- The Church of Sweden expected to lose more than 1 million members within 10 years
- 93,093 members left in 2017
- High maintenance costs were pushing the church to sell property
- A parish council chairman said costs stay high as attendance falls
The Church of Sweden, with about 6 million baptised members, was preparing to sell property it could no longer support, the Christian Post reported in February 2018.
The church expected to lose more than 1 million members within 10 years. In 2016, 85,848 members left, and in 2017, 93,093 more left. As membership and attendance fall, the cost of maintaining church buildings remains.
Börje Holgersson, chairman of the church council of Lima-Transtrand in the Västerås diocese, said: “While we’re losing members and fewer people are attending services, the cost of maintaining our churches is still very high.” He added: “It is a dilemma, because in this business it’s not really possible to increase production.”
Martin Larsson, the church’s press officer, explained why people were leaving: “The absolutely dominant reason is that one simply does not believe in God.”
Sweden shows how falling membership turns church buildings from assets into burdens. Jamaica still has strong church attendance, but many congregations are ageing and some rural churches are emptying. Planning early, by merging congregations, sharing buildings and finding new uses, can prevent maintenance bills from forcing hurried sales later.
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