Danish church prepares for crises with emergency power, candles, and manual piano

A church in Aarhus, Denmark, is expanding its crisis preparedness plans, equipping itself to serve as an emergency hub with backup power, medical assistance, and support for the local community in potential blackouts or disasters.

Since New Year’s, the Danish National Church has had protocols for registering births and deaths during power outages, but Egå Church north of Aarhus is taking further steps, according to Rebekka Holst Andersen, who leads the church’s social work in the city.

“Some locations will make small investments like batteries, but Egå Church is developing more comprehensive contingency plans,” Andersen said. The church’s parish hall could be converted into a crisis and information center for the injured and their relatives.

“In Egå, they aim to invest on a larger scale, which naturally takes longer. But if something happens tomorrow, they are already prepared to provide staff and facilities,” she added.

The church has installed solar panels to secure electricity for the parish hall and cooling in the chapel, explained church warden Thorvald Kjær Jensen. A priority list determines where power is most needed.

“The church has a manual piano and plenty of candles we can light, so it isn’t the top priority for emergency power,” Jensen said.

Dorte Bøtker, deputy chair of the parish council and a trained nurse, expects to assist with minor injuries and difficult conversations. “The church is where we naturally gather. We have the space, the people, and the willingness to help—it’s only natural we step in during a crisis,” she said.

The church has established a disaster committee with a clear chain of command, ensuring all staff know their roles in an emergency.