Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland

The Mission Diocese, officially the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland, (Finnish: Suomen evankelisluterilainen lähetyshiippakunta, Swedish: Evangelisk-lutherska missionsstiftet i Finland) is an independent confessional Lutheran "ecclesial structure"[2] in Finland. The Mission Diocese considers itself to be "part of ‘the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church’" to be "truly a church" and to act "fully independently as a church", although it has not applied for state-recognition as a registered religious community.[3] The Mission Diocese has its origins in the conservative movements of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (ELCF) and it self-identifies as existing in the same continuum of Lutheran faith and congregational life of the ELCF whose spiritual heritage it cherishes, yet not being part of its administrative structures.[4]

Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland
OrientationLutheran
TheologyConfessional Lutheran
LeaderBishop Risto Soramies
AssociationsInternational Lutheran Council
RegionFinland
HeadquartersHelsinki
Origin16 March 2013
Separated fromEvangelical Lutheran Church of Finland
Congregations32
Members1,952 (end of 2017).[1]
Official websitewww.lhpk.fi/en/

The Mission Diocese was founded in March 2013. Its first bishop, Risto Soramies, was consecrated on 4 May 2013.[5][6][7]

Background

The Mission Diocese was founded by the 22 congregations of the Luther Foundation Finland and three other Lutheran congregations in 2013. The Luther Foundation had been established in 1999, starting to celebrate the Divine Service on one location in Helsinki in 2000. By 2004, the Luther Foundation had become a supporting member of the Swedish Mission Province.[8] Bishop Matti Väisänen had been consecrated in 2010 in order to serve the congregations in Finland,[9] which soon led to his being defrocked by the ELCF whose pastor he was.[10][11] In 2012, the ELCF archbishop expressed his wish that the Luther Foundation establish its own church body.[12] The founding of the Ev. Luth. Mission Diocese of Finland in 2013 marked independence from the Mission Province of Sweden, although contacts remained close.[13] The ELCF continued to defrock its pastors now serving in the Mission Diocese: Bishop Risto Soramies was defrocked on 9 October 2013[14][15] and Dean Juhana Pohjola on 5 August 2014.[16][17][18] On 8 April 2015, the Cathedral Chapter of the ELCF Archdiocese of Turku defrocked five ELCF pastors for breaking their ordination vows by serving in the Mission Diocese that the ELCF viewed a de facto different church body.[19][20][21]

The Mission Diocese was founded in response to the perceived secularisation[22] and liberalisation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and "to spread, maintain and renovate the true faith, to revive and strengthen Christian life and to implement Christian charity and diaconia"[23] in Finland. According to the Mission Diocese, the ELCF had in many ways distanced itself from its doctrinal foundation, the Bible and the Lutheran Book of Concord.[24] The Mission Diocese continues to serve those left "spiritually homeless"[25] by the theological reforms in the ELCF. These comprise e.g. the acceptance of the ordination of women (1986), the exclusion of such men from ordination who will not co-operate liturgically with women pastors (2006[26]) and the acceptance of same-sex relationships (2011[27][28]). The Mission Diocese also reaches out to the unchurched and views the founding of Lutheran congregations as its principle in both domestic and foreign mission.[29]

By the end of 2016, the number of Mission Diocese congregations has grown to 32 congregations and 4 missions.[30]

Doctrine

The Mission Diocese holds that "all teaching, practice and life should be tested, executed and guided by the word of God."[31] The Mission Diocese recognises the Book of Concord as an accurate teaching of biblical doctrine.[32]

Congregations

As of 2016 the Mission Diocese has 32 organised congregations. In addition to this, Mass is celebrated on four other locations. Each congregation is part of one of the seven districts.[33]

District of Tavastia
District of Uusimaa
  • Espoo: Pyhän Tuomaksen seurakunta
  • Helsinki: Pyhän Markuksen luterilainen seurakunta
  • Lohja: Pyhän Ristin luterilainen seurakunta
  • Vantaa: Pyhän Kolminaisuuden luterilainen seurakunta
Eastern district
Northern district
Southeastern district
Southwestern district
  • Laitila: Aamoksen seurakunta
  • Loimaa: Hyvän Paimenen luterilainen seurakunta
  • Pori: Sakkeuksen seurakunta
  • Rauma: Pyhän Marian seurakunta
  • Turku: Pyhän Paavalin luterilainen seurakunta
  • Turku: Sankt Gabriels församling (Swedish)
Western district
  • Jakobstad: Sankt Jakobs församling (Swedish)
  • Kokkola: Andreaksen luterilainen seurakunta
  • Pyhänkoski: Simeonin seurakunta
  • Seinäjoki: Luukkaan seurakunta
  • Vaasa: Mikaelin seurakunta
  • Vaasa: Sankt Immanuels lutherska församling (Swedish)

International Contacts

In December 2014, Bishop Soramies consecrated Robert Kaumba as Bishop of the Lutheran Evangelical Church in Africa—Zambia Diocese.[34] The Lutheran Heritage Foundation and Lutherans in Africa are the Mission Diocese's partners in foreign mission.

The Mission Diocese declared altar and pulpit fellowship with the Mission Province of Sweden and the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of Norway in 2015 and with Lutheran Church—Canada in 2017.[35][36]

The Mission Diocese has also begun fellowship talks with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of England, the Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church in Germany, and The Union of Independent Evangelical Lutheran Congregations in Finland.[37][38][39] It is also applying for membership in the International Lutheran Council.[40][41][42][43]

References
  1. Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland. Retrieved: 3.10.2018.
  2. "Diocesan Order of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland, I:1:2" (PDF).
  3. "A church growing into a church? | Lähetyshiippakunta". Lähetyshiippakunta. 26 June 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  4. "Diocesan Order of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland, I:1:3" (PDF).
  5. Etelä-Suomen Sanomat: Vanhoillinen Luther-säätiö valitsee tänään piispansa Lahdessa. Retrieved: 17 June 2015.
  6. STT. "Soramies vihittiin Luther-säätiön piispaksi". savonsanomat.fi – Savon Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  7. "Naispappeutta vastustavien lähetyshiippakunta vihki oman piispansa". Yle Uutiset (in Finnish). Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  8. "Historia - Suomen Luther-säätiö". Suomen Luther-säätiö (in Finnish). Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  9. Missionsprovinsen i Sverige. Retrieved: 15 June 2015.
  10. "Rogue Bishop Stripped of Clerical Standing". Yle Uutiset. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  11. "Luther Foundation Ordains Its Own Ministers". Yle Uutiset. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  12. "Archbishop: Luther Foundation leaving church". Yle Uutiset. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  13. "Evangelisk-lutherska missionsstiftet i Finland (in Swedish)". 17 March 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  14. "Tampereen tuomiokapituli: Risto Soramies menettää pappisvirkansa". Yle Uutiset (in Finnish). Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  15. "Luther-säätiön piispa menettää pappisvirkansa". mtv.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  16. "Juhana Pohjola menettää pappisvirkansa". Yle Uutiset (in Finnish). Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  17. "Defrocked, set aside (Dean Juhana Pohjola) | Lähetyshiippakunta". Lähetyshiippakunta. 5 August 2014. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  18. "Lutheran Heritage Foundation". www.lhfmissions.org. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  19. "Turun tuomiokapituli erotti viisi Luther-säätiön pappia". ts.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  20. "Pastors defrocked by ELCF: We have not broken our ordination vows | Lähetyshiippakunta". Lähetyshiippakunta. 10 April 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  21. "Church of Finland Removes Confessional Pastors". wmltblog.org. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  22. "Nordic Lutheran churches seek ILC membership - LCMS News & Information". LCMS News & Information. 28 January 2016. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  23. "Diocesan Order of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland, I:2:1" (PDF).
  24. Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland — Founding Document. Retrieved: 15 June 2015.
  25. "A church growing into a church? | Lähetyshiippakunta". Lähetyshiippakunta. 26 June 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  26. "Piispainkokous 6 § 09/12/2006 12:00:00 AM". kappeli.evl.fi. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  27. "PASTORAALINEN OHJE VAPAAMUOTOISESTA RUKOUKSESTA PARISUHTEENSA REKISTERÖINEIDEN KANSSA JA HEIDÄN PUOLESTAAN" (PDF).
  28. "Registered partnerships | Evl.fi - Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland". kappeli.evl.fi. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  29. "Lähetys | Lähetyshiippakunta". Lähetyshiippakunta (in Finnish). Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  30. "Statistics | Mission Diocese". Lähetyshiippakunta (in Finnish). Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  31. Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  32. Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland. Retrieved: 15 June 2015.
  33. Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland. Retrieved: 15 June 2015.
  34. Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland. Retrieved: 24 June 2015.
  35. "Luterilaista yhteyttä Pohjoismaissa". Suomen evankelisluterilaisen lähetyshiippakunnan. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  36. "LCC Declares Fellowship with Finnish Lutherans". Canadian Lutheran. 15 October 2017. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  37. "Church fellowship talks commenced with the SELK and the ELCE | Lähetyshiippakunta". Lähetyshiippakunta. 15 April 2016. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  38. Block, Mathew (18 May 2016). "Nordic Lutheran Dioceses enter fellowship talks with German and English Lutherans". International Lutheran Council. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  39. "Yhteydet". Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  40. "The Mission Diocese invited to apply for ILC membership | Lähetyshiippakunta". Lähetyshiippakunta. 25 February 2016. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  41. "Nordic Lutheran churches seek ILC membership - LCMS News & Information". LCMS News & Information. 28 January 2016. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  42. "The Nordic Lutheran Dioceses and the International Lutheran Conference Discuss Membership". wmltblog.org. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  43. Collver, Al (20 January 2016). "The Nordic Lutheran Dioceses and the International Lutheran Council Discuss Membership". International Lutheran Council. Retrieved 25 March 2017.

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