Chrischona International
A Swiss-founded international evangelical church association in the pietist tradition, active from 1840 until its international association work ceased in 2019.
Last updated September 28, 2026
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Overview
Chrischona International, known until May 2014 as the Pilgermission St. Chrischona, was an international evangelical church association rooted in the pietist tradition. Its origin and centre lay in the hamlet of St. Chrischona on the hill of the same name in the municipality of Bettingen near Basel, Switzerland, and for more than 150 years the name served as the identity for all its congregations. The movement was founded on 8 March 1840 by Christian Friedrich Spittler in the rebuilt former pilgrimage church of St. Chrischona, with the aim of training working people who felt called to preaching, pastoral care and missionary service. Spittler's guiding thought was that if Christians worked to make the heathen Christian, they must not neglect to ensure that Christians did not become heathen. Over the following decades the movement expanded into a network of congregations and training institutions. After Spittler's death in 1867, Carl Heinrich Rappard led the work as inspector until 1909, and together with his wife Dora Rappard, the 'mother of Chrischona', he shaped the training centre into the first evangelist school in the German-speaking world. The first Chrischona congregation in Switzerland was founded in 1869 in the farming village of Mattwil in the canton of Thurgau; the first in Germany followed in 1878 in Lich near Gießen; further foundations came in Alsace in 1913, in southern Africa in 1966 and in Luxembourg in 1992. In 1919 the movement founded its own publishing house, the Brunnen Verlag in Gießen, Germany. By 2018 the association comprised nearly 200 congregations in Switzerland, Germany, France, South Africa, Namibia and Luxembourg, with roughly 20,000 weekly visitors. The congregations continue to exist and remain part of their national associations; only the international association work was ended. In 2019 Chrischona International ceased its association activities and handed some of its tasks to its daughter association, the Theologisches Seminar St. Chrischona (tsc). The German branch has been organised since 1997 as the non-profit association Chrischona Gemeinschaftswerk e. V. (CGW), which belongs to the Evangelischer Gnadauer Gemeinschaftsverband and includes 69 congregations and several works, such as the Chrischona-Service-Gesellschaft and the Flensunger Hof conference and leisure centre in Mücke. The Swiss association decided in 2021 to rename its roughly 90 Chrischona congregations as Viva Kirche Schweiz from May 2022. Theologically, Chrischona International formulated no confessions of its own but recognised the ancient church and Reformation confessions and represented the positions of the Evangelical Alliance and the Lausanne Covenant. Its congregations held an evangelical faith of a pietist-evangelical character. In Switzerland the roughly 100 Chrischona congregations are members of the Verband Evangelischer Freikirchen und Gemeinden in der Schweiz (VFG); in Germany the Chrischona Gemeinschaftswerk is a free work within the Evangelical Church. The movement also maintained a Deaconess Mother House, founded in 1925, which at times counted 324 sisters and in 2015 still around 100, and which since a 2009 restructuring has focused on elderly care, training and the promotion of social-missionary projects.
History
The first church building on the Bettingen height dates from the 7th century. The name St. Chrischona was first mentioned in 1356 and probably refers to the grave of a Saint Christiana, who was canonised in 1504; the canonisation prompted the construction of the present late-Gothic building, which was destroyed in the Thirty Years' War. On 8 March 1840 Christian Friedrich Spittler founded the Pilgermission St. Chrischona in the former pilgrimage church of St. Chrischona, which had been rebuilt at his instigation, with the goal of training working people who felt called to preaching, pastoral care and missionary service. Besides the distress in distant lands, he was moved by the spiritual distress of the de-churched people at home. His guiding thought was: 'If we take care that the heathen become Christians, we must not neglect to see to it that Christians do not become heathen.' He trained young men to send them into the world as 'pilgrim missionaries'. After Spittler's death in 1867, Carl Heinrich Rappard took over this legacy as inspector until 1909. Together with his wife Dora Rappard, the 'mother of Chrischona', he reshaped the training centre into the first evangelist school in the German-speaking world. In 1888 Rappard was a co-founder of the Gnadauer Gemeinschaftskonferenz. In 1895 Chrischona founded the China Inland Mission in cooperation with Hudson Taylor. In 1909 Friedrich Veiel became the new inspector and leader of the Pilgermission, a role he held for 38 years. In the same year, in a decidedly progressive step, a 'Bible school for daughters' was established. In 1869 the first Chrischona congregation in Switzerland arose in the farming village of Mattwil in the canton of Thurgau, then still called a 'Gemeinschaft'; Markus Hauser was its first preacher from 1872. In 1878 the first Chrischona congregation in Germany was founded in Lich near Gießen. A first foundation in Alsace followed in 1913, in southern Africa in 1966 and in Luxembourg in 1992. Over time holiday, youth and old people's homes were attached. St. Chrischona engaged in literary work and in 1919 founded its own publishing house, the Brunnen Verlag in the German city of Gießen. In 1925 the Diakonissen-Mutterhaus St. Chrischona was founded and 20 sisters joined. The deaconesses live in a binding community of faith, life and service. At times 324 sisters belonged to this community; in 2015 there were still around 100. Since the restructuring of the organisation and the founding of the 'Stiftung Diakonissen-Mutterhaus St. Chrischona (DMH)' in 2009, the DMH's mandate has focused on elderly care, training (Manoah elderly care school, Lörrach) and the promotion of social-missionary projects (2008: Lechaim e. V., Lörrach and 2007 basecamp e. V., Prenzlau). The Deaconess Mother House is led by the Oberin; in 2019 Christine Zimmermann took over this office from Sister Ursula Seebach. In May 2015 the new theological leader, Pastor Friedhelm Geiß, was installed. Among his main tasks was to shape a multi-generational residential park to be built by 2019 on St. Chrischona near Basel. In 2022 a residential park with 31 apartments for families or singles opened at the Deaconess Mother House; two of them are used for outpatient treatment of mentally ill patients, and a bell tower was erected in the centre of the park. The Nazi period from 1933 to 1945 was a difficult time for the Chrischona congregations and their members in Germany. They moved – like other churches – ... In May 2014 the Pilgermission St. Chrischona was renamed Chrischona International. By 2018 the association comprised nearly 200 congregations in Switzerland, Germany, France, South Africa, Namibia and Luxembourg with roughly 20,000 weekly visitors. In 2019 it ceased its association work and handed some of its tasks to its daughter association, the Theologisches Seminar St. Chrischona (tsc). The congregations continue to exist and remain part of their national associations; only the international association work was ended. The German branch has been organised since 1997 as the non-profit association Chrischona Gemeinschaftswerk e. V. (CGW). The Swiss association decided in 2021 to rename its roughly 90 Chrischona congregations as Viva Kirche Schweiz from May 2022.
- 2022
A residential park with 31 apartments opens at the Deaconess Mother House.
- 2021
The Swiss association decides to rename its roughly 90 Chrischona congregations as Viva Kirche Schweiz from May 2022.
- 2019
Chrischona International ceases its association work and hands some tasks to the Theologisches Seminar St. Chrischona (tsc). Christine Zimmermann becomes Oberin of the Deaconess Mother House.
- 2018
The association comprises nearly 200 congregations in six countries with roughly 20,000 weekly visitors.
- 2015
Pastor Friedhelm Geiß is installed as theological leader of the Deaconess Mother House in May.
- 2014
In May the Pilgermission St. Chrischona is renamed Chrischona International.
- 2009
The 'Stiftung Diakonissen-Mutterhaus St. Chrischona (DMH)' is founded, restructuring the Deaconess Mother House.
- 1997
The German branch is organised as the non-profit association Chrischona Gemeinschaftswerk e. V. (CGW).
- 1992
First Chrischona foundation in Luxembourg.
- 1966
First Chrischona foundation in southern Africa.
Products and positioning
An international evangelical church association in the pietist tradition, recognising the ancient church and Reformation confessions and representing the Evangelical Alliance and Lausanne Covenant positions.
Theologisches Seminar St. Chrischona (tsc)
Theological seminary descended from the Pilgermission St. Chrischona, which took over some tasks when the association ceased in 2019.
Chrischona Gemeinschaftswerk e. V. (CGW)
German branch organised since 1997 as a non-profit association, including 69 congregations and works such as the Chrischona-Service-Gesellschaft and the Flensunger Hof centre.
Diakonissen-Mutterhaus St. Chrischona
Deaconess mother house founded in 1925, focused since 2009 on elderly care, training and social-missionary projects.
Brunnen Verlag
Publishing house founded by St. Chrischona in 1919 in Gießen, Germany.
Flensunger Hof
Conference and leisure centre in Mücke belonging to the Chrischona Gemeinschaftswerk.
Sources4 sources
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