Religions Zurich church commission against money for former city mission

The former city mission has abandoned its Christian roots, criticizes the responsible committee of the Reformed parish of the city of Zurich. It therefore no longer wants to co-finance it from 2027.

The Commission for Diaconia, Education and Communication is asking the Reformed city parliament to reject the basic funding of CHF 0.54 million per year for the years 2025 to 2028 submitted by the church administration.

"At around two million francs over four years, the requested basic funding is considerable," the committee states in its motion published on Monday. In times of increasingly scarce resources, the church must use its funds specifically "for reformed or Christian diaconal purposes".

The commission no longer sees the former Zurich City Mission, which now operates under the name Solidara, as fulfilling this objective. "Solidara has developed from a Christian to a non-denominational association." The original Christian diaconal mission has been abandoned and replaced by "solidarity-based helping action".

However, the commission does not want to turn off the money tap immediately. With its unanimously adopted rejection motion, it is calling on the church administration to limit the basic funding to the years 2025 and 2026. It does not rule out further co-financing, but Solidara would have to "transform itself back into a Christian association".

Probably on the agenda at the end of October

The Zurich City Mission was founded in 1862 by the then Central Committee of the Evangelical Society. Its aim was to carry out inner missionary work; it mainly cared for the poor, the sick and sex workers. In 2016, the City Mission separated from the Evangelical Society Foundation and became an independent association.

Since 2020, the Reformed parish of Zurich, the Catholic parishes of Zurich and the Christian Catholic parish of Zurich have supported the Solidara association. They cover around 40 percent of its budget.

At its meeting at the end of October, the parliament of the Reformed parish of the city of Zurich is expected to discuss the church care's application for basic funding and the responsible committee's rejection motion.

SDA