Finland
Republic of Finland
Europe
See Prayer Information
Geography
Area: 338,145 sq km
This northern country is 70% forest, 10% lake, 8% arable land.
Population: 5,345,826 Annual Growth: 0.38%
Capital: Helsinki
Urbanites: 63.9%
HDI Rank: 12 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)
Peoples
Official language: Finnish, Swedish, Saami, sign language Languages: 23 All languages
Religion
| Religion | Pop % | Ann Gr | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christians | 4,477,129 | 83.75 | 0.0 |
| Evangelicals | 648,682 | 12.1 | -0.1 |
Answer to Prayer
The nation is one of the most affluent and peaceful on earth. It consistently ranks at or near the top of the table in global surveys that measure civil liberties, education, peace, income, stability and environmental issues. While this is a point for thanksgiving, pray also that this would be a platform for generous giving and committed ministry and outreach.
Challenge for Prayer
The Lutheran Church retains a stronger evangelical tradition than most state churches, partly a heritage of the revival movements of the past that have influenced its spirituality. The large majority still claim affiliation with Lutheranism, but much of it is a nominal or social attachment. Only around 12% of Lutherans would be regarded as evangelical. The wider Lutheran Church faces several challenges:
a) Liberalism. To a large degree, the teachings and direction of the Church are shifting from traditional biblical values to a much broader morality. This is the source of much controversy, since the prophetic role of the Church in society is blunted.
b) Independent and lay movements within the national Church framework. There are many such groups, a large number from a revivalist background. It is in these that most committed Lutherans find their fellowship and platform for evangelism. They may face increasing restrictions in their evangelical preaching and teaching from a liberal Lutheran hierarchy, but these groups are a very important element of Finland’s spiritual life. Pray for their continued freedom to function and lead in many aspects of spiritual life.
c) Younger leadership. Increasingly, aging church populations find themselves out of touch with a younger generation. A more vibrant spirituality must replace traditional religious and cultural forms. Sadly, a growing number of younger, more evangelical Lutherans are frozen out of leadership positions precisely because their faith is too dynamic! Pray that these vibrant younger evangelicals might not lose heart, and pray that God will open doors for them to have a great revitalizing effect on the national Church.
d) Future tensions. As with many mainline groups elsewhere, a major fault line is appearing in Finnish Lutheranism between the liberal element and a more evangelical, conservative element. How this plays out, and who is perceived as causing the conclusive schism, will profoundly shape both the Lutheran Church and Finnish perceptions of Christianity. Some of the more conservative groups and fellowships have already split off and formed new denominations along what they believe to be more biblically faithful teaching.
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