Equmeniakyrkan, one of Sweden's largest free church denominations, has submitted a formal response to the Swedish government's memorandum on the European Union's new anti-money-laundering package. The denomination says it welcomes the work against money laundering and the financing of terrorism, but stresses that the new rules must take account of the conditions under which local congregations actually operate.
In many Equmeniakyrkan congregations, administration and financial responsibility are handled by volunteers rather than paid staff. New requirements to register and keep information up to date must therefore be simple to follow and must not create an unreasonable administrative burden for local churches, the denomination argues. It calls for clear guidance, reasonable deadlines and the chance to correct administrative mistakes before sanctions become relevant.
The response also makes a wider point about who such rules ultimately affect. An effective regulatory framework, Equmeniakyrkan says, must also safeguard the people whose voluntary commitment carries the congregations' work. Equmeniakyrkan was formed in 2011 through the merger of three Swedish free church bodies and is today one of the country's largest free church communities, with congregations spread from the far north to the south.
(Originally published in Swedish. Summary translated by CC / Connexion.)
Source: Equmeniakyrkan — equmeniakyrkan.se
