Sweden

Challenges for Prayer

The Church of Sweden is no longer the State Church. Its size, political influence and social impact are large, but on the wane. Liberal theology and practice dominate the Church, from endorsing same-sex marriage to universalism and rejecting the divine authority of Scripture. Politicians (often without any clear faith in Jesus) are frequently chosen to sit on parish councils. Unsurprisingly, the Church is in numerical decline and attendance is between 1-2% of membership. On the local level, there are a number of evangelical congregations, pastors and members, but the national structures are dominated by a liberal agenda. Pray for God to shake and refine this Church. Movements such as Taizé, Oasis and Pilgrimage are having a positive and inspirational influence on the Lutheran Church.

The spiritual decline of Sweden is apparent on many levels. Only 23% of people believe in a personal God. Nearly every religious group faces dropping numbers of members and attendees. The number of active Christian youth and of missionaries sent from Sweden drastically declined in the last 30 years. Society, especially the younger generation, is so effectively secularized that any discussion of the gospel must involve a painstaking amount of pre-evangelism. Materialism, hedonism and individualism are among the most cherished of values, and adherence to absolute values or truth is regarded as “intolerance”. Pray for a new awakening for this spiritually struggling nation; recent signs are that young people are moving back toward more traditional values.

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