What we believe?

What is the meaning of life?

Translation: Andrew & Rebecca Watson

In short: The meaning of life is to live as an object of love.

The Evangelical Free Church believes and teaches that the meaning of life is to become reconciled with God, with oneself and with one another. This results in freedom which is evident in all areas of life. Guilt is done away with, people are able to accept themselves, and this enables them to accept others, too. People know and feel they are living as an object of God's love. What follows is a natural desire and ability to live along side others.

Freedom also results in the fact that people are able to live in communities, which in the Free Church are called congregations. Nobody has to be on their own, yet is not forced into a certain mould. Being in connection with others has the advantage of not having to be alone when faced with crisis, and there is always someone with whom to share joys and sorrows of life.

Who is free?

The Evangelical Free Church is based on Bible doctrine which states that people were originally created to be in fellowship with God, and to live in freedom and joy. People lost their freedom as they fell into sin in Paradise. Fellowship with God and the ability to live with others was lost. People were left without their freedom.

Fellowship starts working again when one believes in God's restoration plan; God sent His son Jesus to die for the penalties of people. The death of Jesus reconciles the wrongs of people and the greatest of sins; the separation from God. When a person asks Jesus to be in authority of his or her life, their life is changed internally. As a result, the outward life changes, too. People can live without doing many things with which they have hurt themselves before. They will be made new also in their relationships to other people. A person who has been set free has a desire to love and live side by side with other people.

This is what the word gospel means. The gospel sets people free from guilt.

The basic idea behind the Evangelical Free Church

The Evangelical Free Church is a congregation of people who have been set free and believe in God and Jesus. The Church consists of independent congregations, which have accepted the Evangelical Free Church confession, organisation, and form of religious practice. The Bible is the only instruction for believing and living. Anyone who believes in Jesus Christ in his or her heart and has a desire to confess this faith before others can belong to the Church.

The Evangelical Free Church is a Finnish denomination, but it has sister Churches all over the world, including India, America and different parts of Europe. There is no international organisation in charge over the Evangelical Free Church. The Evangelical Free Church does not believe it is the only right denomination. Good connections are kept with other Churches in Finland.

The Evangelical Free Church has 14,000 members in Finland. The number is not very large, but nearly every member is actively involved. All activity is funded by voluntary gifts without the collection of tax. The Evangelical Free Church of Finland is separate from the state, and its pastors have the right to marry.

How to join us?

Christians who confess their faith are received as members of the Evangelical Free Church. One is not required to be perfect or sinless. It is enough that one believes in Jesus Christ, and confesses this faith before others.

In practice, you can join by going along to a local Evangelical Free Church, and talking to a worker of the Church. He will present the matter to the elders, who form a group of leaders of the Church. You can take part in activities and meetings even without being an official member.

How did it all begin?

The 19th Century saw a spiritual revival among Swedish speakers within the Lutheran Church, which had had influences from England. First the revival resulted in an organisation called the Free Mission. In 1923, a law concerning freedom of religion was passed in Finland, and the organisation was registered as the Evangelical Free Church of Finland.