Kai Almgren, the long-serving pastor of Kauhava Free Congregation in western Finland, has retired after a ministry that carried him through five congregations and two terms as a missionary in Thailand. His retirement was celebrated in Kauhava on Sunday 30 August with warm, often humorous tributes from fellow free-church pastors.
Almgren's career reflects the dual emphasis of the Finnish Free Church (Suomen Vapaakirkko) on local congregational ministry and overseas mission. Born in Kotka, he began church work as a young man and completed his pastoral studies at the Santala seminary in 1983–1986, before serving as a pastor in Parikkala, Härmä, Lapua, Kouvola and finally Kauhava.
A representative of the Evangelical Lutheran Church brought greetings from a local ecumenical prayer group, noting that many of its members had over the years received timely encouragement or a prophetic word through Almgren. He served as a missionary in Bangkok from 1993 to 2000 with the Christian Literature Crusade (CLC), and later held leadership roles in the Free Church workers' union and mission committee. In retirement Almgren plans to mentor and encourage pastors and missionaries, and to visit Free Church missionaries in Thailand this autumn.
(Originally published in Finnish. Summary translated by CC / Connexion.)
Source: Suomen Vapaakirkko / Suomen Viikkolehti — svl.fi
