Deddington OnLine - Diocese of Växjö

Together in Church

The Church of Sweden is a national church, open to everyone living in Sweden regardless of nationality. It is a place for church services, meetings and dialogue. The church is a place to celebrate the special occasions in life, but also has importance in filling our everyday needs for peace, reflection, and care. How the church serves as an institution has changed over the 1000 years since its inception, but the task has always been the same: to serve as a meeting place between people, and between people and God.

Click here to visit the English language website of Deddington’s partner churches in Jönköping, part of the Church of Sweden Diocese of Växjö.

The Diocese also has a radio station, Svenska Kyrkans Närradio and their website is www.skn-radio.se

This site includes a listen again page of recent services which can be found by clicking here.

Oxford’s Partner Diocese has a new bishop

Jan-Olof Johansson is to be the next bishop of Växjö. At the election on 30th August, 2010, he gained 60 per cent of the votes according to the preliminary figures making a second round of voting unnecessary.
Jan-Olof Johansson is 62 years old and is currently dean of Växjö Cathedral. He has been a priest for 30 years, serving in Växjö as a diocesan officer and as Diocesan Dean (roughly equivalent to an English archdeacon) for 17 years. He has been cathedral dean since 2006.
This is only the second time that an episcopal election in the Church of Sweden has been decided at the first round of voting. The first occasion was in 2007 when Antje Jackelén was elected bishop of Lund. It was clear from the preliminary vote that Jan-Olof Johansson was a strong candidate. At that stage he won 44 per cent of the votes cast.
Jan-Olof Johansson has some experience of the bishop’s role. In his capacity as cathedral dean he has, since Sven Thidevall’s resignation in February, undertaken duties normally carried out by the bishop. He took on a similar role after Anders Wejryd, the former bishop of Växjö, was elected archbishop, caring for the diocese during the vacancy until a new bishop was elected. In that election he was also a candidate (at the request of the diocesan search committee) and came second.
He will be consecrated in Uppsala Cathedral on 21st November. Jan-Olof Johansson becomes Växjö’s 58th bishop and succeeds Bishop Sven Thidevall.
The share of votes (with votes from June’s preliminary round in brackets) was as follows:
382 votes (60 per cent): Jan-Olof Johansson (238) +144
78 votes (12 per cent): Per Eckerdal   (36) +42
67 votes (11 per cent): Kjell O Lejon   (54) +13
64 votes (10 per cent): Lisa Tegby   (57) +7
45 votes (7 per cent): Dag Sandahl  (35) +10
639 people took part in the election (around 94 per cent of the electorate). Three of the votes were invalid.
Those who didn’t get through the preliminary sifting to the main round of voting were:
Annika Borg      (24)
Christopher Meakin     (24)
Magnus Hedin      (22)
Torbjörn Edebol     (18)
Håkan E Wilhelmsson     (16)
Mats Hagelin      (7)
Pär AJ Persson     (5)

In only one deanery (Norra Möre) were fewer votes cast for Jan-Olof than for the other candidates and in that deanery no other single candidate received more votes than he did.
Further information from the Diocesan European Contact tony.dickinson@oxford.anglican.org

The World’s Celebration

With one eye on the British Airways website (would their flights be operating?) eight representatives from the Diocese of Oxford left for Sweden at the beginning of June. They were among the international guests at Världens Fest (“The World’s Celebration”), a celebration of the international work of the Church of Sweden, which this year was being hosted by our Swedish partner diocese of Växjö.

The eight representatives were Bishop Stephen Cottrell, who was due to speak on spirituality and mission, and his wife Rebecca, Maranda St John Nicolle, the diocesan World Development Adviser and Chair of the Council for Partnership in World Mission, Judith Scott, the Lay Chair of Diocesan Synod, Roger Williams, Diocesan Chaplain to Deaf People, who was also one of the speakers, Gillian Straine from the Kidlington Team Ministry, Hugh White from Deddington and Tony Dickinson, the European Contact for the diocese. Bright sunshine greeted them, accompanied by warm hospitality and many cups of strong Swedish coffee (“the third sacrament of the Church of Sweden”, as it has been described). Summer, it seemed, had arrived in Scandinavia before it reached the British Isles. There was time for orientation, and a quick guided tour of the Cathedral with its beautiful contemporary glass-work, before the formal opening of the Celebration by Archbishop Anders Wejryd. Archbishop Anders was formerly Bishop of Växjö and initiated the Oxford-Växjö partnership.

Earlier in the day Archbishop Anders had welcomed the international guests, who came from Germany, Costa Rica, Tamil Nadu in south India, Tanzania, Palestine, Brasil, Italy, Ethiopia and the Philippines as well as from Great Britain. Among the guests was Fr Luke Gregory OFM, a Franciscan from Sheffield who serves as Roman Catholic Vicar-General on Rhodes. One of the Tanzanian visitors presented the Archbishop with a hand-carved wooden cross.

The Costa Rican delegation included Kattia Castro Flores, a theologian from the Lutheran Church there, who was one of the keynote speakers, and the Lutheran Bishop Melvin Jiménez. Bishop Melvin preached at the closing service on Sunday and at the opening ceremony signed, on behalf of his Church, a covenant between the Lutheran Church in Costa Rica (ILCO) and the diocese of Växjö, which now has as many overseas links as the diocese of Oxford.

In all there were around 2,500 people in Växjö, from all parts of Sweden, and the informal conversations, over coffee, over meals, over a drink in The Bishop’s Arms (an “English pub” just down the road from the Cathedral), were often as important as the formal talks and workshops. At the celebration supper on Saturday night, Hugh White and Tony Dickinson found themselves sitting opposite the Archbishop’s PA and the member of the Church of Sweden’s international team who had special responsibility for West Africa – not natural Lutheran territory in many ways, but an area where the Swedish Church’s aid agency has been active in the fight against advancing desert in the Sahel. Judith Scott met her opposite number, the Vice-Chair of Växjö’s Diocesan Board. Bishop Stephen took another step on his way to his new diocese when the Bishop’s Chaplain from Chelmsford’s partner diocese of Karlstad introduced herself at the beginning of his address, “Luminous Christianity – apostolic spirituality for a mission shaped church”.

Both Tony and Hugh come from parishes which have links with congregations in Sweden and both were delighted to meet folk from those congregations during their time in Växjö. Rebecca Cottrell, who is an accomplished potter and teaches ceramics, was intrigued by the installation “Wholeness and Fragment” which a woman potter from Bethlehem had set up in one of the chapels in Växjö cathedral. Maranda St John Nicolle was busy keeping up with developments in the Church of Sweden’s engagement with issues of development, trade justice and concern for the environment, while Judith and Gillian continued to reflect on and develop insights from the preliminary conference which they had attended at nearby Kronoberg.

Some of the party knew Sweden well and were able to greet old friends. For others it was their first visit to Växjö and an introduction to a way of being Church which was at the same time comfortingly familiar and almost disturbingly strange. For all it was a learning experience, emphasising how much we have to give and receive from one another as our partnership broadens our horizons and deepens our awareness of God’s presence in his world.

A.W.D.
13th June, 2010

Världens Fest

Världens fest is the Church of Sweden’s regular gathering concerned with its international work.

For the Varldens Fest webpage please click here.

For the photo gallery please click here.

Växjö diocese is proud and delighted to be acting as host for Världens fest 2010. We believe that Världens fest will be a splendid gathering for many people. We estimate that 3000 people will come to Växjö for this celebration from all over the world, from Sweden and of course from the diocese of Växjö. We hope that the parishes in Växjö diocese will see Världens fest as a golden opportunity to gather many people together and to hold a celebration of the Church of Sweden’s international work, “Hela Världen”*.

Växjö diocese also sees Världens fest as an opportunity for the diocese to gather for a celebration: many of you remember the celebration in Kalmar in 2007 and know that it was a good source of inspiration: we believe that Världens fest 2010 will be at least equally inspiring.

Accordingly we can happily see Världens fest as a diocesan celebration, too, where we can be proud to be involved in organising such a great event. We can gladly let the celebration become an opportunity for the whole team or the parish’s elected representatives to join in and be inspired. Obviously it is also good to make sure that the international group or the parish representative for international work gets an opportunity to take part. Together we can make the journey to Världens fest and the days there a shared memory for a long time ahead. Come for one day, two or three, to share events, encounters and experiences in the programme’s rich offerings!

The theme of the gathering is ”Another world is possible”. We are dividing this theme into four main tracks: Mission, Environment, Migration and Market. We believe that we in the Church of Sweden and in the diocese of Växjö need inspiration and tools to work together with God so that his kingdom will be spread. At Världens fest many important questions are going to be discussed. We also gather for worship and spiritual inspiration, with the Bible, of course, at the centre of all we do.

Within Världens fest the national gathering of Svenska Kyrkans Unga is being organised and we trust that around 650 young people will be coming to Växjö for this festival. This is a fantastic opportunity for those who work with children and young people in the parish when the national gathering lies so close to home territory.

Tony Dickinson and Hugh White attended the Festival and you can see the pictures that Tony took by clicking here.

The World’s Celebration

A.W.D.
13th June, 2010

Partnership with Växjö: a summary of the first five years

1. Introduction
1.1 The Church of Sweden in outline
The Church of Sweden is an Evangelical Lutheran community of faith whose local manifestations are its parishes and dioceses, supported by its national organisation. It is an open national church, which, working with a democratic organisation and through the ministry of the church, covers the whole nation. At the Reformation the Church of Sweden followed a moderate Lutheran line. The churches remained much the same (in terms of their architecture and fittings), bishops continued in charge of dioceses and the liturgy changed only in certain respects.

As a national church (folkkyrka) the Church of Sweden embraces the whole country. It is not a gathered church, ministering only to those who actively belong. Every part of the country is in a parish with its own parish church. Every fourth year elections are held for all the decision-making bodies of the Church, at parish, diocesan and national level. Alongside this democratic element is the episcopal structure which the Church of Sweden has inherited from the past. There are 3,500 churches in this vast but sparsely populated country. Sweden has 8.8 million people, and more than 80 percent of them are (at least nominally) members of the Church of Sweden.

1.2 The structure of the Church of Sweden
There are approximately 2,500 parishes. Every parish employs a priest and a musician, and often also a deacon (deacons are a defined order of permanent ministers within the Swedish Church and not simply “apprentice priests”). In smaller, rural settings these officers may be responsible for services and pastoral care in several parishes. Other people may be employed according to the needs of the parish (e.g. church workers, teachers, vergers, sextons, office personnel, children and youth leaders, cleaners).
There are 13 dioceses in the Church of Sweden. Each is led by a bishop, whose tasks include ordaining candidates to the priesthood and diaconate, and holding regular visitations in every parish. The bishop is elected. S/He is assisted by the chapter (domkapitlet) and by a diocesan synod (stiftsstyrelse). The Church has no suffragan bishops or archdeacons. The dean of the cathedral is the bishop’s deputy in the diocese. At national level the church is led by the Archbishop of Uppsala (currently Anders Wejryd, who was, until 2006, Bishop of Växjö). The Archbishop represents the Church of Sweden in international and ecumenical matters.

In its financial affairs of the Church of Sweden has long been connected with the state. All members are liable to pay church dues, collected by the state and handed over to the church to finance all its operations, including the maintenance of its historic buildings. Additional state funding is also available for this, but expert agreement must be obtained for any restoration or alteration. The church dues are made up partly of the parish element, decided in each parish for its own members, and partly of the diocesan contribution; the size of that is decided by the diocesan synod. The same arrangement now applies to all other registered faith-communities (e.g. the Roman Catholic Church).

1.3 Church and State
The Church of Sweden was, until recently, an established church. Until the 19th century it was the only church recognised by the state and its affairs were regulated by parliament (riksdag). Meetings for other kinds of worship were strictly prohibited with a few exceptions in favour of certain immigrant communities. During the 20th century the close connection of Church and state was loosened. The present situation is controlled by a radical set of laws, which came into force on 1st of January, 2000. The Church of Sweden was then declared a “faith-community” which, like the free churches, Roman Catholics, Jews, Moslems, etc. could register as such with the state and have their church dues collected by the state along with income tax.

2. The diocese of Växjö
The diocese is situated in southern central Sweden, in the region known as Småland. There are three major centres of population in the county towns of Växjö (also the cathedral city, and with a university), Jönköping (which has a university college) and Kalmar (which also has a university college). Each of these has a population of between 45,000 and 60,000. Otherwise the diocese is mainly lakes and forests with small towns and villages interspersed. The population of the whole diocese is about 610,000. Major pastoral reorganisation will be completed by 2010. There are currently 104 pastorates (roughly equivalent to benefices), 258 parishes, 396 priests (54 of them women). Christianity was introduced to the area in the 11th century by an English missionary monk and bishop from York, Saint Sigfrid. The cathedral was built between the 12th and 15th centuries. Småland is the centre of the glass-making industry in Sweden and is sometimes referred to as “The Kingdom of Glass” (Glasriket). The diocese has a second (baroque) cathedral church in Kalmar, which is no longer formally a cathedral, since the diocese of Kalmar was amalgamated with Växjö in the early 20th century. It does, however, retain the episcopal crosier, cope and mitre, which the bishop is expected to wear when he visits.

3 The initial vision for the partnership
From the outset it was agreed that the aim of any partnership must be to make the Porvoo Communion a concrete reality and not just a piece of ecumenical rhetoric. An important dimension of the initial project was that the two dioceses could learn from each other in their varying attempts to find ways of being Church in the post-modern era. Our situations as national churches in secularised western societies and our structures have certain similarities. The Church of Sweden had, at the time of the initial approaches, recently been disestablished and the church tax abolished, and the expectation was that in the long term its financial situation would probably be similar to that of the Church of England. There was a strong sense in the diocese of Växjö that the Swedish Church could learn much from the English situation.

3.1 “Getting to know you”
In any twinning there are two phases: first, the “getting to know each other” phase; then a focusing on common issues and groups. This ultimately makes the arrangement easier to monitor and evaluate, so that it does not become an open ended obligation just to “twin” – when the relationship might become a burden and not an asset to the partner dioceses.

Initially it was hoped that this first stage might include the formation of a fellowship of prayer, through which specific deaneries or parishes would pray for each other. The hope was that particular congregations or individuals would form friendships, to which they would then find ways of giving concrete expression. This did not happen, and it has proved quite difficult to include the parishes of the other diocese in either diocese’s official cycles of prayer. The initial stage, as will be seen, had much more to do with visits by representative people from each diocese.

3.2 Issues and challenges
More successful was the process which had originally been envisaged as a second stage in the relationship, namely the focus on co-operation which is issue-based. There was a readiness to identify a number of common challenges and issues that both parties needed to tackle (and could do just as well together). Initially it was thought that these might include church and youth, the church in the countryside, ministry and academic studies (how to utilise the competencies that each diocese has, both locally and regionally). Then, as a further stage, the hope was that the dioceses might deal with issues where one partner had good experience which they wanted to share – in, say, the areas of hospital ministry, urban mission or inter-religious dialogue.

It was hoped that this stage might also include opportunities for groups from each Church to study the other's pastoral methods in particular situations. The possibility was also raised that one Church might make use of experts from the other in the context of in-service training for different categories of minister; and that opportunities might arise for candidates for the priesthood in each diocese to do pastoral work in the other’s parishes during the summer break, or to spend time studying at theological college in the other country. In addition it was hoped that there might be opportunities for ordained ministers in each diocese to engage in the practice of “shadowing and sharing”. As Oxford is a key centre for theological education and training for ministry, it was anticipated (not least by representatives of the Porvoo Commission who were involved in the early discussions) that the two dioceses would explore ways in which these areas could be brought into a link, along with specialised sectors such as youth ministry. Furthermore, it was hoped that each diocese would send representatives to special occasions in the other diocese, whether as observers or simply to share in a special moment of joy or importance.

It was clear from the outset that all these projects would have to be tailored to the practical and financial factors affecting each particular case. There was a firm decision against large groups indulging in “ecclesiastical tourism”. It was also thought advisable that there should be a process of evaluation at agreed intervals to reflect on what had happened to date and to decide if and how to continue in the future. The suggested timescale for such evaluations (based on the Diocese of Oxford’s experience with the Kimberley and Kuruman Link) was that they might take place every five or ten years.

These aspects of the initial vision were drawn together in March 2000 in a paper written by the diocesan and national officers in both Churches. The appropriate diocesan bodies on each side agreed to take matters further.

4. The route to the Covenant
4.1 Initial Contacts
The initial contacts came in the late summer and early autumn of 1999. At that stage the diocese of Växjö was considering three possible partner dioceses in the Church of England, with Salisbury and Ely in the frame as well as Oxford. These initial contacts were reported to the Bishop’s Council Working Group on Unity, the Board for Social Responsibility and the Council for Partnership in World Mission, all of whom responded favourably to the idea of exploring the possibility of a partnership.

In January 2000 the Växjö Diocesan Board approved a proposal for the formal exploration of a possible partnership with this diocese. The then Bishop of Växjö, Anders Wejryd, wrote formally to the then Bishop of Oxford, Richard Harries, inviting him to send a delegation from this diocese on an official visit to Sweden. It was agreed by all three of the above-named three boards and committees to recommend a positive response and the then Area Bishop of Reading was nominated as “lead bishop” with responsibility for Porvoo concerns.

4.2 The first visit to Sweden
The visit to the Diocese of Växjö took place in April, 2001. It was generally judged on both sides to have been positive and successful, building on existing contacts.

During the visit a number of issues arose for further reflection and investigation. They included:

· What difference does Porvoo make?

· Ministry: Episcopal ordination/consecration: the ordination of women as priests: sector ministry and diakonie: the formation of deacons in the Swedish Church as a permanent and separate order: clergy numbers and ordination training

· Pastoral matters: The ministry of healing: marriage discipline: baptism preparation and follow-up

· Church finance (very much a live issue in Sweden following the abolition of the Church tax): clergy transport (is leasing a more cost-effective approach than mileage for (at least) central diocesan staff?)

· Spirituality: The religious life and the role of religious communities: the role of retreat and conference centres in the life of a diocese: spiritual direction and development: pilgrimage: church art and symbolism

· Church-state relations: immigrants and social problems: interface with secular organisations: linguistic and cultural imperialism (Sweden has a “weak” culture in relation to omnipresent English)

· Rural issues: Nature and incarnation: stipendiary staff and lay involvement in the rural church: pastoral re-organisation: the maintenance of worship in small centres and large benefices: the use of buildings in winter: agricultural malpractice (a question raised particularly in relation to recent British experience)

4.3 Proposals for a Return VisitFollowing this visit, the members of the delegation agreed that it would be right to pursue the possibility of a link further and recommended that representatives of the Diocese of Växjö be invited to visit Oxford early in 2002. Hospitality was offered by St Mary’s Convent, Wantage.

4.4 The Return VisitThe return visit took place in March, 2002. Six visitors from Växjö were welcomed to the Diocese of Oxford. They spent a week exploring the possibility of a formal partnership between the two dioceses. The visit was very successful and the Bishops asked for a draft Covenant of Partnership between the two dioceses to be drawn up.

5. The Covenant
The draft Covenant was considered by the appropriate bodies in both dioceses and approved by all, subject to minor amendments. The Governing Board of the diocese of Växjö and the Diocesan Synod of the diocese of Oxford gave their formal approval in the summer and autumn of 2002. The motion commending the covenant to oxford Diocesan Synod was passed unanimously. The signing of the covenant in Oxford took place in Christ Church Cathedral on 2nd April, 2003. It was the climax of a visit by the Bishop the deans of the diocese and senior members of the diocesan staff. The signing in Växjö took place in January, 2004.

5.1 Other Contacts
In parallel with the formal process leading to the signing of the covenant there were a number of contacts at different levels, both formal and informal. Three representatives of the diocese of Växjö attended the Diocesan Convention held in High Wycombe in July, 2002 and three representatives of this diocese attended the Diocesan Conference in Växjö in October, in each case at the invitation of the Diocesan Bishop. Other visitors from Sweden included a group of deacons and the cathedral choir from Växjö.

5.2 Subsequent Developments
Following the signing of the Covenant in Oxford, the May 2003 issue of “The Door” had a sharply Swedish focus, including a major interview with Bishop Anders. The Covenant itself (see appendix) was taken up by the Porvoo Contact Group and reprinted as a model in the Porvoo Information Pack published by the Council for Christian Unity.

In the period between the signing in Oxford and the signing in Växjö, a number of visitors from different parts of the diocese of Oxford visited Sweden, among them a ordinands from Ripon College, Cuddesdon, and from SAOMC (as it then was) who completed placements of varying lengths in Växjö parishes. In October 2003 a retreat for clergy from both dioceses was held at Wantage.

5.3 The Signing in Sweden
On Sunday, 11th January, 2004, the Bishops of Oxford and Växjö signed the Covenant of Partnership between the two dioceses in Växjö Cathedral before a congregation of about 900 people. It was the climax of a four-day visit to Växjö by twelve representatives of this diocese and enabled an initial assessment of progress with the partnership.
6. Making use of the Covenant
In May, 2004, a number of links, whether actual or potential, were identified, among them the areas of shared interest or concern between the deacons of Växjö diocese and the Social Responsibility Officer in Oxford and between SAGE and environmentally concerned groups in Växjö diocese. In addition, a range of priorities was also identified these included:

· Training: a particular concern of Bishop Anders who wished to develop the exchange of theological students. It was recognised that there was a possible problem in placing English-speakers in Sweden in relation to the leadership of services and preaching. Funding for students from Oxford would need to be considered carefully. Placements to date had been of short duration. There might be a role for parishes, particularly in relation to NSMs/OLMs. On the Swedish side a formal placement as part of training would attract a grant from the diocese. On the English side money was also available in the theological colleges’ budget to fund placements.

· Grass-roots links: experience to date of parish-to-parish links had been positive. Area Deans were seen to have a key role. In planning trips the importance of emphasising mutuality in providing hospitality was recognised. It was clear that parish A must not be allowed to “use” parish B. Furthermore, mere “ecclesiastical tourism” was to be discouraged.

· Cathedral-Cathedral links: the appointment of a new Dean was recognised as a kairos moment, providing opportunities in relation to the arts and music, and broader cultural links generally.

In addition to the formal visits and the student placements, there was discussion of the range of “one-off” visits. There are no civic links with Sweden which could be exploited, but clergy exchanges (possibly in the summer) have been discussed.

7. Five Years of Covenant Partnership
Each year there have been a number of visits in both directions, by individuals and by groups from parishes and deaneries.

Particular events encouraged contact. Sweden as a whole suffered badly in the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004. In Växjö eleven casualties were reported. A few weeks later, southern Sweden was hit by hurricane force winds. People were killed, a huge volume of forestry was destroyed, and a vast amount of material damage was done throughout the region. A message of sympathy and solidarity was sent on behalf of this diocese. Area Deans were also asked to encourage parishes to pray for the Diocese of Växjö on the Sunday nearest to St Sigfrid’s day (15th February). A similar request has been circulated in subsequent years.

The involvement of representatives from this diocese in a day for the parish representatives of the international organisations of the Church of Sweden led to a proposal for a course involving people from both dioceses in development education/consciousness-raising. This was approved and became the “V-Ox Course”.

During 2005 there were a number of changes in the diocese of Växjö. This Diocese was represented at the installation of a new Dean of Växjö Cathedral. As part of his induction programme, the Cathedral staff visited England in January 2006, spending a day with their opposite numbers at Christ Church.

In spring 2006, the diocese of Växjö was represented at the farewell to Bishop Richard. Shortly before Bishop Richard’s retirement, Bishop Anders was elected Archbishop of Uppsala. This diocese was represented at his farewell. In October Dr Sven Thidevall was elected as the new bishop. The Bishop of Buckingham was one of the consecrating bishops. During the year the Växjö-Oxford (“V-Ox”) course for internationally committed people continued to its conclusion in spring 2007.

The Archdeaon of Oxford represented this diocese at the diocesan convention held in Kalmar in June that year. The new Bishop of Växjö, Sven Thidevall, was represented at the inauguration of Bishop John’s ministry in this diocese by three senior figures from Växjö. Later in the year members of the Mothers’ Union represented this diocese at the “Världens Fest” celebration. Members of staff from STEM and Cuddesdon took part in an analysis of the life of two parishes in Växjö diocese, contributing their findings at the diocesan convention in Kalmar. This led to further joint work on issues of mission and team-building in 2007 and 2008.

Some of those from Växjö who had taken part in the “V-Ox” course shared in an Open Day at Christ Church in September. A DVD about the partnership was circulated to deaneries in this diocese. A leaflet about the partnership was also circulated to parishes. Later in the autumn a Swedish ordinand completed a placement in Aylesbury. This raised issues about finance and planning which are being resolved by discussions at the appropriate level in both diocese.
In 2008 parish-to-parish contacts continued. There was further contact between the Mothers’ Union and people engaged in the international work of Växjö Diocese.

In the spring it was announced that The Revd Dr Christopher Meakin, who played a central role in setting up and maintaining the link at the Växjö end, was moving to Uppsala to become the Church of Sweden’s head of Ecumenical and International Affairs. It was also announced that “Världens Fest” in 2010 would take place in Växjö, with the expectation of a significant presence from Oxford
Bishop John made a fruitful and positive initial visit to Växjö at the end of September, which was reciprocated by Bishop Sven and senior members of diocesan staff in November, 2009.
8.      Reviewing and Renewing the Covenant
8.1     Looking forward
By 2008 the Covenant between the two dioceses had been in existence for five years. From the point of view of both dioceses it seemed right to review it.   Bishop Sven was keen to earth the partnership in the life of the parishes as well as at diocesan level. At present there is a relationship between the two cathedrals and four links in various stages of development between parishes/benefices.

It was recognised that there were a number of areas to be explored at parish level. It was felt that there could be significant developments in relation to ordination training and in developing the existing link between the cathedrals. It might also be possible to invite clergy from Oxford to attend the Växjö clergy conference. Members of the diocesan training team might also be involved.

8.2 Växjö Recommendations
The following areas for further work have been identified:

· Collaboration around how volunteers can be recruited and trained (focusing on the experience of Oxford with LLMs)

·     Provision of opportunities for people with parish or diocesan responsibilities to visit one another and to share their daily experience on a more regular basis.
·     Continuing work with mission: learning from Oxford’s experience of “Fresh expressions” and sharing insights from “Guds mission i Växjö stift”.
·     Inspiring parish-to-parish links
·     Learning about church buildings and their use.
8.3     The Review Process
It was suggested that a review process should include the following elements:

·     The degree to which the commitments in the Covenant had been observed.
·     A series of questions to all who had been actively engaged at parish or diocesan level.
·     The compilation of a narrative report on the link
·     The setting of goals for the next stage: discussion (on the Oxford side) by the Senior Staff, the Bishop’s Council and the Council for Partnership in World Mission
·     Conversations between key personnel.
A.W. Dickinson

European Contact for the Diocese

9.10.2008

(Revised 13.11.2009 and 23.6.2010)

Appendix 1
The Covenant
The Provisions of the Covenant

We, the Diocese of Växjö in the Church of Sweden and the Diocese of Oxford in the Church of England, rejoicing in the faith which we share and recognising

· that we are part of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church of Jesus Christ,

· that, as members together of the body of Christ, we share in God’s mission to the world for which his Son died,

· that our situations (as national churches in secularised western societies), our histories and our structures are similar and that we have much to learn from each other as we face the challenges and opportunities that we share,

commit ourselves to a covenant of partnership within the Porvoo Communion and to making the provisions of the Porvoo Common Statement concrete reality within the life of both dioceses.

Commitments

Accordingly, we commit ourselves:

· to form a fellowship of prayer, through which specific deaneries or parishes pray for each other, enabling particular congregations or individuals to form friendships, to which they would then find ways of giving concrete expression.

· to identify common challenges and issues facing both dioceses.

· to explore issues of mission and ministry where one partner has good experience to share with the other.

· to provide opportunities for groups from each diocese to study the other's pastoral methods in particular situations.

· to make provision for the use by one diocese of experts from the other utilising the competencies that each diocese has, both locally and regionally.

· to provide opportunities for candidates for the priesthood and diaconate in each diocese to do pastoral work in the other’s parishes during the summer break, or to spend time studying at theological college in the other country.

· to offer appropriate opportunities for those who have tasks of responsibility at diocesan or parish level in each diocese to engage in shadowing and sharing.

· to look at ways in which theological education and training for ministry in each diocese can be brought into the link.

· to send representatives to special occasions in each other’s diocese, whether as observers, or simply to share in a special moment of joy or importance.

· to have a process of evaluation at regular intervals to reflect on experience to date, and to decide on the future of the partnership.

· to accept that this partnership does not involve any financial responsibility for each other.