Swedish Evangelical Mission facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Swedish Evangelical Mission |
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| Evangeliska Fosterlands-Stiftelsen | |
Möllebacken Church in Karlskrona.
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| Classification | Protestant/Lutheran |
| Orientation | Low church Lutheran/Evangelical Lutheran |
| Origin | 7 May 1856 |
| Separations | Baptist Union of Sweden |
| Other name(s) | Fosterländska stiftelsen för Evangelii befrämjande |
| Publications | Budbäraren |
The Swedish Evangelical Mission (SEM), also known as EFS, is a special group within the Church of Sweden. It's called a "low-church" movement because it focuses more on personal faith and less on formal church traditions. It's also "New Evangelical," meaning it grew out of a Christian revival movement in the 1800s.
EFS is unique because it stays connected to the Church of Sweden but also works independently. It believes that everyone, not just church leaders, should be involved in sharing their faith. This idea comes from the strong Christian revivals that happened in Sweden during the 19th century.
Contents
How EFS is Organized
The EFS is not a separate church group, but rather a movement that works inside the Church of Sweden. This means EFS sees itself as part of the Church of Sweden, and the Church of Sweden sees EFS as part of its family. They share the same basic beliefs.
As of 2022, EFS has about 22,400 members. It's set up like a democratic organization, similar to a community group. It has around 350 local groups, which are like small mission clubs or EFS teams. These groups are spread across seven main areas in Sweden. The main office is in Uppsala, Sweden.
Most local EFS groups run their activities on their own, much like independent churches. However, some groups work closely with local Church of Sweden congregations. Sometimes, they even team up with other Christian groups for activities.
Activities for Young People
EFS has a special group for children and young people called Salt. This group has about 6,500 members. They also have Scouting activities, which started in 2014 and are called Salt Scout. About 2,000 young people are part of Salt Scout.
Mission Work Around the World
EFS is involved in mission work in several countries. They help people in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Tanzania, Malawi, and India. They also have a few special places called "sailors' stations" that help sailors who are far from home.
Leadership of EFS
Since 2017, the leader of the EFS mission work has been Kerstin Oderhem. She is the 20th person to hold this important job and the very first woman. The chairman of the EFS board since 2019 is Lars Olov Eriksson.
What EFS Believes
EFS shares the same main beliefs as the Church of Sweden, which are based on Lutheran teachings. However, EFS especially highlights the importance of a personal faith. They believe that each person needs to have their own strong belief in God, and that this belief should guide their daily life.
This focus on individual faith is connected to an idea called the "universal priesthood." This means that every Christian has a direct connection with God. They don't need a special priest or leader to talk to God for them. This is why ordinary people, not just pastors, play a very big role in EFS activities, including church services.
The strong belief in a personal connection with Jesus Christ is also why EFS does so much mission work. They want to share this message with others around the world.
History of EFS
How EFS Started in 1856
In the mid-1800s, many people in Sweden were interested in new Christian movements. Ideas from other churches, like the Free Church of Scotland and the Methodist Church, influenced Swedish Lutherans. One important leader was Carl Olof Rosenius, a preacher and writer. These influences led to a focus on personal conversion, Christian revival, and mission work. This period is often called the Mission Friends movement.
In 1855, a leader named Peter Fjellstedt suggested starting a mission group. So, on May 7, 1856, the EFS was founded. Its original Swedish name meant "Evangelical Homeland Foundation." The main goal was to guide the new Christian revival movement in a way that stayed true to the Church of Sweden's Lutheran beliefs. They also wanted to offer an alternative to other independent church groups that were forming.
Early on, some people who sold Christian books and pamphlets, called "colporteurs," were involved. However, many of them left the next year to form the Baptist Union of Sweden.
EFS Buildings and Meeting Places
In the early days, EFS meeting places were often called "shelters" (hyddor) or "mission shelters." These were simple places where people could gather for worship and Bible study. Another common name for their meeting places was "chapel" (bönhus).
In 1857, EFS bought a church building in Stockholm. This building had been used by a Scottish Methodist missionary named George Scott. He had to leave Sweden, so EFS took over his church. It became known as Bethlehem Church.
Publications and Literature
In 1857, EFS started its own newspaper called Budbäraren. This newspaper helped share their message.
One of the most important things EFS did was to spread Christian books and pamphlets. People called "colporteurs" would travel around selling these materials. Much of this literature was made by the EFS publishing house, which started the same year as the movement. Since 1992, this publishing house has been part of Verbum Förlag. The first book EFS published was a collection of Martin Luther's sermons in 1860. They printed 70,000 copies of this book!
EFS Mission Work Abroad
At first, EFS focused on mission work within Sweden. But in 1861, they decided to start foreign mission work too. The next year, they founded a school called Evangeliska Fosterlands-Stiftelsens Missions-Institut. Today, this school is known as Johannelunds Teologiska Högskola.
In 1865, EFS sent its first missionaries, C. J. Carlsson, L. J. Lange, and P. E. Kjellberg, to East Africa, in what is now Eritrea. This was the first time the Church of Sweden or any Swedish church group had sent missionaries abroad. Later, some young missionary students from Eritrea, like Onesimus Nesib and Tewolde-Medhin Gebre-Medhin, came to Sweden for training at Johannelund. They then returned to their home country to continue their mission work.
EFS also did mission work among Swedish people living in Estonia until 1887, and again after 1918. Over time, EFS expanded its mission work to other parts of East Africa (like Ethiopia, Somalia, and Tanzania), as well as to India and Israel.
In the United States, EFS worked with the Augustana Synod, which was a Swedish Lutheran group. In 1873, EFS officially started its mission work in America.
Helping Sailors
Inspired by a Norwegian priest who started a mission for sailors, EFS officially began its work to help Swedish sailors in 1869. They had already been doing some of this work for several years before that. In 1974, this part of EFS merged with the Church of Sweden Abroad.
Important Splits in EFS History
The EFS has had disagreements over its beliefs at different times, which led to some groups leaving.
Around 1878, there was a disagreement about the meaning of Jesus' Atonement (how Jesus' death helps people). Some leaders were worried about new, more radical ideas. When EFS decided not to change its beliefs to include other groups like Baptists, a new group called the Swedish Mission Covenant was formed in 1878. Many EFS members joined this new group. In 2011, the Swedish Mission Covenant joined with other churches to form the Uniting Church in Sweden.
In 1911, another group called Missionssällskapet Bibeltrogna Vänner broke away from EFS. This group believed very strongly that every word in the Bible was directly inspired by God. Today, this group is called Evangelisk Luthersk Mission – Bibeltrogna Vänner.
EFS After 1940
In 1943, Isabella Stolpe became the first woman elected to the EFS board.
In the 1950s, there was a big discussion in the Church of Sweden about whether women should be allowed to become priests. EFS members had different opinions. However, in 1963, EFS decided that the most important thing was what was preached, not who was preaching.
In 1987, EFS started its scouting activities. In 1990, Inga Belani became the first female editor-in-chief of the Budbäraren newspaper.
Since 1989 and 1990, EFS has strengthened its ties with the Church of Sweden. Now, EFS preachers and pastors are ordained (officially recognized) by the Church of Sweden. They usually get their training at Johannelunds Teologiska Högskola. This school was founded in Stockholm in 1862 and moved to Uppsala in 1970.
In 1995, Birgitta Eriksson became the first female president of EFS. In 2005, the children's and youth association Salt was started.
Starting New Churches
Since 2003, EFS has been actively working to start new mission societies and EFS groups. They have helped create new communities in places like Uppsala, Hisingen, Timrå, and Stockholm.
Notable People in EFS
Lina Sandell worked for EFS from 1861 to 1864. She translated other people's works and wrote her own songs. She wrote over 1,700 poems and hymns, including some very famous Swedish ones like "Tryggare kan ingen vara" and "Blott en dag". From 1889, she was the editor of EFS's educational magazine for children, Barnens vän.
Axel Rappe, a very successful Swedish military officer, was the chairman of EFS from 1906 to 1918.
Ruth Forsling was an important activist and politician who was connected to EFS.
Education and Schools
EFS grew out of a movement called the "Läsare" (Readers), who strongly believed in people reading religious books, especially the Bible, for themselves. Because of this, education has always been very important to EFS.
Today, EFS runs a college, Johannelunds Teologiska Högskola, which trains pastors and leaders. They also run eight folk high schools. These schools offer a variety of courses for adults and young people, focusing on personal development and community. Some of these schools include Glimåkra and Hagaberg.
Images for kids
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Möllebacken Church in Karlskrona.
