Sweden's Equmeniakyrkan has reported a fall of more than half in the number of people it can count toward state funding, after new rules began requiring each participant to give personal consent. Official figures show the denomination accounted for 96,460 people for 2023 but 45,254 for 2024 — the first year reported under the changed system. The denomination's church secretary, Victoria Gejrot Holst, says the drop does not reflect a corresponding change in the life of its congregations.
Under the Swedish system, churches and other organisations apply for a state grant on the basis of the people they serve — a figure that covers both members and others who take part regularly in congregational activities, such as a choir. What has changed is the evidence required: a person must now confirm individually, in writing, that they may be counted, giving their name, address and date of birth. Congregations that once simply counted those present must instead gather and document the consents themselves. According to Gejrot Holst, some congregations have reported no consents at all, while in others the collection was carried out but not everyone took part — a few missed the request, and others were uneasy about handing over personal details.
She argues the arrangement disadvantages free churches, which organise membership differently from churches that charge a fee, where payment itself can serve as confirmation. Equmeniakyrkan has ruled out introducing a membership fee as a quick fix, saying that would sit badly with how the church understands itself, and it resists the idea that belonging should be re-confirmed every year — for the church, she says, that becomes a theological question rather than an administrative one. The grant is passed on to congregations, including for church planting and local development posts, so a smaller reported base means less support can be shared out. Reporting for 2025 showed a clear improvement as congregations grew more practised at collecting consents, and the denomination is in ongoing talks with MUCF, the state agency for youth and civil society affairs, about simplifying the process. Consents for 2026 are due by 31 December; only an aggregate number is submitted to the state. An incomplete record, Gejrot Holst warns, risks making the church look smaller on paper than it really is.
(Originally published in Swedish. Summary translated by CC / Connexion.)
Source: Equmeniakyrkan / Sändaren — sandaren.se
