Church technology company gears up for European venture

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The Danish church start-up and technology company, ChurchDesk, has secured a prominent European church leader to spearhead the company's international development strategy. The 59-year-old Danish theologian and current General Secretary of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) in Brussels, Jørgen Skov Sørensen, is leaving the European Capital at the beginning of the new year and will be tasked with developing ChurchDesk's European engagement out of the Copenhagen office.

ChurchDesk's founder and CEO, Christian Steffensen, is delighted to have secured a central figure in European church life to build on the success ChurchDesk already enjoys beyond Denmark's borders. After initially focusing on congregations in Denmark, the company has in recent years made a strong mark in Germany, where more than 2,000 parishes have opted for the solution during the last 24 months. Here, both Catholic and Protestant churches benefit from ChurchDesk's digital tools in communication, planning, payments and collaboration.

"The positive feedback from our users in Germany has given us the opportunity to expand internationally. We work with churches with the aim of building tools that help develop the church and meet people where they are," says Christian Steffensen and continues: "With his broad church experience and his international outlook and network, Jørgen Skov Sørensen can help identify both communication needs and collaboration opportunities in European church life."

ChurchDesk was established in 2012. From humble beginnings in a Copenhagen basement, the company has grown in 11 years to become a leading European supplier to churches and parishes. Denmark and Germany have so far been the prioritised markets, but a strategic investment will now bring digital solutions even further into the European church landscape.

Jørgen Skov Sørensen is already familiar with the challenges facing European churches, where there is a need for new structures and a focus on reaching out more broadly to members. "In the modern media landscape, it's all about credibility and standing out from the crowd. The church has a significant history, a tradition and a mission that stands out, but it needs to be made accessible and communicated more actively and targeted," he says.

"From my position as General Secretary of 114 churches in the Conference of European Churches, I have listened to church leaders discussing over and over how to best reach out to the community, how to meet their members and others interested in church and spirituality," adds Jørgen Skov Sørensen and continues: "ChurchDesk helps to solve this task in an innovative and forward-looking way, and I personally look forward to being part of a team that is leading the way in supporting all levels of church structures with concrete tools."

ChurchDesk works with over 5,000 parishes in Europe. The company employs more than 35 employees from 9 countries with offices in Copenhagen and Berlin. Jørgen Skov Sørensen, who has been General Secretary of the Conference of European Churches in Brussels since 2020, will take up his new position in Copenhagen at the turn of the year.

Further quotes and information can be obtained from:

Christian Steffensen, Mobile: +45 51202254, Email: cs@churchdesk.com
Jørgen Skov Sørensen, Mobile: +45 40436811, Email: jss@churchdesk.com

Jørgen Skov Sørensen

Jørgen Skov Sørensen - Ⓒ CEC - Born 1964 in Kolding
- Master of Theology from Aarhus University, Denmark (1994)
- PhD from Birmingham University, UK (2005)
- Head of Secretariat, International and Ecumenical Council, Ev. Luth. Church in Denmark, 2006 – 2015
- General Secretary in Danmission 2016 - 2019
- General Secretary of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) 2020 - 2023
- Joins ChurchDesk as International Business Developer 1 January 2024

churchdesk_blue_v-2 ChurchDesk ApS was founded in 2012 by Christian Steffensen with the purpose of helping the church develop and meet people. The company works with over 5,000 parishes across Europe. The company employs more than 35 employees from 9 countries with offices in Copenhagen, London and Berlin.

www.churchdesk.com