Christian Liberals, a network within the Liberal Party of Sweden
Since 1992 there is a network of Christian members in Folkpartiet Liberalerna, the liberal party of Sweden. Any party member or supporter is welcome and may register by contacting the party headquarters or local party office. Then you will receive news about regional or national network meetings.
The main purpose is to organise meetings about issues of special interest to Christian Liberals and to invite all participants at major party meetings to Christian services. The Party Executive appoints most members of the national committee.
Folkpartiet’s current positions on political issues such as refugees, private/Christian welfare contributions and development assistance originate from its Christian members.
Traditionally, a rather high percentage of the active members of Folkpartiet also are members of a Christian Church, either the Protestant Free Churches (as the Baptists and Methodists) or the (Lutheran) Church of Sweden. In fact, the most common Party assignment is to be a vestryman or woman in Church of Sweden.
Christian Liberals come from many different Churches and the network does not take part actively in proposing candidates for the Lutheran Church Election.
Hitherto the Party Executive has appointed members of the special committee drafting the official election platforms for the Church of Sweden, and so did the regional Executives for the Lutheran dioceses. In 1999 the Church of Sweden lost its position as State Church and the political parties are now repositioning.
In the Church elections in September 2005, Folkpartiet will put forward its own candidates, but the Liberals stand as Fisk (Folkpartister i Svenska Kyrkan, i e Liberals in Church of Sweden, where the word Fisk means Fish, in Greek Ichtys).