A Pentecostal congregation in Åredalen, western Sweden, has entered a new chapter this autumn as a “cooperation congregation” jointly affiliated with both the Pingst (Pentecostal) movement and Equmeniakyrkan, the Uniting Church in Sweden. Formerly known as Åredalens pingstförsamling, the 95-member congregation has renamed itself Bykyrkan (“the village church”) and is now preparing for its first autumn term under the new identity.
The move is the fruit of years of conversations between the congregation and Equmeniakyrkan, particularly with regional church leader P-O Byrskog. The congregation was formally welcomed into Equmeniakyrkan during the denomination's vision conference in Örebro in June. Most of its members are families who have moved into the area — only around ten are over 60, and few of the adults grew up in the congregation — and many already have an Equmeniakyrkan background, which chair Olof Holmgren says made the step feel natural.
Holmgren said the challenges of building God's kingdom in the Åredalen region are too large for individual groups to tackle alone, and that joining Equmeniakyrkan gives the congregation a wider network. The church, dedicated in November 2025 after an extension, hosts Wednesday soup evenings as a low-threshold entry point for newcomers — a gathering that has grown to include an after-school programme for up to 25 children — and holds worship every other Sunday at 5 pm, a time chosen with the congregation's many young families in mind.
(Originally published in Swedish. Summary translated by CC / Connexion.)
Source: Equmeniakyrkan / Sändaren — sandaren.se
