Baptisms and conversions have risen across Germany’s Federation of Free Evangelical Churches, as new figures suggest congregational life has largely rebounded after the setbacks of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Federation of Free Evangelical Churches in Germany (FeG) had 504 congregations and 40,933 members at the end of 2025, according to its latest statistics.
The denomination said membership had returned to slight growth after a pandemic-related decline, while baptisms, conversions and church attendance had all increased.
Around 2,700 conversions were documented during the latest two-year reporting period, compared with fewer than 2,000 in comparable periods up to 2021 and around 2,400 by 2023.
The rise in baptisms was even sharper.
Over four years, the number of baptismal services went up from 554 to 822, while the number of people baptised increased from 1,491 to 2,624 - an increase of about 76%.
Managing director of the FeG, Guido Sadler, said the figures were a source of “great joy and gratitude”.
“We are witnessing people asking about God anew or again, finding faith, and consciously choosing a life with Jesus Christ,” he said. “The fact that this trend is so clearly evident in baptisms is a great encouragement for us.”
Church attendance has also rebounded strongly.
While the proportion of members attending services fell to 62% during the pandemic in 2021, by the end of 2025 that figure had climbed to 92%, bringing regular church life close to its pre-pandemic level.
President of the FeG, Henrik Otto, said the recovery was encouraging but should not lead to complacency.
“We are happy and grateful that we have overcome the Corona-related slump,” he said. “At the same time, we are not yet satisfied. The return to previous levels is no reason for us to rest on our laurels.”
He added that the denomination wanted to use the renewed momentum to help more people come to faith, build relationships and mature in their faith.
The figures also show continued growth in the number of people connected to congregations without formally becoming members.
According to FeG, the proportion of “friends of the church” compared with members has grown consistently in recent years, including during periods when overall membership declined.
The denomination said this reflected the role of congregations as places where people can form friendships and experience community even without formally joining a local church.
Church planting remains another major part of FeG’s growth strategy.
The average congregation size has fallen slightly over the span of the last six years, from 84 members to around 81, but the federation attributes much of this to the establishment of new churches, which typically begin with smaller groups.
Head of the FeG’s domestic mission, Sascha Rützenhoff, said church planting was “an integral part of our church association’s DNA”.
“We not only want to maintain existing churches, but also continually plant new ones so that people in more and more places have the opportunity to get to know Jesus Christ and experience Christian fellowship,” he said.
FeG leaders also say new congregations are helping to support the denomination’s long-term future.
Despite demographic pressures, the average age of church members has risen by only 1.2 years over the past six years and now stands at just above 53.
Sadler said the latest figures strengthened the case for continued investment in new congregations.
“The fact that we now have 504 churches and at the same time see such encouraging developments in conversions and baptisms encourages us to consistently continue on this path,” he said.
He continued: “We can see that new congregations do more than establish a presence in new locations. They bring people together, open up new opportunities, and contribute to ensuring that the Federation of Free Evangelical Churches remains vibrant and viable for future generations.
“Behind every number are people who are discovering faith, experiencing community, being baptized, or embarking on the journey to plant a new church.”
The Federation of Free Evangelical Churches was founded in 1874 and is made up of independent local congregations across Germany.
It is connected to the Evangelical Alliance in Germany and belongs to both the Association of Evangelical Free Churches and the Council of Christian Churches.
The latest figures are based on data submitted by member congregations every two years and reviewed by regional representatives before being analysed by the federation.
