Behind the Youthful Facade: The Church of Sweden Abroad and Its Older Visitors and Volunteers

Abstract

This article addresses the role of the Church of Sweden Abroad, with its 45 parishes in foreign countries, for older Swedes who live or stay abroad, permanently or for long or short periods. The article is based on a research project comprising three studies: a qualitative study, an analysis of websites and information material, and an Internet-based survey. The results highlight the important role played by the parishes for older visitors, in terms of providing community, support, and religious services. However, people above the age of 65 were virtually invisible on the church websites and in other information material. This paradox is discussed and the concept of ageism is used in the analysis.

KEYWORDS:

• migration
• older people
• ageism
• the Church of Sweden
• ethnic congregations

Notes

1. The Church of Sweden was, until the year 2000, a State Church. Until 1951, membership in the Church of Sweden was obligatory. In 1996, automatic adherence—that babies were “born into” the Church if at least one parent was a member—was abolished. In recent decades, membership rates have gradually decreased. In 1973, as much as 95% of the population were still members of the Church of Sweden. In 2012, the equivalent percentage was around 67%. However, “active membership” is rare and very few people are regular churchgoers. According to some studies, such as the World Values Survey, Sweden can be regarded as one of the most secularized countries in the world (Inglehart, Basafiez, Diez-Medrano, Halman, & Luijkx, 2004).

2. The Church of Sweden has an overall editorial policy that is mirrored in its central website. The responsible person here is the general editor. However, the parishes have their own websites, which are usually created by the local employees as editors.