News from the Church of Sweden News from the Church of Sweden
UPPSALA. "My hope is that the more than 2000 congregations in the Church of Sweden as well as the
other denominations will as soon as possible start serving Swedish Church Coffee.
"This is the first coffee produced according to ecological and just methods, and marked
accordingly, to be sold in Sweden," says Anders Åkerlund, chairman of the Church of Sweden
Environment Protection Group.
Just in time for Advent both general dealers and congregations and churches will sell and serve Swedish
Church Coffee.
This coffee is the result of a unique project in cooperation between growers and local congregations in the
Sierra Juarez mountains in Mexico and the trading company Sackeus, the Church of Sweden Environment
Protection Group, the Swedish Christian Council and others. The project is part of the general adaptation
to ecological and just requirements made with respect to the management and activities of the Church of
Sweden before the new millenium.
"Well over 100 tons of coffee are consumed every year in congregations and churches. The
venture into ecological and just coffee both within the church and in society at large is an important
indication of a new development for justice and environment," says Anders Åkerlund.
The marking of the coffee as a just and ecological product indicates, for example, that the
coffee growers are guaranteed a minimum price for the coffee and that they are provided with advanced
payment in order to avoid having to take expensive loans. This in turn means that the buyer will have to
pay a slightly higher price for Swedish Church Coffee.
"I think most congregations are prepared to change their purchasing routines when it comes
to coffee. By buying Swedish Church Coffee we will support the poor farmers in the developing countries
at the same time as we support them in their work of developing new ways of farming which can improve
the environment," says Anders Åkerlund.
Church Coffee is imported by the trading company Sackeus and is roasted in an ecologically approved
roasting-house in Sweden.
This is the last issue for 1996 of News from the Church of Sweden. The issue includes a time plan for the
ongoing and planned research work with regard to future relations between the Church of Sweden and the
state.
This issue will be available on the Church of Sweden home page where further information regarding the
Church of Sweden is available: http//www.svkyrkans.se
Johan Hasslow
internet:johan.hasslow@svkyrkans.se
UPPSALA. On the first Sunday in Advent hundreds of thousands of Swedes will flock to church to
celebrate the church´s New Year.
"Then I hope the Christian message will be able to convey joy and trust at a time which for
many is both difficult, uncertain and dark."
This is said by Archbishop Gunnar Weman as he lights the first candle of the four in the candle holder.
"Just now we are experiencing a record high in unemployment, many do not know how they
are to cope with the cost of living."
As the archbishop now looks back at the past church year he notes that it has been an eventful and exciting
year.
"However, one cannot shut out the fact that in many respects it has also been a year of heavy
burdens. We have an escalating unemployment rate and it seems as though segregational tendencies are on
the increase in society, which in turn means that more and more people feel lost and abandoned in life. We
as a church and as fellow human beings have an extremely important task in order to stand up for each
individual person´s unique value irrespective of social status, religion, origin or profession," says the
archbishop. "It must always be one of the main tasks of the church to fight on the side of the vulnerable
and lonely person, the same person being redeemed through Christian faith."
The archbishop becomes silent for a few seconds and then quotes a few lines from a poem which he has
used several times during the past year:
"A black night, on a black stone, a black ant - and God sees it. This, for me, is an expression
which in a subtle manner summarizes what we in terms of our Christian faith mean by trust and sacred
presence. I hope we shall be able to carry something of this with us into the new church year."
As the archbishop looks back at the past church year he highlights two particular visits to
foreign countries which have taken him to two completely different continents, Tanzania in Africa and the
USA in North America.
"At the beginning of the year I was in Tanzania. Together with representatives of the World
Bank and the Lutheran Church in Tanzania I had the opportunity to take part in a discussion regarding
future solutions for a better and more just economy in the country," he says.
"A few months later I was on a round trip in the USA. There I found that the American dream
to some extent still seems to thrive, making it possible for people to work their way up in society.
Sometimes I wish we had a little more of that spirit in Sweden as regards the possibilities of refugees and
immigrants to make their way in our Swedish society."
The archbishop thinks it is important to have made these different experiences when it comes to the work
on finding new openings for the Church of Sweden. The first step was taken at the beginning of the year
when baptism became the main way of entry into the Church of Sweden.
"Our feeling is that it is right and good that baptism is now the main way of entry into the
church. Baptism is one of the foundation stones in the Christian church. Therefore it is also right that
church membership is achieved through baptism and not through one´s parents. Another step along the
future road for the Church of Sweden is naturally the new relationship between the church and the state
which is due to come into effect in the year 2000. This in turn means that during the next few years we
have to work with great intensity on the following matters, for example: What does it mean to be a folk
church ? How are we as a church to reach out into an increasingly multicultural society? How shall
we find a language which can be understood by Swedes of today? How can the unity between our different
denominations and within our own church be developed in a positive manner?"
The archbishop continues: "The first Sunday in Advent this year also means that we are starting a unique
cooperation between the Central Board of National Antiquities and the Church of Sweden regarding our
many parish churches. They represent great cultural values. For many people they also symbolize their
connection with the Church of Sweden. Together we now wish to make it possible for the churches to be
kept open and accessible for people who seek sacred presence and peace."
"All this is something of what I hope we can bring with us as we leave the old church year
behind and as we with the first Sunday in Advent enter a new," says the archbishop.
In this hope we now all light our first Advent candle!
Johan Hasslow
LONDON. A great historical and ecumenical step was taken at the end of November when Archbishop
Gunnar Weman together with church leaders from Norway, Iceland, Estonia, Lithuania, Ireland, England,
Scotland and Wales signed the Porvoo Declaration in Westminster Abbey in London.
In connection with the festival on 28th November the archbishop addressed the General Assembly of the
Anglican Church where he emphasized the following matters in relation to the Porvoo Declaration.
"Today I am both happy and proud that we are now signing the Porvoo Declaration here in
London. This is yet another step on the ecumenical path which in all probability will bring our churches
closer to one another," said Archbishop Gunnar Weman.
In his speech the archbishop recalled that already at the beginning of this century the first
hesitant steps were taken both by Lutherans and Anglicans towards what has now resulted in the Porvoo
Declaration.
"As we have worked on the Porvoo Declaration our churches have found that both with
regard to the view of the sacraments, the church and the ministry we have a unity of mind which can be
deepened and allowed to develop," said the archbishop.
"I also hope that this spirit can imbue our churches and that there will be an increased
exchange between the Nordic and Baltic Lutheran churches and the Anglican Church in the British
Isles."
The archbishop also hopes that the declaration will inspire other churches around the world to initiate
discussions and deliberations which can lead to ecumenical agreements similar to the Porvoo
Declaration.
"I hope the Porvoo Declaration will inspire churches in Asia, Africa and America to initiate
similar discussions as these between Lutherans and Anglicans.
With regard to the new Europe, the archbishop hopes that a consequence of the Porvoo Declaration will be
that the churches will be able to act together and in a more forceful manner than today in certain
matters.
"Now when our churches are united in the Porvoo Declaration we can work together and in a
credible manner speak out with regard to the church´s view in a number of matters related to the new
Europe," says the archbishop.
Johan Hasslow
UPPSALA. The Church of Sweden Mission Board adopted its 1997 budget at its meeting in October. 102
million will be devoted to international work, of which 46 million is for Africa, 16 million for Asia, 13
million for Latin America and 8 million for the Middle East.
The work which receives most funds is church and congregational development. Other large areas of work
are health care and social work, education and leadership training, as well as work with human rights
issues.
In order to be able to carry out the budgeted work the CSM has to raise 75 million crowns as collected
funds. Limitations imposed by decreasing resources have dominated the work on the budget. Increasing
personnel costs also limit the possibility of opening up new areas of work.
Karin Hollmer
UPPSALA. Half of the country´s more than 4 000 sewing circles donate funds to Church of Sweden
Mission. Last year this amounted to 9,3 million Swedish crowns - one sixth of the total of 54 million
collected by the sewing circles. For the CSM this represents 13 percent of all incoming gifts and
collections.
The sewing circles usually donate a fixed sum annually, which, however, is gradually affected by
devaluation through inflation. Other large recipients are Church of Sweden Aid (Lutherhjaelpen), the
Swedish Organization for Individual Relief and the Red Cross. Diligent sewing circles in the dioceses of
Linköping and Växjö send one third of their dioceses´ total donations to the CSM.
New research reveals that the future is less bright. The number of sewing circles and their membership is
decreasing, as well as the proportion of funds donated to the CSM. The buying power of the gifts has been
halved since 1980.
From 1975 the number of sewing circles has decreased from 5 500 to 4 200 and the 185 000 members have
dropped to just under 70 000.
Karin Hollmer
UPPSALA. In the year 2000 the relations between the Church of Sweden and the state will change.
At the present moment the investigations regarding the future organization of the Church of Sweden have
entered a busy phase. One after the other the different investigations will present their proposals and hope
to achieve a very broad discussion regarding the new proposals.
All congregations, parishes and joint church authorities will also be given an opportunity during a period
of consultaion to submit their views on the proposals made by both the state and church investigations.
The following is a short presentation of the ongoing investigations and a time plan for the work.
The six state investigations deal mainly with the following:
* Provisions in constitutional law regarding religious communities; a new law regarding the Church of
Sweden and a law on religious communities
* The manner in which the state is to collect the fee for the church
* Cemetry and burial services
* The status of church property after the change in relations
* Care of culturally and historically valuable property; church archives
* Pesonnel matters in connection with a change in relations; state support for religious communities.
The internal investigations should produce a proposal for a unified system of church regulations. A church
ordinance will provide a framework for this and will contain regulations regarding all that is now regulated
by church law and by church proclamations. The investigatory work is carried out by four groups dealing
with the following:
* Work and organization at parish, diocese and national levels within the church
* Church elections and constituency matters
* Church property and finances
* Church personnel, supervision of church officers and levels of appeal within the church
1. At the beginning of April 1997 the state investigations are distributed for consultation.
2. In June 1997 the Central Board provides an account to the Church of Sweden General Assembly
regarding the progress of the church investigations.
3. In August 1997 the consultation period for the state investigations regarding constitutional law and the
law regarding the Church of Sweden expires.
4. On 1st October the consultation period expires for the other state investigations.
5. In November 1997 an extra meeting of the General Assembly will be convened for a few days in order
to react to a statement from the government regarding a proposal for the constitutional law and the law
regarding the Church of Sweden.
6. In December 1997 the government will submit a proposal regarding the constitutional law to
parliament.
7. In March 1997 the result of the church investigations will be sent out for consultation.
8. In spring 1998 parliament will deal with the first reading of the new constitutional law.
9. In August 1998 the General Assembly will give its reaction to a statement regarding those parts of the
state investigations which are not concerned with constitutional law or the law regarding the Church of
Sweden.
10. In March/April 1999 the Central Board will draft a statement to the General Assembly with proposals
regarding a church ordinance for the Church of Sweden etc.
11. At the end of spring 1999 the General Assembly will decide regarding a church ordinance.
12. In Autumn 1999 a comprehensive campaign with information and training will be launched in
preparation for the year 2000.
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