7.4 The Yearly National Conferences

At the constitution of the IBRA Radio and the Savings and Credit Bank the Nyhem week seems to have played a certain roll, as has the preachers’ week in the constitution of the aid to developing countries and the PIL's creation, and a young people’s leaders conference for the PU's, and the government for marriage rights. At the emergence of the PU one notices a certain gliding towards the Churches in a more democratic way. Those Churches on two occasions received letters and were invited to send representatives. But even in this case the preachers’ week played an active role. In connection with the acceptance of the State Grant for the Churches, the local Churches were given an opportunity to express their views by the means of letters whether they wished to accept this support or not, if they wished to have the Preachers fund as an administrative organ. But again the final decision was made at the Preachers meeting when they also decided in which way the governmental support should be distributed, and what administrative organs to administer the division of those means.

In the business companies the Churches only have influence if they are shareholders. When the foundations arose a limited number of Churches have cooperated in appointing trustees. Once these are elected any vacancies are filled from among their own number according to their own regulations. This policy was one of the accusation points against the SFM in the so-called Franklin schism. A tendency toward a greater influence for the Churches is noticeable however, for example in the case of the Kaggeholm Foundation which through its nominating committee nowadays contacts different Churches. This refers to the trustees. With the exception of the Philadelphia Church in Stockholm no local Pentecostal Church has any influence as to the election of board members in one or several of those common administrative organs.

7.4 The Yearly National Conferences

From my study it is evident that the Swedish Pentecostal Movement does not have any denominational conference with delegates appointted by the local Churches, but the yearly preachers’ week in the Philadelphia Church in Stockholm, the Nyhem Week in Mullsjö and the Lappland week in Husbondliden and other conferences partly fill the same functions. But concerning these and also other conferences within the Swedish Pentecostal Movement, a further research needs to