ICF Movement Leadership Team
Leo & Susanna Bigger
Leo Bigger, born 1968 in Buchs SG, has been living in Zurich since 1991. He is a professional offset printer and later studied theology at IGW Bible School in Zurich. In 1996 he took over the responsibility for ICF, which had been founded five years prior in Zurich as an interdenominational church. He now is the Senior Pastor of ICF Zurich and of the ICF Movement, with 37 locations in seven countries (as per 2012). Leo has been married to Susanna since 1991 and they have two sons (1999 and 2001).
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Together with Leo, Susanna leads ICF Zurich and the ICF Movement. She has started and developed the Ladies’ Lounge and is an inspiration to many people in all of Europe through her personality.
Susanna has been married to Leo since 1991 and they have two sons (1999 and 2001).
Tobias & Frauke Teichen
Tobias Teichen was born in 1977 in Scheinfurt and has lived in Munich since 1997. There he studied to become a teacher with Theology as his main subject. He worked as a teacher for a total of 12 years.
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Frauke Teichen (born in 1977) is a service manager in aviation and a certified social pedagogue. Faith in God has been something natural since her childhood, partly because her grandfathers were both preachers. Her dream is to acquaint people with God‘s love and to help them live their faith in a practical and concrete way in their everyday life. “Prayer" and "taking God’s speaking seriously" are the most central concerns of her heart.
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In 2005, Tobias and Frauke started a church with some friends which was affiliated with the ICF movement. Their vision was a non-denominational and contemporary church where people can experience God in a new way and grow in their relationship with Jesus. Together they are now the Lead Pastors of ICF Munich as well as the ICF Movement in Germany. They have been married since 2000 and have a son (Benedict, 2009).
Niklaus & Andrea Burkhalter
Niklaus (Chlöisu) Burkhalter, born 1967, is the lead pastor of ICF Berne and the locations Biel, Thun, Interlaken, Upper Valais and Fribourg. ICF Berne celebrated its twentieth anniversary in 2019. Chlöisu has also been the coach and advisor of all ICF churches in Switzerland for a few years. Chlöisu Burkhalter completed his teacher training after completing his apprenticeship and worked part-time as a vocational school teacher until 2012. Since 2012 he has been working full-time as Lead Pastor. In 2020 he successfully completed a master’s degree in coaching, organisational development and supervision. Niklaus is married to Andrea and has three teenage children.
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Andrea Burkhalter, born 1972, is Lead Pastor of ICF Bern and its locations. Together with her husband she founded the ICF church in Bern. As a pioneer she built up various areas of the church. She has lived out her know-how as a teacher and curative educator in her family and has also repeatedly let it flow into the church activities, whether it be in ICF Kids, as a member of the leadership team or as a course or small group leader. Today Andrea works primarily in the strategic-visionary area of the church.
Rene & Ilana Schubert
After a turbulent teenage phase, Rene came to faith in Jesus at the age of 20 and since then has been enthusiastic and convinced that the church is the hope of the world. He began his full-time ministry position as an ICF Pastor in 2011 after eight years of full-time work as a social therapist in Switzerland.
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Ilana grew up in Switzerland and was originally a trained educator. When she founded the first ICF in Austria with Rene 10 years ago, she also founded and led a day care centre for school children. Besides ICF she also works as an artist and has her own studio. She loves creative projects and is a versatile all-purpose weapon with a great sense of humour.
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Rene and Ilana Schubert have been married since 2004 and together they run ICF Vienna and are responsible for all ICF locations in Austria.
Joel Spirgi
Joel Spirgi, born in 1985, studied Information Technologies and worked for a Swiss bank for ten years.
Together with his wife Stephanie, he went to a pastoral & leadership College in Sydney, Australia in 2011 and studied there for three years. Joel is passionate about the local church and its strategical development and is currently finishing his Theology degree. He has two son’s, Jayden (2016) and Jaxon (2018).