Zentrum für Migrationskirchen

Zentrum für Migrationskirchen (literally: Centre for migration churches) comprises eight Protestant churches from four continents, situated in the former church hall of the Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Zürich in Zürich, being a unique centre in Switzerland for the so-called migration churches.

Located in the formerly independent municipality Wipkingen, the church hall (German: Kirchgemeindehaus) „Haus für das Volk“, meaning home for the people, was inaugurated in 1932, being the parish house of the Reformed church congregation, that is independent since 1865.

About 60 religious associations have been established by or for immigrants in Zürich in the past 20 years. In order to offer appropriate cult rooms, in 2008 the Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Zürich respectively of the city of Zürich established the centre in Wipkingen. The theologian and pastor Dinah Hess is as of December 2014 its director, she tries also to find rooms for further parishes, and she is responsible for the rental of rooms and the communal life in the center. Pastor Hess also obliges the communication to the migration churches, and to aware that the Reformed Church sometimes may have a different understanding of mission between the registered partnership, and therefore not to deny, but to carefully address debates on such topics. On monthly meetings, all the church communities discuss organizational items, but also may discuss religious issues.

Currently there are eight churches from four continents, all of the Protestantism faith, situated in the centre. In addition to the Francophone community from the Republic of the Congo, there are also an Anglophone community of citizens from Nigeria, two Latin American churches for Spanish and Portuguese speaking people, a Tamil community, a Korean church, a Finnish church and a Swiss free church situated in the centre. As at many places in Switzerland, 'loud' worship often is not tolerated, and many communities have difficulty to find locations; therefore the centre promotes these charismatic churches, having in Switzerland usually called 'long', 'loud' and 'exotic' worship.

...
Wikipedia