IN THE
ZONE Transformational Sweden and Latvia Territory
partners with God
How well do you know The Salvation Army’s Europe Zone? This month we give an overview of the Sweden and Latvia Territory
‘T
HERE is much that encourages us as we travel around the territory,’ says Territorial Commander Commissioner Clive Adams. ‘We see God’s hand in the innovative and committed ministry; we meet and hear about those who have been transformed by God.’ An example of this transformation is the work in Haparanda, located on the border between Sweden and Finland. Being a border city affects everything. For example, in 2015 Haparanda received many asylum seekers, which means that today there is a flourishing multicultural ministry. Lieutenant Daniel Lovén moved to Haparanda with his family at the end of June 2019 and has assumed leadership of the corps. ‘To live on the border is both challenging and exciting,’ he says.
THE TERRITORY AT A GLANCE
Simply Organized
Simply Organized
3,601 Soldiers 1,257 Adherent members 170 Junior soldiers 94 Corps 8 Outposts and societies 312 Officers (142 active, 170 retired)
6 Auxiliary-captains 6 Envoys 7 Cadets 1,167 Employees 12
Salvationist 18 April 2020
Anti-human trafficking conference in Riga, Latvia
‘It is the meeting place for two countries, two Salvation Army territories, two languages and two cultures. Haparanda is not a typical Swedish city nor is its twin city in Finland, Tornio, typically Finnish.’ The proximity and interaction between the countries over the years have created a unique region with its own identity that is neither Swedish nor Finnish but ‘somewhere in between’. Haparanda corps members come from a variety of backgrounds, not only culturally but also denominationally. The diversity of this untraditional Salvation Army includes members from charismatic and Orthodox backgrounds and, although there is some difficulty in relating to the form of the Army – brass bands, marching and uniforms – there is no difficulty in understanding and relating to its function and mission. The territory’s philosophy in ministering to people experiencing homelessness is to help them out of their situations rather than enabling their continued life in homelessness. The intention is to help people off the streets into a stable home life by accompanying
Worship at Haparanda
Corps
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Haparanda corps members come from a variety of backgrounds, not only culturally but also denominationally
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them on a journey that addresses their problems and teaches them new skills, instilling new perspectives and bringing about transformation. There are four types of centre that are part of this chain of care. Social centres offer emergency assistance for basic needs: food, clothing, financial assistance, counselling, conversations and
