Delegates of the Round Table discussed self-financing and new use of church buildings
On 19-20 March, a meeting with several Protestant partner churches from Germany and Switzerland took place in Berlin during the so-called Round Table. This facilitates financial support for our church projects.
The result is a large support of 4.5 million crowns for nine projects. In addition to the Meeting of (not only) Protestant Youth or the publication of catechetical manuals, the congregations in Jimramov, Hošťálková, Krabčice and Křížlice will be supported. Support will also go to the Protestant high school in Brno and the school in Sudice.
"We are grateful for the support. Especially the German churches are under extreme pressure to reduce their income due to the ever-decreasing number of believers. That is why we are happy to share with them the experience of the transition to self-financing. We are all the more grateful for the donations, which are directed exclusively to investment and development, and not to current expenses. With the need for self-financing, every such contribution is all the more valuable," said Martin Balcar, Director of the Central Church Office (ÚCK). In addition to him, Synodal Senior Pavel Pokorný and the staff of the project department of the ÚCK also attended the ecumenical meeting in Berlin.
The round table offered inspiration for cooperation other than donations. For example, the delegates saw some interesting projects to revive unused churches. One of these is the newly formed Refo Moabit community congregation. Another form of use is the Besondere Orte (https://besondere-orte.com) project of four churches being converted into conference or community centres, with the proceeds going to the Berlin church to support the congregations.
ARo/Martin Balcar