Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Evangelical
Politics and Religion
The immigrant converts in Finland

The immigrant converts in Finland

Last updated on: May 12, 2017 at 8:31 am by Gene Veith

0 Comments

The immigrant converts in Finland 2017-05-12T08:31:54-04:00 Gene Veith

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I have been blogging quite a bit about the Muslim immigrants in Europe who are converting to Christianity. (See here and here and here.) It’s happening also in Finland, and this time I got to see this phenomenon first hand. Not only that, I was able to interact with some of these new Christians and worship with them.

The Finnish Lutheran Mission has been sending missionaries to Afghanistan for decades. In 1980, two of them were killed. In 2014, two more were killed.

Now Afghan refugees are making their way to Finland. And many of them are converting to Christianity, with stories similar to the Iranians in Denmark and the Iraqis in Germany: They have dreamed of Jesus, had visions directing them to a Bible-believing church or mission, read Bibles in the course of their journeys, reacted against the brutal religion they were fleeing to find a God of grace, etc., etc.

Conservative Christians in Europe are evangelizing, catechizing, and baptizing them. Though some officials and others suspect these refugees of feigning conversion in an effort to gain permanent resident status—which seldom even works in the secularist bureaucracies—these new Christians are going to church and revitalizing what were once moribund and ill-attended congregations, reminding long-time members of the power of the Gospel of Christ.

Finnish Lutheran Mission, one of the “mission” organizations where conservative Christianity still flourishes, operates a Bible College in Ryttylä. The institution offers programs that teach the Bible, Apologetics, Theology, and other subjects. Young Christians often study here for several months before heading out to the university. The institution also offers camp-like experiences for children and families, as well as other activities for adults, such as the Apologetics Seminar at which I was speaking.

After the conference, my wife and I continued to stay at the college as a base of operations for the other things I was doing.

Also staying with us were 26 young Afghan men who were here to study the Bible, as well as the Finnish language.

They had already been catechized and baptized. They wanted to learn more and more about God’s Word. (If they were only interested in getting a baptismal certificate to add to their permanent residence application, why would they bother to devote several weeks to intensive Bible study?) I could see them crowded into classes where their teacher was a pastor who had been a missionary in Afghanistan and who knew their language.

They knew little to no English. So we didn’t get far with that, though I struck up a shake-hands, smile, and say a few words interaction with one young man. But we ate with them in the dining hall. And during chapel, worshipped with them.

I was cautioned not to post any pictures or to give any names of the converts. In Germany, someone posted a photograph of a convert and told his story on FaceBook. Whereupon one of his relatives back home learned about it, boarded an airplane, flew to Germany, and killed him. The chapel services are livestreamed, so the Afghans sit in one corner that is off-camera.

This is part of the cost when a Muslim becomes a Christian. They put themselves in danger from their families and their fellow refugees. And many are sent back to the Taliban.

But it was very meaningful to worship with these brand-new Christians. They prayed, joined in the songs as best they could, and were obviously way into it.

On the wall of the chapel are two plaques to the four missionaries martyred in Afghanistan. Our host marveled that in that place so memorialized Afghans were being brought to Christ—being baptized, studying God’s Word, worshipping, and, when Divine Services were held, receiving Christ’s body and blood given for them.

Photos of the memorials to the martyred missionaries by Jackquelyn Veith, who releases the works into the public domain

Uncategorized

Previous Post

May 10, 2017

We mustn't call breastfeeding "natural"

Next Post

May 11, 2017 Abortionist on "euthanizing" the baby

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"VCRs, tape decks, and cassette players are all having a revival among a segment of ..."

Tom Hering

Luther on Tools

"As a (retired) lawyer I see potential liability from sharing things like power or sharp ..."

reg

Luther on Tools

"I am not sure the items you mentioned, though disused, discontinued, discarded, could be considered ..."

reg

Luther on Tools

"“Friend, use me in your relations with your neighbor just as you would want your ..."

DakotaLutheran

Luther on Tools

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category America Apologetics Art baseball Bible Blog Christ Church crime Culture Economics Education Ethics Family Food Football Government History Holidays Holy Week Humor International Islam Language Law Life Issues Literature Media Medicine Movies Music Nature News Personal Philosophy Politics psychology Reformation Religions Sacraments Science sex Social Science Sports technology television terrorism Theology Uncategorized Vocation war

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

In 1 Peter, what will the proven genuineness of faith result in?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Blessings Salvation Eternal life Praise, glory and honor when Jesus is revealed

Books by This Author Books by Gene Veith

See All Titles »