Filadelfiakyrkan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Filadelfia Church |
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Filadelfiakyrkan
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Filadelfiakyrkan in May 2010
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| Location | Stockholm |
| Country | Sweden |
| Denomination | Swedish Pentecostal Movement |
| History | |
| Consecrated | 2 November 1930 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Philadelphia Stockholm |
Filadelfiakyrkan, which means 'the Philadelphia Church', is a large Pentecostal church building located at Rörstrandsgatan 7 in Stockholm, Sweden. It was officially opened on November 2, 1930. The building is owned by the Filadelfia Stockholm group. This group is the biggest Pentecostal movement in Sweden and also the largest Pentecostal group in Europe, with about 5,400 members in 2015.
The Stockholm City Museum has said that this church building is very important because of its history and culture. The church building is right next to Rörstrand Castle. Since 2019, Kaggeholm Folk High School has been located there. The church building was completely updated for over 100 million SEK. This big renovation happened around the time of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Contents
How the Church Was Built
The Filadelfia Church was built between 1929 and 1930. It was designed by architect Birger Jonson. The construction work was done by Karl Ljungberg's company. The church was officially opened on November 2, 1930.
Location and Design
The church was built on the old factory site of Rörstrand Porcelain. Part of the old Rörstrand castle was taken down to make space for it. The name of the property, Stengodset 2, reminds people that it used to be a place where stoneware was made. You can still see a small part of the old castle next to the church's eastern side.
Birger Jonsson designed Filadelfiakyrkan in a very modern style for its time, called functionalist. This style focuses on how useful a building is. The church is seen as one of the first important buildings in Sweden to use this architectural style.
Inside the Church
The outside of Filadelfiakyrkan has a light grey brick wall that is slightly curved. It also has a strong-looking entrance area. The main room inside is very large and is used for concerts too. The sanctuary, which is the main worship area, looks like an auditorium. It has a wide stage and two levels of seating.
The room was designed to have great sound. This was achieved with a curved ceiling and an auditorium that gets wider at the back and narrower towards the stage. The outside shape of the church, with its curved front facing Rörstrandsgatan, shows how the sanctuary is shaped inside. The wide entrance with big granite columns also tells you that it's a place for many people to gather.
Church Size and History
The idea to buy Rörstrand Castle and build Filadelfiakyrkan came from pastor Lewi Pethrus. He was the first leader of the church group and a very important leader of the young Pentecostal movement in Sweden.
Filadelfiakyrkan is the second largest free church building in Europe. A "free church" is a church that is independent and not supported by the government. For many years, it was the biggest meeting place in Stockholm. When it was first built, it could seat 3,500 people. Today, it seats 2,200 people. The only free church building in Europe that is larger is the Livets Ord building in Uppsala, which can seat about 6,200 people.
Music and Special Events
For the church's opening, the music director, Karl-Erik Svedlund, wrote a special piece of music called a cantata. A cantata is a type of music for an orchestra, choir, and singers. Einar Ekberg, a singer in the church group, also wrote music for the 32nd Psalm for the opening. He sang it for the first time at the dedication.
The church space has also been used for many concerts. One time, the Nobel Prize was even awarded in the church. This happened when the Stockholm Concert Hall was being fixed up.
