This paper examines the theological challenges arising from the tension between the church’s proclaimed "immortality "(Matt 16:18) and the experience of declining congregations in Western European countries. As a case study, I will analyze the pastoral letters by Hans Gerny, bishop of the Swiss Old Catholic Church from 1986 to 2002. Gerny was faced with declining membership numbers, dwindling funds and an increasing exhaustion of volunteers and clergy. How do these challenges shape the way Gerny conceptualizes church? The paper tries to illuminate the dynamics of translating and contextualizing ecclesial identity in secular contexts.