Ulf
Ekman, until recently one of Sweden’s leading and most dynamic Protestant
pastors, and his wife Birgitta have been received into the Catholic Church.
Ekman,
the founder of a 3,300-member mega church, stunned his congregation when he
announced shortly before Easter that he was becoming a Catholic. He had stepped down from leading the
community last spring.
The
course he and his wife had followed, he told the community, was in four parts,
discover, appreciate, approach and unite, and had begun in the late 1990s.
“This
may seem a very radical step,” he said, “but we have found great joy, great
peace.”
In
an opinion piece for a Swedish national newspaper Ekman explained:
“I
have come to realise that the movement I represented for the last 30 years,
despite successes and much good that has occurred on various mission fields, is
part of the ongoing Protestant fragmentation of Christendom.”
He
told how, over the past decade, he and his wife had undergone a slow transformation
as they came to know practising Catholics, including many charismatic
Catholics.
It
really challenged our protestant prejudices, and we realised that we in many
cases did not have any basis for our criticism of them,” he said. “We needed to know the Catholic faith
better.”
Richness
In
their meetings with Catholics, he explained, “we have seen a great love for
Jesus and a sound theology, founded on the Bible and classic dogma. We have experienced the richness of
sacramental life.
“We
have seen the logic in having a solid structure for priesthood, that keeps the
faith of the Church and passes it on from one generation to the next.”
He
continued: “We have met an ethical and moral strength and consistency that
dares to stand up to the general opinion, and a kindness towards the poor and
the weak.”
Asked
after the announcement if the Catholic Church had anything to learn from
Protestants he replied, “Yes... there are things within Protestant Christianity
that they can learn from – not least bold, personal evangelization.”
‘Word of Life”
Ekman
was ordained a minister in Sweden’s Lutheran Church in 1979, and served as a
chaplain in Uppsala University for several years.
In
1983 he founded the charismatic Word of Life organisation, going on to construct
the largest free church building in Scandinavia and to found a university and a
bible school.
In
2002 he began to focus on a global ministry, and through Word of Life he sent
missionaries to various parts of the world, including, Bangladesh, Russia, Ukraine,
Armenia, Afghanistan, Israel and India.
Receiving
news of Ekman’s decision the head of the Swedish Evangelical Alliance wished
him and his wife well.
“Ulf
Ekman, despite all the controversies along the way, is undoubtedly the most
dynamic and influential Christian leader we have had in Sweden during the past
half century,” said Stefan Gustavsson.
“His
international significance goes far beyond what most Swedes understand;
countless people around the world thank God for his ministry.”
He
noted that for some years, Ekman, had been “enthusiastic, both in books and
articles, about a clear Catholic theology and written about the necessity of a
Magisterium which the Pope claims to possess.”
Alive!
May 2014
