Liechtenstein: Churches set to lose government funding

Written by Super User 07 Jul 2011

Churches in Liechtenstein, one of the world's smallest countries, could face financial disaster under government plans to withdraw state subsidies under new legislation. ‘This will be a drastic change - we depend on financial support, and there'll be no chance of obtaining it if the new law goes ahead,’ said Markus Meidert, president of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Liechtenstein. But the new law will be especially hard and treacherous for smaller churches like ours, who have none of the Catholic Church's resources.’ A bill before Liechtenstein's 25-member parliament proposes to end the Roman Catholic Church's status as official state church and also withdraw state subsidies from recognised religious communities. Mr Meidert told ENI news that state grants account for half the current budget of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, which has no means of generating income like Christian churches in neighbouring Germany.

Pray: for the churches in Liechtenstein as they face this challenge and pray that they remember that God is Jehovah Jireh and He will provide. (Mt.16:18)

More: http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/15054

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