Some evangelical groups in Switzerland are unhappy after a number of Christian youth organisations were left without support by the government.
Ten groups were recently told they would no longer receive state funding. Now a decision has been made to deprive them of government quality labels for youth work.
That decision has prompted dismay from the Swiss Evangelical Alliance as well as a wider group, with a petition against the decision being signed by over 11,000 people in a few days.
Evangelical Focus reports that the financial support was pulled three years ago because 'The Court said these organisations were only focused on mission, whereas all other activities (singing, sport, outdoor-programmes) were only a means to the missionary end.'
Switzerland was one of the centres of the Protestant Reformation and the majority of the Swiss population identifies as either Swiss Reformed or Roman Catholic. Self-identified evangelicals are a small group, though, with only one to two per cent of the Swiss population of eight and a half million.
Andi Bachmann-Roth, a spokesperson for the Swiss Evangelical Alliance, said: 'We hope this decision is not the last word. But the Christian youth work would not collapse after the exclusion. As a reaction, I think the financial support from the churches would be even stronger. One of the reactions is to stand together stronger, which is an effect that is very important right now.'
