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Name of National Alliance: Finnish Committee for World Evangelisation
Principal leader(s) of the Alliance: Chairman of board Rev Timo Keskitalo
Contact: pastor@church.fi
+358400647429
Finland celebrated recently the 850th anniversary of establishing the Christian church in the country. Christian missionaries reached Finland simultaneously from East and West. The western form of Christianity was Roman Catholic for 500 years, but virtually the whole country was reformed during one generation. Key church leaders studied under Martin Luther, so now about 85% of the population are still officially paying members of the Lutheran church. The eastern form of Christianity, the Finnish Orthodox church has just 1% of the 5,3 million people of the country as its members. Pentecostal churches have a membership of about 50 000. Other churches are smaller. The Evangelical Alliance has members from the Lutheran church and from the small churches. Culturally Finland remains strongly Christian. About 90% of young people join the confirmation camps of the Lutheran church to receive a substantial teaching on Christian faith. On the other hand all churches are infiltrated by secularism and liberalism. As very little spiritual life is left, the church concentrated on formal religion and pleasing the crowds by saying what they want to hear. Who is bringing Christian message to people today? 850 years ago it was done by foreign missionaries. Among the immigrants Christians are a clear majority. Many of them have a missionary mind, though the original reason for coming to Finland may have been different. International Christians are praying for the country and for the host population. This year 2008 was declared the year of prayer by the Evangelical Alliance in a grand opening with thousands of people coming together to pray for this country.
-Pray for the Evangelistic campaign Urban Dream organised in various cities across the country. In this campaign young Christians are serving people in different ways and sharing their faith in action.
-Pray for the development of the relatively new Evangelical Alliance in the country.
-Pray for young people attending the confirmation education.
-Pray for church leaders trying to make decisions under strong pressure from the different ideologies and lobbyists.
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