Our vision
POSK – Partipolitiskt obundna i Svenska kyrkan – is the independent electoral group in the Church of Sweden. POSKs vision is that the Church of Sweden shall be a community that reflects the will of God in its life and its worship and clearly speaks of Jesus Christ.
POSK want the Church of Sweden to
• offer its members involvement, fellowship, growth and depth
• inspire trust, deliverance, hope and courage
• see every individual in the congregation as a gift and a resource
• respect the individual and welcome diversity
• be a prophetic voice in society and show the way to a life of justice and freedom
• be a bridge between churches
• strive for an open dialogue between people of different faiths
POSK – a good choice
POSK are committed to
• develop viable congregations
• have freer affiliation to the local churches for members
• have at least one deacon in every parish
• focus long term on teaching and learning for all ages
• work vigorously to strengthen the role of music in our churches
• allocate church funds to international community service and mission
• minimise remuneration of elected members of the church’s governing bodies
• ensure a good working environment and encourage cooperation between different professional groups
• foster increased collaboration between volunteers and employees
• provide good education and training for employees
• provide similar conditions for newly ordained priests and deacons during their introductory period
• reduce disparities in church subscriptions in different parts of the country
• strengthen the church’s children and youth movements
• provide volunteer service as a way for young people to gain experience of working in the church
• strengthen the important work carried out within the Church of Sweden’s foreign branch
• ensure that funds raised for international work should not go to administrative costs
• make sure that the Church of Sweden is committed to sustainable use of the earth’s resources
• strive in the Church of Sweden for a more equitable distribution of the world’s assets
A free church – a really free church
POSK considers that
• the Church of Sweden should be a living, open and democratic church that operates in the whole country
• it is necessary to have a mission strategy where every individual is perceived as a gift and a resource in the congregation
• congregations must increase their responsibility for the welfare of the community based on their mission as a church
• the Church of Sweden shall be an active participant in the social economy, for example in schools, homes for the elderly and clinics
• Congregations who wish to drive funeral parlours under the Church of Sweden auspices should be allowed to do so
• members of the diocese and parish councils must be well established in the congregations and therefore be elected by the congregations themselves
• a simpler and less expensive electoral system must be introduced
• bishops should be full members of the General Synod
Diversity – an opportunity
POSK strives
• to promote respect and understanding between different traditions – diversity is richness
• to ensure that the ecumenical work, i.e. cooperation between churches and denominations, continues with vigor
• that everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, is treated with respect and is welcomed in the Church of Sweden and POSK
• to respect both those who believe that marriage should be reserved for the relationship between a man and a woman and those who embrace the new vision of marriage – the most important is to show concern for the people affected
• that it should be self-evident that there are deacons, priests and bishops of both sexes in the Church of Sweden
• to counteract any discrimination based on sex