholische Kirche der Schweiz: Smaller Old Catholic church recognized at national level with parallel parish network and theological formation needs. Comparable as a religious organization delivering worship, Bildung, and pastoral services to a defined membership base in Switzerland.

Others

• HEKS / Hilfswerk der Evangelischen Kirchen Schweiz: The aid organization of the Swiss Reformed churches and a core ERKF collection partner (Flüchtlingssonntag). Comparable as a faith-based nonprofit partner in the same Reformed ecosystem, though operating as an aid agency rather than a parish/church body.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Eglise-%C3%A9v-r%C3%A9f-du-canton-de-Fribourg-Ev-ref-Kirche-des-Kantons-Freiburg-100161784993289
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/freiburgerkantonalkirche
• Instagraminstagram.com/erkf_eerf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 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 Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche des Kantons Freiburg