Swedish Evangelical Mission facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Swedish Evangelical Mission
Evangeliska Fosterlands-Stiftelsen
Möllebacken Church in Karlskrona.
Classification	Protestant/Lutheran
Orientation	Low church Lutheran/Evangelical Lutheran
Origin	7 May 1856 (1856-05-07)
Other name(s)	Fosterländska stiftelsen för Evangelii befrämjande
Publications	Budbäraren [sv]

The Swedish Evangelical Mission (often called SEM or EFS) is a special Christian movement in Sweden. It is part of the Church of Sweden but also works independently. EFS focuses on the idea that everyone, not just pastors, can be involved in their faith. It started in the 1800s during a time when many people in Sweden became more interested in their Christian faith.

What is the Swedish Evangelical Mission?

The EFS is a movement within the Church of Sweden. This means it's not a separate church group, but rather a part of the main church. Both the EFS and the Church of Sweden agree on their shared Christian beliefs.

As of As of 2022^[update], the EFS has about 22,400 members. It works like a democratic organization, meaning members have a say in how things are run. It has around 350 local groups across Sweden.

Many of these local groups act like their own churches. Some even work together with other Christian groups.

Activities for Young People

The EFS has a special group for children and young people called Salt [sv]. It has about 6,500 members.

They also have Scouting activities, which started in 2014 and are called Salt Scout [sv]. About 2,000 young people are part of Salt Scout.

Global Work and Leadership

The EFS helps people in other countries too. They do mission work in places like Ethiopia, Eritrea, Tanzania, Malawi, and India. They also have special places for sailors.

Since 2017, the leader of the EFS has been Kerstin Oderhem [sv]. She is the first woman to hold this important position.

What the EFS Believes

The EFS shares the same basic beliefs as the Church of Sweden. However, they especially focus on a few key ideas:

• Personal Faith: They believe it's important for each person to have their own strong belief in God.
• Faith in Daily Life: This personal faith should show up in how people live every day.
• Everyone Can Connect with God: The EFS believes that every Christian can have a direct relationship with God. This means ordinary members, not just pastors, play a big role in church activities and services.

This focus on personal faith has also led the EFS to do a lot of work helping people in other countries learn about Christianity.

A Look Back: History of EFS

How it Started in 1856

In the mid-1800s, new Christian ideas from other countries and groups started to spread in Sweden. People like Carl Olof Rosenius, a famous preacher, were influenced by these ideas. They believed in the importance of personal conversion (deciding to follow Jesus), revival (a time of renewed faith), and mission work.

In 1855, a plan was made to start a mission group. The EFS was officially founded on May 7, 1856. Its main goal was to guide the new Christian revival movement in Sweden. They wanted to keep it true to the Church of Sweden's beliefs and prevent people from leaving the main church.

Early Meeting Places

In the early days, EFS groups met in places they called "shelters" or "mission shelters." These were simple gathering spots. Later, they also used buildings called "chapels."

In 1857, the EFS bought a church building in Stockholm. It was originally built by a Scottish missionary named George Scott. This building became known as Bethlehem Church.

Books and Publications

The EFS believed in sharing Christian books and writings. In 1857, they started their own newspaper called Budbäraren [sv].

One of their most important jobs was to print and give out Christian books and short writings called tracts. Many people called "colporteurs" traveled around selling these books. The EFS even started its own publishing house in 1856. Their first book, published in 1860, was a collection of Martin Luther's sermons. They printed 70,000 copies of it!

Mission Work Around the World

At first, the EFS focused on mission work within Sweden. But in 1861, they decided to start working in other countries too. The next year, they opened a special school, now called Johannelunds Teologiska Högskola, to train missionaries.

In 1865, the first EFS missionaries were sent to East Africa, in what is now Eritrea. This was the first time any Swedish church group sent missionaries abroad. Later, some young students from Eritrea came to Sweden to train at Johannelund. They returned home as pastors to continue the mission work.

The EFS also did mission work in Estonia and later in other parts of East Africa (like Ethiopia, Somalia, and Tanzania), as well as in India and Israel. They even worked with a Swedish Lutheran church group in the United States starting in 1873.

Helping Sailors

In 1869, the EFS officially began its work helping Swedish sailors. They set up special stations to support sailors who were far from home. This work later joined with the Church of Sweden Abroad in 1974.

Challenges and Changes

Over the years, the EFS faced some disagreements about beliefs, which led to groups breaking away.

Around 1878, there was a big disagreement about the meaning of Jesus' Atonement (how Jesus' death helps people). This led to a new group forming called the Mission Covenant Church of Sweden. Many EFS members joined this new group. In 2011, this group joined with others to form the Uniting Church in Sweden.

Another group, called Missionssällskapet Bibeltrogna Vänner, broke off from the EFS in 1911. They had different ideas about how the Bible should be understood.

EFS After 1940

In 1943, Isabella Stolpe became the first woman elected to the EFS board.

In the 1950s, there was a discussion in the Church of Sweden about whether women could become pastors. EFS members had different opinions. However, in 1963, they decided that what a person preaches is more important than who is preaching.

In 1987, the EFS started its scouting activities. In 1990, Inga Belani became the first female editor of their newspaper, Budbäraren [sv].

Since 1989, the EFS has worked even more closely with the Church of Sweden. EFS preachers are now ordained (officially made pastors) by the Church of Sweden. They usually train at Johannelunds Teologiska Högskola.

In 1995, Birgitta Eriksson became the first female president of the EFS. In 2005, the children's and youth group, Salt, was started.

Starting New Groups

Since 2003, the EFS has been actively working to start new mission societies and EFS groups. They have begun new communities in places like Uppsala, Hisingen, Timrå, and Stockholm.

Important People in EFS History

Lina Sandell was a famous Swedish writer who worked for the EFS from 1861 to 1864. She wrote over 1,700 poems and hymns, many of which are still very well-known today. Some of her most famous hymns include "Tryggare kan ingen vara" and "Blott en dag".

Axel Rappe, a successful military officer, was the chairman of the EFS from 1906 to 1918.

Ruth Forsling was a well-known activist and politician who was also connected to the EFS.

Education and Learning

The EFS has always believed in the importance of learning and reading, especially the Bible. This comes from its roots in a movement called "Läsare," which means "readers."

Today, the EFS runs a college, Johannelunds Teologiska Högskola, where people can study theology. They also run eight folk high schools, which are special schools for adults. These schools include:

• Glimåkra [sv]
• Hagaberg [sv]
• Hjälmared [sv]
• Åredalen [sv]
• Mellansel [sv]
• Solvik [sv]
• Strömbäck [sv]
• Sundsgården Folk High School [sv]

Images for kids

• 

  Möllebacken Church in Karlskrona.

See also

• Pro Fide et Christianismo, another association within the Church of Sweden