Free Baptist Union Explained

Free Baptist Union
Main Classification:Protestant
Orientation:Baptist
Theology:Evangelicalism, historically Christian pacifism, anti-trinitarianism and holiness movement
Polity:Congregational
Founded Date:1872
Merged Into:Holiness Union/Free Baptist Union
Defunct:1 January 1994
Congregations:31 (1992)[1]
Members:1051 (1992)[2]
Publications:Swedish: Upplysningens Vän

The Free Baptist Union (Swedish:) was a Swedish Baptist Christian denomination that began in 1872, when Baptist preacher was expelled from the Baptist Union of Sweden, after having been accused of heresy.[3]

The Free Baptist Union gained followers mainly in Scania, Gotland, Dalarna, Västmanland and Västergötland. In the early 1900s, the denomination peaked at around 5000 members.[4]

In 1994, the Free Baptist Union merged with the Holiness Union, forming a denomination that in 1997 merged with the Örebro Mission to form what is today the Evangelical Free Church in Sweden.[5]

References

  1. Svenskt frikyrkolexikon, "Fribaptistsamfundet", red. Jan-Åke Alvarsson
  2. Svenskt frikyrkolexikon, "Fribaptistsamfundet", red. Jan-Åke Alvarsson
  3. Fribaptistsamfundet 100 år, red. Eric Hansson, Fribaptistsamfundets förlag, Habo, 1972
  4. Fribaptistsamfundet 100 år, p 38
  5. Web site: Den svenska kyrkan från 700-talet till I dag. Kristendomens historia. Swedish. 13 December 2018.