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Partnership for World Mission
Connor Diocese and Linkôping Diocese in the Church of Sweden
A report by Canon Walter Lewis on the first partnership between an Anglican Parish and a Lutheran Parish since the Porvoo Declaration 1996 - St Thomas' Parish, Belfast and Linkôping Cathedral Parish. Walter Lewis is the co-ordinator in Connor Diocese of the partnership with Linkôping. (first published in the Church of Ireland Gazette, 23 October 1998)
The Porvoo Declaration 1996 brought the Anglican Churches of Britain and Ireland,
and the Lutheran Episcopal Churches of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Latvia,
Lithuania and Estonia into full communion with one another. We are now one Church.
There is mutual recognition of Church order, organisation and doctrine at every
level of Church life.
Historic Partnership
In Autumn 1997 the Diocese of Connor and the Diocese of Linkôping in the
Church of Sweden entered into a formal 'Partnership for World Mission' Agreement,
twinning the two Dioceses for three years, renewable for a further two years.
This was an historic event. It is the first time since the sixteenth century
Reformation that an Anglican episcopal diocese and a Lutheran episcopal diocese
have come together in a formal, structured twinning. This development is consistent
with the intention of the Porvoo Declaration which anticipated actions for closer
fellowship and unity between the participating Churches.
St Thomas's and Linkôping Cathedral Parish Together
In 1997, Anders Eckerdal, Drompost (Dean) of Linkôping Cathedral, invited
me to the Cathedral Parish for a week. The invitation was immediately reciprocated.
I have just returned from eight days on the staff of Linkôping Cathedral,
alongside the Dean. At Pentecost and Trinity 1999, Anders Eckerdal will be with
me in St Thomas's, Belfast. Our two Parishes are now formally twinned.
It was my third visit to Sweden in two years. In September 1996 I was there
with Bishop James Moore to discuss the possibilities of partnership with Linkôping.
Last year, I was a member of the twelve-person Connor delegation at the signing
ceremony in Linkôping Cathedral. This year I returned to the Cathedral
Parish as a member of staff alongside the Dean.
Common Witness and Mission
I spent eight days with Anders Eckerdal in the Cathedral Parish, which has
a membership of 25,000 people. I was most warmly welcomed by the Dean into
his home and family and into the life of the Cathedral. In going there I
was aware that this was not just a one-off visit. It was the start of an
ongoing partnership, in which, over the coming years, clergy and people
in Belfast and Link–ping will pray for each other, get to know one
another, and will grow together in partnership for the mission of the Church
in our two parishes.
A Living Christian Community
Link–ping Cathedral is a centre of living faith and spirituality. That
is the clear picture which formed in my mind as I accompanied Anders Eckerdal
on his daily work routine, as I assisted in worship, as I conducted worship,
and as I talked to the people. The main Sunday Services, which are well
attended, are 11.00am Hogmassa (Holy Communion) and 7.00pm Vespers. The
daily Midday Prayers are at 12.00 noon.
Visible Unity
My first Sunday there was the beginning of 'Poland Week' in Linkôping.
The seventy-strong Polish 
Male Voice Choir from Czestochowa near
Cracow sang at the morning Communion Service. The following Sunday, Poland Week
concluded with a special ecumenical Choral Vespers at which the magnificent
Cathedral Chamber Choir sang. The Lutheran Bishop of Warsaw preached. A Professor
of Public Ethics from Warsaw, representing Cardinal Glemp, and Bishop Brandenburg,
the Roman Catholic Bishop of Stockholm, conducted the prayers. The Bishop of
Linkôping, Martin Lind, presided.
Varieties of Worship
In the weekly cycle there are other Services. On Sundays at 9.00pm there
is an 'Alcoholics Service' of reflection, meditation and music, attended
by more than 200 seeking spiritual strength for themselves or their friends
or families. I was fascinated to see about sixty babies' buggies at the
back of the Cathedral on the Thursday morning: mothers had brought their
toddlers to the 10.00am Children's Service. The mothers and infants processed
behind the two student vergers who were carrying processional candles. In
the chancel, the very young children played with toys on large, soft play-mats,
while the older ones sat on the floor with their mothers. The Service was
short and child-centred, with children's hymns, choruses and prayers, and
an illustrated talk. A priest, organist, and three part-time children's
ministry staff members conducted the Service. On Friday nights, a Service
of Prayer and meditation by candlelight, with TaizÈ music, attracts
many young people.
Local Taxes Support Ministry
State funding of the Church of Sweden from local taxes enables the Cathedral
Parish to employ forty full-time staff - priests, hospital chaplains, deacons,
youth workers, organists and conductors, administrators, caretakers and ancillary
staff. The Parish includes two other modern Church centres, and a chapel at
the large and modern University Hospital, besides the magnificent Cathedral.
There are thirteen choirs in the Parish. In the Cathedral itself, and in the other worship centres, I was impressed by the coffee-bar provision. People I spoke to - many not regular church-attenders - valued this opportunity of fellowship after the Services.
Eucharistic Worship
In the Parish, Church life is very much centred on worship, particularly
the Holy Communion. Services are conducted with dignity, yet retain a degree
of relaxed informality. Everyone involved in the Service is part of the
procession and recession - clergy, deacons, youth workers, readers, intercessors,
and churchwardens. A spirit of teamwork, fellowship, and joy in the Gospel,
pervades all.
Unity for Mission
The partnership between Connor and Link–ping dioceses, and between
our twinned parishes, is set very much in the context of 'world mission'.
We are coming together to give expression to the unity which is Christ's
gift, but we are also seeking to help, support and encourage one another
in our Church's mission in Sweden and Ireland. We in Ireland would broadly
describe the Church of Sweden approach to mission as 'friendship evangelism'.
Those with a commitment to outreach are careful to avoid putting pressure
on people to attend worship or to become more involved in the life of the
Church. The pattern is to establish relationships of trust, friendship and
hospitality, to get to know people, and to give them information about aspects
of Church life in which they may be interested.
Goodwill Towards the Church
In this part of Europe we may have the impression that Sweden is a predominantly
secular country with little interest in religion. This is an inaccurate
perception. Ninety percent of the nine million Swedes are officially registered
members of the Church of Sweden. Though a small percentage of that number
attend Sunday worship, there is a great deal of goodwill towards the Church,
which is held in high regard in Swedish society.
Love of English Language
Most Swedish people can speak good English. Many young people are more fluent
and grammatically correct than many native English speakers and have a great
love of the English language. I spoke to some who have spent six months
or a year in England or the United States.
24 Parishes Twinned
Link–ping Cathedral and my own Parish of St Thomas, Belfast, are the
first of twenty-four parishes which are now twinned. The parish twinnings
are: Larne & Inver and V”derstate; Antrim & Ekeby; St Bartholomew,
Belfast & Gamleby; Ballynure and Ballyeaston & St Johannes, Norrkoping;
St Matthew, Belfast & Styrstad Norrkoping; Agherton & Kisa; Templepatrick
& V”sterik; St George, Belfast & Ryd; Eglantine and Vist; Malone,
Belfast & Berga; St Mary Magdalene, Belfast & Vastra Harg.
Youth Exchange
Already, there has been fruitful and productive contact between the diocesan
youth departments; last year Revd Andrew Forster, Graham Kerr and
Myrtle Deane visited Link–ping to discuss collaborative youth ventures.
A 1999 joint programme of events for Connor, Link–ping and Canterbury
has been arranged.
There will also be opportunity for meetings between other groups at diocesan level - Children's Ministry, Deacons, Hospital Chaplains, Social Responsibility, etc. Travel exchange between our two dioceses is greatly facilitated by return air fares which are £178 or lower. Hospitality is provided free of charge in the host Diocese.
Partnership in the Gospel
I left Link–ping conscious that my stay was the first increment in the practical
implementation of the partnership between our two parishes for the mission of
the Church in each place. I am grateful to Anders and Maria Eckerdal for their
warm hospitality. Wherever I went, and whoever I met, I was greeted with kindness
and generosity. As partnership in prayer, witness and mission between the Dioceses
and Parishes of Connor and Linkôping grows, we will indeed have cause
to praise and thank God.
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