Vultures are circling real estate pickings of a decaying Church. "The church is at the service of society - so are its assets".

There are fewer and fewer church members. But the buildings remain. "There is a contradiction between money and spirit. And this conflict must be resolved," says Matthias Haag of the Reformed Church of Zurich. The Fifth Church Building conference at the University of Bern gathered the "créme de la crème" of real estate managers. They were unanimous: churches must act now.

Daniel Kosch gives an exciting presentation in Bern on a boring topic: "Church real estate strategies". The former general secretary of the RKZ says: "The Roman Catholic and the Protestant Reformed Churches are rich churches in a rich country. However, the resources are unequally distributed." That church assets consist to a good part of real estate is an open secret.

"Churches should not see themselves as losers or victims!"

The Open Church in Saint Gallen supported by the Catholic Church 

Daniel Kosch puts his finger on the sore spot: there are many efforts but too little cooperation in the Catholic Church. It is not a good strategy, he says, to see oneself as a loser.

He therefore calls for, "Shaping the future of the churches requires thinking characterized by togetherness, networks and larger contexts."

Reformed churches in Bern and Zurich have a strategy

In general, the impression at the church building conference is that Reformed churches are much more concerned with long-term planning. "We don't have a strategy for real estate yet - but we do have a mission statement," says Matthias Haag from the city of Zurich, with 80,000 members the "largest church congregation in Europe." In Zurich in particular, a heated debate has raged in recent years over whether churches should be allowed to charge "market rents." Now there is an approved mission statement that allows "cost rents." "Church buildings cannot and should not be profitable, but they should cover costs," Haag held.

"We have a real estate strategy, but we don't yet have a mission statement," said Andreas Münger of the Evangelical Reformed Church of Bern (GKG Bern). He presents a plan of how the real estate of the Reformed in Bern should develop until the year 2037. With twelve parishes and an insurance value of the properties of 230 million francs, this is an important project, he said. "The GKG Bern owns all the properties, which makes the task easier," said real estate expert Andreas Münger. Since 2020, the properties have been managed by a public limited company: RefBernImmo AG.

Catholics in St. Gallen join forces ecumenically

In the city of St. Gallen, thinking about the future is already well advanced. Sonja Gemeinder from the Catholic parish of St. Gallen shows that out of the many parishes, three focal points are to be formed that will continue to have a full range of services. All others are to be reduced or rebuilt. "The ecumenical consolidation of church buildings is one of the first steps we can implement in St. Gallen," Gemeinder said at the panel discussion.

French-speaking Swiss real estate expert shines

Jean-Baptiste Henry de Diesbach from the Diocese of Lausanne Geneva Fribourg shines as the only representative from French-speaking Switzerland at this conference. "The Church is at the service of society - so are its assets," de Diesbach said, referring to Pope John Paul I. And he also cited the encyclicals "Rerum novarum," "Laudato si'" and "Fratelli tutti." His presentation is a theological flight of fancy, nota bene performed by a real estate expert.

Jean-Baptiste Henry de Diesbach makes clear that there is a multiple link between ownership and use of church buildings. Using a high-rise building in Petit-Lancy in Geneva as an example, he shows how economic logic and church mission go together.

Diocese of Basel blocks with "special position of churches"

In the Diocese of Basel, there is so far only a "working aid". This is presented by Alexandra Mütel. She is a member of the Diocesan Building and Art Commission of the diocese of Basel. It is striking that there is obviously little strategic foresight in the diocese of Basel. In particular, Mütel emphasized the "special position of churches and chapels."

On the sidelines of the conference, Urs Brosi, as a participant, expresses his view of the diocese's work aid to kath.ch: "It cannot be that the most expensive properties are excluded from a planning. They are declared untouchable." The consequence of this is a contradiction in the real estate strategy. "Cantonal churches therefore do not support this work aid of the Bishopric of Basel," Brosi emphasized.

In Bern, however, there are also success stories to be heard. For example, from Guttet-Feschel in the Valais. The community of 450 inhabitants has three sacred buildings in three different ownerships: St. Wendelin's Church owned by the Parish of Sacred Heart of Jesus Guttet-Feschel; the Sacred Heart Parish Church owned by the community of residents; and St. Anthony's Chapel which belongs to the community of citizens. These buildings showed a restoration need of about 1.1 million francs, a handsome amount for the small mountain community, as President Philipp Loretan points out.

"Nit üfgäh gwinnt!" ("Those who don't give up win") shouted Beatrice Meichtry of the Triplus Guttet-Feschel Foundation to the auditorium, tracing how it succeeded in securing funding. In addition to contributions from the public sector and the Inland Mission, it was above all the close relationship with the population that brought the money together. "We try to get people in touch with the buildings and have involved the associations," Philipp Loretan said. "The heart has to live there. Then the church space also has a purpose."

Social laboratory in the Canton of Zurich

Dieter Zaugg of the Evangelical Reformed Church of Zurich introduces the social laboratory. This is a German term for the much trendier "Social Innovation Laboratories." According to Zaugg, the issue for churches today is to create an inclusive space for the future. Collaboration is in demand and a "strategy manufactory" is needed.

To this end, the Zurich regional church has made an analysis of the important players and presented them in a "Stakeholder Radar". The social lab, he said, serves as a method for the church to shape the future. "We have to do something before we run out of energy and money," Dieter Zaugg concludes. Even after this input, it is clear: The Reformed are far ahead of the Catholics when it comes to real estate strategy.

Source

The Second Decree of the Council of Trent had rather different priorities to solve the same problem.

Bishops shall transfer, together with their obligations, churches which cannot be restored; others they shall cause to be repaired.

Whereas, also, very great care ought to be taken, lest those things which have been dedicated to sacred services, may, through the injury of time, cease to be so employed, and pass from the memory of men; the bishops, even as the delegates of the Apostolic See, may transfer simple benefices--even those that are under a right of patronage-from churches which have fallen into ruin by age, or otherwise, and which cannot, by reason of the poverty thereof, be restored, to the Mother Churches, or others of the same or neighbouring places, as they shall judge fit, after having summoned those who are interested therein; and they shall raise, in the said churches, altars, or chapels, under the same invocations; or transfer them, with all their emoluments and with all the obligations that were imposed on the former churches, to altars or chapels already erected. But, as regards parish churches which have thus fallen into decay, they shall, even though they be under a right of patronage, make it their care that they be repaired and restored, out of any fruits and proceeds whatever, in any way belonging to the said churches; and if those resources should not be sufficient, they shall compel, by all suitable means, the patrons and others who receive any fruits derived from those churches, or, in their default, the parishioners, to provide for the aforesaid repairs; setting aside every appeal, exemption, or reservation whatsoever. But if they should be all too poor, those churches shall be transferred to the Mother Churches, or to the neighbouring churches, with power to convert both the said parish churches and others that are in ruins, to profane, though not to sordid uses; a Cross, however, being erected there.