It's no news that Switzerland's Christians are not exactly growing in
numbers. According to estimates by Dr. Armin Mauerhofer, some 6% of the
population were professing evangelical Christians just after the Second
World War, but the figure is now probably under 2% (the last available
research, in 1991, showed 2.1%). It is particularly significant that this
dramatic decrease took place during 'the evangelistic boom years', says
Thun's evangelist Florian Bärtsch.
Switzerland's 7 million inhabitants are covered by 1,062 Reformed parishes
with a regular attendance of 70-75,000 (1991: 84,700) and 1,350 Roman
Catholic churches. The Protestant free churches are currently the
country's largest Christian fraction with 1,376 churches, but the total
attendance of 75-80,000, although larger than that of the Reformed
churches, is a long way from the Catholics' some 230,000 (figures from the
study 'How Christian is Switzerland?'). However, an increasing number of
Christians are no longer satisfied with this situation and are seeking
solutions, revival, and God. Here are some highlights:
"Give us this nation, or we die"
"700 Christians met on the night of 19 September 1998 on the historic
Rütli to renew 1291's 'Oath of Allegiance' and pray for revival in the
country," wrote journalist Michael Meier in the Züricher Tagesanzeiger, a
respected daily newspaper. (The original 'Oath of Allegiance' sworn in
1291 was the foundation of Switzerland.) Peter Hoehn, coordinator of
"Gebet für die Schweiz" (Prayer for Switzerland), reports that the
atmosphere at the event was 'All or nothing! Give us this nation, or we
die!".
Movement in Parliament
In many nations unthinkable, but reality in Switzerland: the Swiss
Parliament has an 'officially accredited intercessor', Beat Christen.
Recently, up to 60 people have taken part in prayer meetings in the
Parliament building. Another surprise is that the parliament recently
voted with a 4:3 majority, partly against official party lines, to keep
"In the name of the Lord" as the introduction to the nation's
constitution, which is currently being debated. "A growing number of
members of Parliament are standing up for their Christian faith,"
according to one report.
Revival in Winterthur
Andi Kunz, leader of the Winterthur Vineyard church, sent us the following
report: "A few months ago, my wife Elsbeth and I visited the Brownsville
Assembly church in Pensacola, USA. Deeply impressed with what is happening
there, and one of many who repented in front of the altar of the Lord, I
find myself now more radical in my heart, with more love for the lost and
particularly for Jesus. My wife and I returned to Switzerland with the
desire to see repentance in Switzerland as in Pensacola. We invited a team
from Pensacola to visit us in Winterthur, and were astonished to see that
at least two thirds of the 200 people in the meeting responded to the
altar call to repent. It was an indescribable experience! Even people who
have stood as intercessors for years came forward to repent. We have been
greatly blessed! People were healed and renewed, marriages restored
without special prayer, and some families were so changed that they went
home from the meetings and 'turned the apartment upside down': books,
music and videos that did not glorify Jesus were thrown out, along with
strong alcoholic spirits."
Source: Andi and Elsbeth Kunz, Winterthur,
e-mail vin@nco.ch
Foreigners are better evangelised than natives
Switzerland's Christian churches pay more attention to foreign residents
than the native Swiss: there are currently 1,086 free churches for the
5.68 million native Swiss (1 church per 5,236), but 290 churches and
fellowships for the 1.33 million foreigners (1:4,595). The 9,005 Tamils,
for which there are 17 churches (1:529) and the 6,811 Vietnamese with
their 10 churches and fellowships (1:681), are among the best reached
people groups in the country. Top are the Hungarians, with 13 groups for
4,184 people (1:322).
Source: "Wie Christlich ist die Schweiz? (1991)"
("How Christian is Switzerland?"),
FocuSuisse and others.