Episode 146 • 10th April 2025 • The Living Church Podcast
How did a Swedish Pentecostal find himself called to the beauties, benefits, and dangers of an institutional church? Today we join the Rev. Magnus Persson of the Church of Sweden, which is a Full Communion Partner with the Episcopal Church.
We discuss the “three streams” of Swedish Lutheranism and it’s intersections with Anglicanism, how God led Magnus away from charismatic success to priestly divesment, the painful transformations of grace, and saunas and the Holy Spirit.
Finally, we talk about the place of the Swedish Evangelical Mission (EFS), the organization Magnus is a part of, within the larger Church of Sweden, and what it’s like to work patiently and cheerfully for change from within an ancient institution.
Magnus is an ordained minister in the Church of Sweden and works as a pastor for the Swedish Evangelical Mission. He is also the network co-ordinator of Re:formera, a network and think tank for reformational whole-churchism, and he’s the host for its weekly podcast (which Amber appeared on as a guest).
Whether you’re struggling to serve in an older institution, wondering whether God might be calling you to a vocational leap of faith, or if you just enjoy a good story, we hope you enjoy the conversation.
More about the Swedish Evangelical Mission (EFS)
Magnus’s book, Reclaiming the Reformation
Amber on the Re:formera podcast
Episode with Matthew Riegel (ELCA)
Amber D. Noel, M.Div., directs the public-facing programs of The Living Church, including the podcast, events, and the Partner program. Outside of work, she is a writer and enjoys life in Atlanta.
