Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland
| Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland | |
|---|---|
| Orientation | Lutheran |
| Theology | Confessional Lutheran |
| Leader | Bishop Risto Soramies |
| Region | Finland |
| Headquarters | Helsinki |
| Origin | 16 March 2013 |
| Congregations | 29 |
| Members | 1,668 |
The Mission Diocese, officially the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland, (Finnish: Suomen evankelisluterilainen lähetyshiippakunta, Swedish: Evangelisk-lutherska missionsstiftet i Finland) is a Lutheran diocese in Finland. It reunites theological conservatives within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.
The diocese was founded in March 2013. Its first bishop, Risto Soramies was consecrated on 4 May 2013.[1]
Background
The Mission Diocese was founded by the 22 congregations of the Finnish Luther Foundation and three other Lutheran congregations in 2013. Before this the Luther Foundation had been part of the Swedish Mission Province. Bishop Matti Väisänen had been ordained in 2010 in order to serve the congregations in Finland.[2]
One of the main reasons why the Mission Diocese was founded was the liberalization of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of 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.[3]
Doctrine
The Mission Diocese holds that "all teaching, practice and life should be tested, executed and guided by the word of God."[4] The Diocese also recognizes the Book of Concord as an accurate teaching of Biblical doctrine.[5]
Congregations
As of 2015 the Mission Diocese has 29 organised congregations. In addition to this mass is celebrated on five other locations. Each congregation is part of one of the seven districts.[6]
- District of Tavastia
- Hämeenlinna: Matteuksen seurakunta
- Jyväskylä: Jesajan luterilainen seurakunta
- Lahti: Samuelin luterilainen seurakunta
- Tampere: Johanneksen seurakunta
- District of Uusimaa
- Espoo: Pyhän Tuomaksen seurakunta
- Helsinki: Pyhän Markuksen luterilainen seurakunta
- Helsinki: St. Barnabas International Evangelical Lutheran Church (English)
- Lohja: Pyhän Ristin luterilainen seurakunta
- Eastern district
- Iisalmi: Danielin seurakunta
- Joensuu: Pyhän Nehemian luterilainen seurakunta
- Kitee
- Kuopio: Pyhän Pietarin luterilainen seurakunta
- Nurmes
- Northern district
- Kajaani: Filippuksen seurakunta
- Oulu: Timoteuksen seurakunta
- Rovaniemi: Stefanoksen seurakunta
- Sodankylä: Elian seurakunta
- Southeastern district
- Imatra: Joosuan seurakunta
- Kotka
- Kouvola: Pauluksen seurakunta
- Lappeenranta: Joonan seurakunta
- Mikkeli: Tiituksen luterilainen seurakunta
- Savonlinna
- Southwestern district
- Laitila: Aamoksen seurakunta
- Loimaa
- 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 (Swedish)
International Contacts
The Mission Diocese co-operates with the Mission Province of Sweden, the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of Norway and the Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church in Germany.[7] In December 2014 Soramies consecrated Robert Kaumba as bishop of the Lutheran Evangelical Church in Africa—Zambia Diocese.[8]
Since 2015 the Mission Diocese has church fellowship with the Mission Province of Sweden and the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of Norway.[9]
References
- ↑ Etelä-Suomen Sanomat: Vanhoillinen Luther-säätiö valitsee tänään piispansa Lahdessa. Retrieved: 17 June 2015.
- ↑ Missionsprovinsen i Sverige. Retrieved: 15 June 2015.
- ↑ Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland — Founding Document. Retrieved: 15 June 2015.
- ↑ Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
- ↑ Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland. Retrieved: 15 June 2015.
- ↑ Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland. Retrieved: 15 June 2015.
- ↑ Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland. Retrieved: 24 June 2015.
- ↑ Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland. Retrieved: 24 June 2015.
- ↑ Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland. Retrieved: 11 November 2015.