The Mission Church of Finland (Missionskyrkan i Finland) has announced that it is entering a deliberate new phase of church planting, with its national board judging that three to four new congregations could be established in the coming years. The federation, which serves Swedish-speaking free churches in Finland, said the decision emerged from recent board discussions that produced “a clear faith in the future and a rekindled pioneer spirit.” In a message to its congregations, the board wrote: “It is not time to retreat, but the harvest is ripe and it is time to plant congregations and see the kingdom of God grow.”
The move marks a notable shift in direction for a European free church body. The Mission Church of Finland is one of the country’s Swedish-speaking free church federations, working alongside the Finnish-speaking Suomen Vapaakirkko. Like many free churches across Northern Europe, it has spent recent decades primarily sustaining existing congregations, several of which have aged and shrunk. The board framed the new emphasis as a response to what it sees as widespread spiritual openness: “In many parts of the country we see a great longing for Jesus, and there church planting is a decisive factor for communicating the gospel and making disciples.”
Not every new start will be a fresh pioneer effort. On some sites, the federation said, planting will mean “a restart or revitalisation of an existing but perhaps today dwindling congregation” — both are counted as part of the same work. Funds raised through the federation’s autumn collection will provide financial support for church planters and for the strategic initiatives they undertake. The board added that the work needs “people who give of their time and financial means,” and — above all — commitment and prayer.
(Originally published in Swedish. Summary translated by CC / Connexion.)
Source: Missionskyrkan i Finland — https://mkf.fi/2026/10/06/nya-forsamlingar-i-svenskfinland-hostinsamlingen-2026/
