Revival movements are seeking their place in Lutheran Finland

Finland became a Lutheran country in the 16^th century under the Swedish regime. In the 18^th, 19^th, and 20^th centuries large revivals happened throughout Finland. These revival movements mostly stayed within the Lutheran Church.

Soon after Finland got its independence in 1917, Finland enacted a an Act of Freedom of Religion (1923). Then, some small groups formed their own Christian denominations, but the vast majority of the believers stayed in the Lutheran Church.

Since then, revival movements have formed their own associations or organisations. Their main goal has been to evangelise Finnish people and deepen the spiritual life of Christians. They have done this organising small group meetings, since the local Lutheran parishes have not always done this very well. With this mindset, another goal was to send missionaries abroad.

The Lutheran Church has accepted these groups as part of its official mission associations.

Have revival movements had an impact on Finnish Christianity as a whole? Yes, a big one. Usually, they have operated under the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (ELCF) and there has been shared work, a distribution of duties.

At time, there have been tensions but both have traditionally seen each other as complementary partners.

Theologically the revival movements are Bible believing and reject the liberal theology.

In the past twenty or thirty years, this theological liberalisation of the ELCF has caused the revival movements/Lutheran organisations, which usually are more conservative in their theology, to start their own Sunday services. Some of these main services are more traditional and liturgical in their expression while others use contemporary and modern styles of worship.

But the key idea is that these organisations are now forming fellowships with the Word and Sacraments, something that traditionally has been the responsibility of local parishes only.

So, the revival movements/Lutheran organisations are increasingly practicing what is the essence of the Lutheran understanding of the church, as the Augsburg Confession (Article VII) read: “The Church is the congregation of saints, in which the Gospel is rightly taught and the Sacraments are rightly administered”.

Time will tell, if the revival movements will stay under the ELCF, which is losing its members at an accelerating rate, due to the secularisation of Finland. Or will they form their own, independent Lutheran churches?

A decisive moment may come if the ELCF started to officially marry same-sex couples. It might be too much to bear for the revival movements.

Matti Korhonen, Editor-in-chief of the Finnish magazine Uusi Tie.