Evangelische Kirche im Rheinland

What Evangelische Kirche im Rheinland does

The Evangelische Kirche im Rheinland (EKiR) is a regional Protestant church (Landeskirche) and Körperschaft des öffentlichen Rechts (public-law corporation) operating under Article 140 of the German Basic Law. Founded in its current form at the Velbert Synod in November 1948, with institutional roots to 1814–1815, it serves approximately 2.05 million members (Gemeindeglieder) as of December 31, 2025 across 527 parishes (Kirchengemeinden) organized within 34 church districts (Kirchenkreise) spanning North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, and Hesse. It is the second-largest of the 20 member churches (Gliedkirchen) of the Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland (EKD). EKiR delivers weekly Gottesdienste, administers sacraments (baptism, confirmation, marriage, burial), provides pastoral care, counseling, and emergency pastoral services, operates educational institutions including kindergartens, schools, and the Kirchliche Hochschule Wuppertal, and delivers social welfare services through Diakonie. Governance is presbyterial-synodal, with theological roots in the unierte tradition combining Lutheran, Reformed, and united church elements.

Name

Evangelische Kirche im Rheinland

Legal name

Evangelische Kirche im Rheinland KdöR

Website

https://www2.ekir.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Evangelische Kirche im Rheinland is Germany's second-largest Protestant regional church, serving 2.05 million members across 527 parishes and 34 districts in western Germany. It delivers religious services, pastoral care, education, and Diakonie social welfare as a public-law corporation funded by church tax.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Religious Organizations (813110), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA), Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites) (BPAGAJAL)

Keywords

• Religious services
• Pastoral care
• Social welfare
• Religious education
• Community ministry

Headquarters

HQ city

Düsseldorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Evangelische Kirche im Rheinland is a regional Protestant church (Landeskirche) that provides religious services (Gottesdienste), administers sacraments (baptism, confirmation, marriage, burial), delivers pastoral care and counseling, runs social welfare programs through Diakonie, and operates educational institutions (kindergartens, schools, theological training) across 527 parishes in 34 church districts spanning North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, and Hesse. It serves approximately 2.05 million members as a public-law corporation (Körperschaft des öffentlichen Rechts).

Product overview

The Evangelical Church in the Rhineland (EKiR) operates a unified digital platform ecosystem centered on www.ekir.de, serving its approximately 2.05 million members across 527 congregations and 34 church districts. The portfolio includes the main website portal with integrated search functionality (suche.ekir.de powered by Yext Answers), an internal communications platform (EKiR-Portal/portal.ekir.de), a messaging service (grommunio Chat), the faith information portal sinnundsegen.de, an event calendar and registration system (Termine/events.ekir.de with CiviCRM), a job board (Jobbörse), online media resources (Mediencenter), an e-commerce shop for children's materials (Kirche mit Kindern), church law resources (Kirchenrecht Online), and the EKiR.info magazine. These products connect through internal integrations including Google Maps, YouTube, Meta/X social plugins, and Matomo analytics, while the EKiR-Portal serves as the central IT infrastructure for staff communications, document management, and church administrative functions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• sinnundsegen.de: Online platform providing information on faith, church, and Christian community topics, answering questions about life, baptism, confirmation, and pastoral care.

Products and services

• Worship Services and Sacraments
• Diakonie Social Welfare Services
• Pastoral Care and Counseling (Seelsorge & Beratung)
• sinnundsegen.de Faith Information Portal
• Gottesdienst-Suche (Worship Service Search)
• Religious Education (Kindergartens, Schools, Theological Training)
• Evangelische Akademie im Rheinland
• Kirche mit Kindern (Church with Children) Online Shop
• Church Council Elections (Presbyteriumswahl)
• Jugendarbeit (Youth Work)
• Church Music Program (Kirchenmusik)
• Ecumenical and International Partnerships (Brot für die Welt, VEM)

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 8 million euros donated to Brot für die Welt in 2025 for international development aid
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• VEM (Vereinigte Evangelische Mission)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Ecumenical partnership in humanitarian aid; VEM and regional churches jointly committed emergency relief for earthquake victims in the Philippines, demonstrating shared commitment to international disaster response.
• Brot für die WeltmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Annual charitable partnership where the Evangelische Kirche im Rheinland contributes funds (nearly 8 million euros in 2025) to Brot für die Welt, a Protestant development aid organization supporting international humanitarian and development projects.
• Evangelische Akademie im RheinlandmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Cooperation partner in educational events and programs including the 'Wirtschaft ist Care' project series covering topics like care economy, work-life balance, and economic alternatives.
• KEFB Duisburg and Bistum EssencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Educational cooperation partner for the 'Wirtschaft ist Care' project with joint events, excursions, and educational programming.
• Ev. Erwachsenenbildungswerk NordrheincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Adult education partner contributing to the 'Wirtschaft ist Care' project through Bildungswerk FRIEDA and laboratorium programs.
• IG Metall Duisburg-DinslakenminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Labor union partnership in the 'Wirtschaft ist Care' project contributing expertise on industrial work and care economy topics.
• Haus der Familie BonnminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Family services organization co-hosting Equal Care Day 2025 event series on topics of caregiving, work-life balance, and economic perspectives.
• Evangelische Frauenbeauftragte des Kirchenkreis Bad Godesberg-VoreifelminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Church women's representative office co-organizing Equal Care Day events addressing gender equality and care work issues.
• Gleichstellungsstelle Stadt Bonn and Rhein-Sieg-KreisminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Municipal and district equality offices partnering on Equal Care Day programming addressing gender equality issues.
• Wirtschaft ist Care e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Civil society organization providing the conceptual foundation and expertise for the 'Wirtschaft ist Care' (Economy is Care) project promoting care-centered economics.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Church of England: Established national Protestant church with diocesan structure analogous to the German Landeskirche model. Comparable as a historic, state-recognized religious body delivering parish services, social welfare, education, and sacramental ministry under established governance.
• Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland (EKD): Umbrella organization of 20 German Protestant regional churches; EKiR is a Gliedkirche of EKD. Comparable as the highest-level governance body overseeing the same Protestant church tax system, member services, and social engagement framework.

Direct peers

• Evangelische Kirche von Westfalen: Neighboring EKD regional church covering Westphalia, sharing overlapping territory with EKiR in NRW. Operates the identical Landeskirche model with church tax funding, parish network, and Diakonie social services — a directly comparable peer on scale and geography.
• Evangelische Kirche Berlin-Brandenburg-schlesische Oberlausitz: Another EKD Gliedkirche with uniert tradition and presbyterial-synodal governance. Closely comparable as a multi-state regional church administering parishes, church tax revenue, Diakonie work, and theological education across a defined German territory.
• Evangelisch-lutherische Landeskirche Hannovers: One of the larger EKD Landeskirchen by membership. Operates the same governance, parish, and church tax model as EKiR, with comparable Diakonie social welfare footprint and theological training infrastructure.
• Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern: Largest of the 20 EKD regional churches by membership. Operates an identical Landeskirche model with synodal-presbyterial governance, parish network, church tax funding, Diakonie social services, and theological seminaries — directly comparable in structure, funding, and mission.

Others

• Brot für die Welt: Protestant development and relief organization of the EKD; EKiR is a contributing member. Comparable as the primary recipient of EKiR's charitable contributions (~8M EUR in 2025) and a key partner in EKiR's international humanitarian footprint.
• Diakonie Deutschland: Umbrella social welfare organization of the Protestant churches in Germany, closely tied to EKD and its Gliedkirchen including EKiR. Comparable as the social services arm that operationalizes Diakonie work referenced in EKiR's portfolio.
• Vereinte Evangelische Mission (VEM): Ecumenical missionary partnership that includes EKiR as a member church. Comparable as a partnership organization through which EKiR channels international development and humanitarian work (e.g., Philippines earthquake relief).

Regional players

• Erzbistum Köln (Archdiocese of Cologne): Catholic archdiocese with overlapping territory in NRW and the Rhineland. Comparable as a major religious organization operating parishes, schools, social services (Caritas), and receiving church tax (Kirchensteuer) under the same German state-collected framework.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ekir_de
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@EKiRde
• Facebookfacebook.com/ekir.de
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/evangelische-kirche-im-rheinland
• Instagraminstagram.com/evangelisch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Evangelische Kirche im Rheinland