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Pastor: Rev. Richard A. Davis
Since March 2000, Richard has served as the senior
pastor of the International Protestant Church (IPC) of Zürich,
Switzerland. He was born and raised in the United States and in 1971
began a full-time career in Christian ministry which has included
serving on the staff of Young Life International and pastoral ministry
positions in suburban and urban churches in the U.S. and Europe. He
has a passion for relational (and multi-national) ministry, teaching
and preaching, writing, and discipleship.
Richard is married to Susan, and they have two grown children living in
the States. His academic background includes: a Bachelor of Arts degree
from the University of Minnesota, a Master of Arts from Luther
Theological Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, and a Master of Divinity
from San Francisco Theological Seminary in San Anselmo, California. His
ordination is with The Presbyterian Church, U.S.A.
Richard says this about IPC Zurich:
I’m privileged to introduce you to one of the most fascinating churches
you will ever encounter. And that’s no exaggeration. I have my bias as a
pastor here, but every “parent” is entitled to boast about his “family”
on occasion. So, here goes!
Instead of statistics, I prefer giving you some general impressions
about the community that gathers here to worship and serve together.
First, we’re truly an international congregation. We have so many
nationalities in membership that we’ve stopped counting. And this
doesn’t include our many visitors. In an age when fear has driven many
into isolation, we gather in mutual trust and respect to fellowship
weekly and celebrate our differences under the banner of God’s love.
Where does this happen in our society? Such bridge-building alone makes
IPC unique.
In addition, we are all ages and from every imaginable mix of faith
background and social standing. But this we have in common: we profess
Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and we accept the Bible as God’s
authoritative Word. This is our common bond, where all of our
differences give way to unity in faith.
Lastly, we believe the Christian life is full of meaning and joy. In
other words, we’re serious about our faith but not so serious that we
stop having fun. We strive to live what we profess while allowing one
another freedom to mature in Christ at his or her own speed. None of us
can claim spiritual completeness, but we’re firmly committed to knowing
Christ better and seeking God’s will.
If you are looking for a church, I invite you to prayerfully and
carefully consider whether IPC might be the one for you. We’re not a
church for everyone...no church is...but I do believe there is something
fulfilling for you here, even if you may be in Zurich for only a short
time. I can tell you this, even if I didn’t work here, this would be the
church my wife and I would attend. I’m so proud of this congregation
that I’m eager for you to have the chance to get to know us. And for us
to get to know you! May it happen.
Yours in Christ,
Richard Davis
Pastor
A note from Richard....
(updated monthly)
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Associate Pastor: Rev. Tom Haugen
Rev. Tom Haugen grew up in Seattle, Washington and Atlanta, Georgia. He has a BA from the University of Georgia,
a MDiv from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and a ThM from The University of Edinburgh. Tom also
has over 16 years of experience ministering to high school students, college students and adults
through the church and Young Life. Before moving to Switzerland Tom and his wife served together as
the Directors of Young Adult ministries at Peachtree Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, GA. Since February
2004, Tom is the Associate Pastor of IPC.
Here some words from Tom about himself ... I've been wrestling with the best way to tell you
about myself. I'd love to tell you all
about my beautiful wife Lauri, who I enjoy serving the Lord with here in Switzerland; she's amazing!
I am a proud papa of two precious little girls, so I could use lots of ink telling you about my daughters
Melia and Annika. I could go on and on about my love of the mountains or my desire to spend my free time
riding my road bike and hiking in the Alps. Maybe I should tell you all about my love of coffee, I was born
in Seattle, Washington, it's in me. But all these things don't quite capture what's deep at the core of who
I am. So let me tell you about twenty-minutes that changed my life forever. When I was eighteen years old
my Young Life leader took me to a camp where I heard the Good News that Jesus Christ died on the cross and
rose from the dead so I could have a personal relationship with Him. I was given twenty-minutes under the
starry southern sky to reflect on this awesome truth. During this quiet time I gave all that I knew of
myself to all that I knew about Jesus and asked Him to come live in my heart. At that moment I became a
new creation and a desire to serve the Lord began to grow in my heart. Ultimately, this is what led me to
seminary and the International Protestant Church of Zürich. A desire to tell others about Jesus Christ and
a passion to walk alongside people who want to grow closer to Jesus. If you ever want to talk or just hang
out, let me know. Maybe we can grab a cup of coffee or go for a bike ride around lake Zürich or a hike
in the Swiss Alps.
A note from Tom....
(updated monthly)
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