Christian Council of Sweden facts for kids
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Sveriges kristna råd
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| Formation | 15 December 1992 |
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| Type | Christian ecumenical organization |
| Headquarters | Gustavslundsvägen 8, Stockholm, Sweden |
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Official language
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Swedish |
The Christian Council of Sweden (called Sveriges kristna råd in Swedish) is a special group that brings together many different Christian churches and organizations in Sweden. It was started on December 15, 1992. Its main goal is to help these different churches work together and understand each other better. This idea of different churches working together is called ecumenism.
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What is Ecumenism?
Ecumenism is all about Christian churches from different traditions coming together. Even though they might have different ways of worshiping or slightly different beliefs, they share a common faith in Jesus Christ. The Christian Council of Sweden helps them talk, learn from each other, and work on projects that benefit everyone. It's like different teams in a big league playing together for a common goal.
Who are the Members?
The Christian Council of Sweden includes many types of Christian churches. In 2013, these were some of the groups that were members:
Free Church Movement
These churches often started outside of traditional state churches. They focus on personal faith and community.
- Evangelical Free Church
- Uniting Church in Sweden
- Salvation Army
- Swedish Pentecostal Movement
- Swedish Alliance Mission
- Vineyard Norden
Lutheran Churches
Lutheran churches follow the teachings of Martin Luther. The Church of Sweden is a large Lutheran church.
- Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church
- Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church
- Church of Sweden (including the Swedish Evangelical Mission)
- Hungarian Protestant Church
Eastern Orthodox Churches
These churches are part of the Eastern Christian tradition. They have ancient roots and unique worship styles.
- Bulgarian Orthodox Church
- Finnish Orthodox Church
- Macedonian Orthodox Church
- Romanian Orthodox Church
- Russian Orthodox Church (Parish of the Transfiguration of Jesus)
- Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarcate)
- Serbian Orthodox Church
- Saint Selasse Ethipic Orthodox Church
Oriental Orthodox Churches
These churches are also very old Christian traditions, separate from Eastern Orthodox churches.
- Armenian Apostolic Church
- Ethiopian Orthodox Church
- Coptic Orthodox Church
- Syriac Orthodox Archdiocese of Sweden and the Rest of Scandinavia
Church of the East
This is another ancient Christian tradition, with its own unique history and practices.
- Assyrian Church of the East
- Old Church of the East
Roman Catholic Church
The Roman Catholic Church is the largest Christian church worldwide.
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Stockholm
Observing Members
Some groups are "observing members." This means they participate and watch, but might not be full members.
Earlier Members
Over time, some churches have joined together or changed their names. Here are a few groups that were members in the past:
- Estonian Orthodox Church
- French Orthodox Church
- Free Baptist Union (later became part of the Evangelical Free Church in Sweden)
- Sanctification Union (later became part of the Evangelical Free Church in Sweden)
- United Methodist Church of Sweden (later became part of the Uniting Church in Sweden)
- Swedish Baptism Union (later became part of the Uniting Church in Sweden)
- Mission Covenant Church of Sweden (later became part of the Uniting Church in Sweden)
- Örebro Mission (later became part of the Evangelical Free Church in Sweden)
