Mission Covenant Church of Sweden

The Mission Covenant Church of Sweden was born in the spiritual revival in the 19th century. The first congregation was founded in 1855, the denomination in 1878. These events marked a protest against the state church system in which the bishops and priests were appointed by the state and the law obliged all Swedes to baptism, membership and communion in the Church of Sweden. The MCCS adopted therefore a congregational character. It was a vital force in the democratization of Swedish society. In 2000 the church adopted a new constitution which is highly inspired by ecumenical documents (e.g. BEM and Confessing the One Faith). A biblical-theological introduction gives the main lines in theology but it is not regarded as a binding confessional document. It reflects both the Lutheran context and the ecclesiological influence from the Reformed world. In 2003 a new church handbook was adopted as a liturgical fulfilling of the constitution. Infant baptism is the regular practice of the church, but out of a desire to unite different traditions in reconciled diversity, parents are also offered the possibility of blessing of children. When an infant is baptized the personal response will be offered at a later moment of life. The blessing of a child is done with expectation of a later baptism connected to a personal confession of faith. The communion, where the real presence of Christ is underlined, is celebrated by the pastor, but lay people distribute the elements.

Ministers are trained at the church’s own seminary or at the theological faculties. The Stockholm school of theology was created in 1993 by the MCCS together with the Baptist Union. The ordained ministry is two-fold with pastors and deacons, while the president and regional presidents have the ministry of oversight. The church ordains women. The church conference is the highest decision-making body. It elects the president, the executive board, the seven regional presidents, and takes decisions about ordination. The MCCS is today, in spite of its history, more a middle class church with a rather established position in the Swedish society. It is strongly involved in political, social and international questions.

With its high ecumenical profile it has, together with the Church of Sweden (Lutheran), a leading position within the Christian Council of Sweden and is also involved in several bilateral dialogues, ranging from Pentecostals to the Roman Catholic diocese. The church maintains especially good relations with the Baptist Union, the Methodist Church and the Church of Sweden. In 2006 the Mission Covenant Church signed an agreement with the Church of Sweden recognizing "each other as apostolic churches .... holding the same confession of the apostolic faith" and "the same understanding of the sacrements". 

The Mission Covenant Youth is one of the strongest youth movements in Sweden. The vigorous youth work has broad contacts in Swedish society and is an effective form of evangelism and diaconal work.

Mutual cooperation overseas, based on former mission work, is carried out in the two Congos, in Ecuador, India, Japan and Nicaragua. The church maintains contact with several Reformed churches and with churches in the Nordic-Baltic countries or through CEC with other Christian denominations.