Church providers are institutions under church ownership – such as hospitals, care homes, schools, nurseries and counselling centres. They are a central pillar of Germany's social economy. Caritas (Catholic) and Diakonie (Protestant) are the largest representatives, alongside numerous monastic orders and foundation-based providers.
Church providers use the "third way" of labour law: instead of classic collective agreements with the right to strike, they operate through joint commissions with employment guidelines (AVR). Conditions are comparable to public-sector tariffs, often mirroring TVöD or TV-L standards. Co-determination takes place via staff representations rather than works councils.
In practice, church providers often offer long-term, stable employment with clear values. In recent years, the requirement for church loyalty has been dropped or eased for many roles – only in positions with direct religious mandate does denomination remain relevant.
Lunigi lists curated roles from church providers transparently – with clear labelling of the respective AVR rules.