Posted on 02/18/2018 2:20:31 PM PST by SeekAndFind
The liberal-leaning Church of Sweden is expected to lose over one million members in the next 10 years, insiders have said, and will soon have to start selling property it can no longer support.
Börje Holgersson, chairman of the church council of Lima-Transtrand in Västerås, said in an article for SVT, the Swedish national public TV, that the parish "simply can't afford to make ends meet."
A translation by Breitbart News on Wednesday noted that fears are that the Lutheran church, which has around six million baptized members in the country, will see a dramatic drop in membership over the next decade.
The development is forcing the council to think about selling some church real estate.
"While we're losing members and fewer people are attending services, the cost of maintaining our churches is still very high," Holgersson said.
"It is a dilemma, because in this business it's not really possible to increase production," he added.
The Church of Sweden drew controversy on a number of occasions in 2017, such as when issuing new guidance in November focused on using gender-neutral language during church service.
The update to the Church's handbook on language, liturgy, hymns and other aspects for instance looked at avoiding masculine terms for God, such as "He" and "Lord."
"Theologically, for instance, we know that God is beyond our gender determinations, God is not human," Archbishop Antje Jackelén, who heads the former state church in Uppsala, said at the time.
The move was met with some criticism, such as from Christer Pahlmblad, an associate theology professor at Sweden's Lund University. Pahlmblad told Denmark's Kristeligt Dagblad newspaper that such a direction will "undermine the doctrine of the Trinity and the community with the other Christian churches."
Jackelén told PBS News Hour in December that the gender-neutral language shift is "not something that's newly invented," however.
"We are not going to give up our tradition. But in the tradition, there are all these elements already present. Like Julian of Norwich in the 14th century said, as sure as God is our father, God is our mother," she said.
The archbishop insisted that the church is not "worshiping political correctness."
"We are worshiping God, the creator of the universe," she added.
Back in 2009, the Church of Sweden consecrated its first lesbian bishop in the face of Eva Brunne, and in the same year it voted in favor of blessing same-sex marriages.
Breitbart London noted that Brunne has made controversial suggestions, such as removing crucifixes from some churches, and installing prayer space for Muslims. Brunne has also suggested that clergy mark the direction of Mecca, so as to make church more welcoming for Muslim guests.
Earlier in February, Sputnik News translated the official Members in Motion report from the denomination, which found out that 85,848 Swedes left the Church in 2016, followed by 93,093 members in 2017.
Church of Sweden press officer Martin Larsson argued that the main reason for this fall in membership is the decline of faith in God.
"The absolutely dominant reason is that one simply does not believe in God. Then it's only natural to believe one should not be a member either," Larsson said, arguing that those born in the 1990s are especially prone to abandoning the Church.
But I hear conservative churches are experiencing revival and even Muslims are being converted...
Oh, I'm so relieved.
“It is a dilemma, because in this business it’s not really possible to increase production,” he added.
If you’d stick to what the BIBLE teaches in the first place, that might help!
Christians in Sweden are abandoning the church of Satan. My cousin in Lund explained it to me.
When churches abandon principle to fill their pews, the spiritual value is lost, as is the meaning of worship. God makes the rules, not men.
Plenty of buyers, no doubt.
Good point——some of these liberals get to thinking it’s “their church”.
Do it “their way”....or else.
“The absolutely dominant reason is that one simply does not believe in God. Then it’s only natural to believe one should not be a member either,” Larsson said
**************
I see a different reason for people to turn away ,, the Church left the people.
Hmmm.... Could this be one of the reasons they're losing members?
/S
Abandon hope all ye who abandon the Gospel.
Likely a sizzle percentage of the former parishioner will convert to Islam.
When you take God out of the church, then why bother going to church?
I thought somewhere in the bible there is a reference that we were made in his image and that women were actually kind of an afterthought as Eve was made from Adam’s rib. Not that I’m complaining in any way shape or form. Women are G-d’s most beautiful creation.
Of course we screwed things up when we gave them the right to vote. Jimmy Carter, almost Gore (- 537 votes) Obama and almost the most dangerous woman you could imagine for an enemy, well I think I’ve made my point.
Is there a biblical reference that we were made in HIS image?
Ladies here please do not seek to have me banned. You’re all alright but you are seriously outnumbered by gals who vote their feelings and as a lapsed Catholic I’m a little rusty on the Liturgy. So is our current pope as far as I can tell.
Well this could be fun ... I’m kind of on vacation even though I have tons of things I should be doing but just so you know when the water heater blew out after 15 years on a 12 year warranty we fixed that first thing without sweating a single joint. Of course we got a little sweaty but at least I’m in hot water again. That’s the way I like it. Great motivation.
Playing but serious about the biblical reference?
;-)
Mission accomplished.
I don’t consider it a church in any real terms of the word anyway.
Yes the Bible does say we are made in HIS image and God is referred to by the masculine pronoun throughout, although in a reference to the trinity the plural pronoun is used.
But it seems that the “church” of Sweden has long since ceased to care what the Bible says anyway.
Their church has become a hollow joke, thats why.
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