Uniting Church in Sweden facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Uniting Church in Sweden |
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| Equmeniakyrkan | |
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| Classification | United church |
| Orientation | Protestantism |
| Theology | Pietist, Reformed |
| Associations | World Communion of Reformed Churches, Baptist World Alliance, International Federation of Free Evangelical Churches, United Methodist Church, European Baptist Federation, World Methodist Council, World Council of Churches, Conference of European Churches |
| Region |  Sweden |
| Headquarters |  Bromma, Sweden |
| Origin | 4 June 2011 |
| Merger of | Baptist Union of Sweden, Mission Covenant Church of Sweden, United Methodist Church of Sweden |
| Members | ca. 59,000 (2022) |
The Uniting Church in Sweden (which is called Equmeniakyrkan in Swedish) is a Christian church in Sweden. It is a united Protestant church. This means it was formed when several different churches joined together.
Contents
History of the Church
The Uniting Church in Sweden was created on June 4, 2011. It was formed when three churches decided to merge. These churches were the United Methodist Church of Sweden, the Baptist Union of Sweden, and the Mission Covenant Church of Sweden.
When the churches first joined, their new name was the Joint Future Church (Swedish: Gemensam framtid). Later, in May 2013, they changed the name. During a meeting in Karlstad, they chose the current name: the Uniting Church in Sweden, or Equmeniakyrkan.
How the Church Works
The Uniting Church in Sweden has about 640 local churches across Sweden. These churches together have around 59,000 members. The church helps and serves about 130,000 people.
Youth Organization
Before the churches even merged, they had a common youth group. This group was called Equmenia and started in 2007. The idea to form the new church grew from 2008 to 2010. The final decision to merge was made in 2011.
Church Leaders
The Uniting Church in Sweden has leaders who guide the church. Since 2020, the church leader has been Lasse Svensson. Karin Wiborn and Joakim Hagerius are also important leaders. These leaders are chosen by the church members at special meetings.
Schools and Help
The Uniting Church in Sweden runs several schools. It manages University College Stockholm, which used to be called Stockholm School of Theology. Along with Equmenia, it also runs several folk high schools. These include Härnösand, Sjövik, Karlskoga, Bromma, and Södra Vätterbygdens folkhögskola.
The church also helps people in need. It works with the Swedish Alliance Mission to run an aid organization called Diakonia. The Uniting Church in Sweden is also part of a study group called Bilda. It also helps run a non-profit group called Hela människan, which does social work.
Working with Other Churches
The Uniting Church in Sweden believes in working together with other Christian churches. This is called "ecumenism." Since 2016, the Uniting Church in Sweden has had an agreement with the Church of Sweden. This agreement helps them work together.
