Not another annual report from an aid agency in Switzerland for 2024! But NAK-Diakonia has completely different tasks than NAK-Humanitas: the difference and the current figures.
The aid agency NAK-Humanitas is primarily involved in humanitarian aid. To NAK-Humanitas it does not matter whether you belong to a particular denomination or which part of the world you live in—it provides aid whenever and wherever it is needed.
NAK-Diakonia, on the other hand, exclusively supports the work of the New Apostolic Church Switzerland in fulfilling its pastoral tasks in the countries served by Switzerland. This includes, above all:
- providing and maintaining suitable church premises and their equipment
- training programmes for ministers, teachers, musicians, and management staff
- funding events and activities for children and young people
The foundation places particular emphasis on individual support. For example, targeted direct aid or the annual Christmas campaign help Church members coping with difficult social situations throughout the District Apostle Area of Switzerland.
Main source of income: Thanksgiving offerings
For 2024, NAK-Diakonia can report income of around 960,000 Swiss francs. A good 665,000 Swiss francs of these funds come from the thank-offering in the New Apostolic Church Switzerland, that is, the special donations made by Church members at Thanksgiving.
A total of 419 individual donations without a specified purpose amounted to 214,000 Swiss francs. Almost 81,000 Swiss francs were donated to specific projects.
A pause in construction
While income in 2024 was at the previous year’s level, expenditure was 842,000 lower, at just over 1.4 million. The reason for this was that less work needed to be done on church buildings. Expenditure on core tasks amounted to just over 1.3 million Swiss francs and administrative costs came to around 124,000.
This leaves a current operating deficit—offset by income from capital investments—of around 470,000 Swiss francs. The foundation was able to compensate for this with its rainy day fund. At the end of the 2024 financial year, this fund still held nearly 11.8 million Swiss francs.
What the money is used for
A total of CHF 1.3 million was spent on what is known as “pastoral services”. The provision and maintenance of church buildings required the largest financial commitment, requiring around 663,000 francs. Renovation and maintenance work was carried out as part of the planning, with changing country focal points. In 2024, it was the turn of Alicante, Palma de Mallorca, Rome, Nocera Umbra, Galați, Sighișoara, Dornbirn, and Götzis, for example.
An extensive training programme for ministers, teachers, leaders of children and youth activities, and music enthusiasts cost 233,000 francs. Numerous seminars and workshops with practical exercises were held in Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Moldova, Romania, and Spain.
Activities for children and young people were supported with CHF 186,000 and larger events with CHF 40,000. Young people gathered in Lido di Jesolo in Italy and in Sighișoara in Romania for youth conventions lasting several days. A week of activities for children from two districts took place at Casa San Rocco in Dalpe.
Musicians from the Spanish districts were able to take part in an instrumental workshop in Guardamar del Segura. The programme developed there was then presented to brothers and sisters from Murcia, Torrevieja, and Alicante during a concert. The Coro Sur project choir from the Sur church district in Spain delighted its listeners during a concert in Fuengirola. These two project examples were made possible by donations totalling around 28,000 Swiss francs.
Members living in difficult circumstances received a one-off financial contribution. This assistance was provided in all countries served by District Apostle Area Switzerland. Funds amounting to around 185,000 francs contributed to this. Although the social and economic situation has eased somewhat and although price increases are still being felt in many countries, there has been a slight decline in applications for support.
Thomas Deubel, President of the Board of Trustees and District Apostle of Switzerland, writes, “Thanks to your generous support, we were once again able to achieve a great deal last year.” On 25 June 2024, he took over as chairman of the board from Jürg Zbinden, the retired District Apostle.