Who we are

Partner sein has been created in 1970 through a decision of the national Synod of the Old catholic Church of Switzerland. The Revd Franz Murbach, its first president, succeeded in building up a modest but very active relief organisation in the field of development in Africa and Asia and supports projects enabling empowerment of the people. In case of disaster, Partner sein supports the affected people in Asia, Africa or elsewhere.

Thanks to her relief organisation Partner sein, the Old catholic Church of Switzerland assumes her diaconal duty outside of the national borders. Old catholic people show that way their solidarity to christian disadvantaged persons of other countries.

Most of the projects supported by Partner sein are sketched and conducted by partners from the local Churches. These partners are Old catholic Churches of the Utrecht Union or Churches who stand in communion with the Old catholic Church of Switzerland. That's why the anglican dioceses in Africa and the dioceses of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente are the most frequent partners, which have no other financial resource.

The information work in Switzerland is guaranteed by the media of the Old catholic Church of Switzerland, by the parishes and by a network of contact persons in the parishes. To get to know one another, the foreign partners are regularly invited in Switzerland ; and reciprocally committee members from Partner sein visit on the spot the projects of the supported partners.

Here you can download the statuts of Partner sein.