Faithfulness in Finland

Over the past 30 years, global worker Ron Larson has led the way in developing partnerships in Finland.

Since 1994, Ron has mentored pastors throughout Finland. He’s been a partner of the Finnish Baptist Union, led by Jari Portaankorva. He helped the Union incorporate Karen believers from Burma into the fellowship so that they could establish churches in Finland. Today, eleven Karen churches associate with the Finnish Baptist Union — and there is eagerness to plant more churches from this group.  

Now, as Ron and Mary Larson prepare to retire at the end of 2025, new workers have come to Converge’s Nordic-Baltic Initiative.

A new season

Not long ago, planting a new church in Finland was a rare event. A decade ago, there was only one active new church plant in the entire country. The common practice was often to gather existing Christians from different churches into a new group and call it a church plant; a reshuffling rather than a genuine expansion of the faith.

Kenno and Jana Leier, long-time mentees of Converge’s Jim and Lynn Jarman and global workers from neighboring Estonia, saw the need for a different approach. They had firsthand experience with the challenges of ministry in the region. When they started their own church, they felt isolated.

Their experience shaped their understanding of what was needed. Excitement and vision can fuel a new ministry for a time, but when struggles inevitably arise, a supportive structure is essential for survival and growth.

This realization connected them with Converge International Ministries, which is asking God for a gospel movement among every least-reached people group — in our generation. Kenno and Jana began working to build support structures and open new nations for church planting.

Though they lived in Finland, their work was primarily outside the country. But, they couldn’t ignore the need in their own backyard.

Nurturing Leaders on Finnish Soil

The heart of their new mission was to raise up local Finnish leaders. This approach marks a significant shift, moving away from reliance on outside missionaries who often struggle with the unique cultural landscape. By empowering Finns to lead, the movement is being rooted in authentic local understanding.

The strategy began to take shape through a partnership with a theological seminary that had its own vision for a church-planting academy. The goal was to build from the ground up.

“We had to start from scratch by recruiting new church planters, basically raising them up,” Kenno said. The academy officially launched in 2021.

Among the first to join were Miska and Josefina. They had been part of a church plant and were studying theology when they discovered the new course. After completing it, Kenno and Jana approached them with a proposal: “Hey, we need a team, and you guys would be a perfect match for our team.”

The invitation was daunting. “It has felt like, why us?” Josefina admitted. But the initial hesitation gave way to excitement.

Today, Miska and Josefina are teaching others how to plant a church. They help aspiring leaders form teams, focus on personal development and build the resilience needed for successful church planting.

This demonstrates a powerful, multigenerational model of leadership development. The effort, supported by leaders like Jimmy Smith, who leads Converge’s Nordic-Baltic Initiative, flows from one generation to the next. Kenno and Jana were mentored and now, in turn, they mentor Miska and Josefina, who are now raising up the next wave of church planters.

“Now they are leading up already, and we are really excited,” said Jana. “They know what it takes, and we can also see how they support other church planters.”

From Loneliness to Community

This model directly addresses the challenges Kenno and Jana once faced. Instead of isolation, new leaders are given a strong framework. The academy provides practical content, mentoring and a network of other church planting teams who can share experiences and encouragement.

“It gives very good structure for the teams,” said Tommi Koivunen, who leads Finnish Evangelical Free Church. “I really love the process.”

The focus is on identifying and nurturing potential, even in those who may not see it in themselves.

“Nobody is like, ‘Oh, when I grow up, I want to plant a church,'” Miska said. “We are raising new leaders who don’t necessarily feel like ‘I am the one for it,’ but we will find the competence in them and the courage to do that.”

The process begins simply, with discipleship and evangelism. It’s about reaching people who are not in any church. The ultimate goal is ambitious.

“Right now we have five teams,” said Jana. “We want to see that there will be one church planted every week in Finland.”

The potential impact extends beyond church walls and into Finnish society. Miska sees their work as a direct response to a deep societal need.

“In a world of lonely people, you will find community, you will find love, you will find family,” he said.

A movement of new churches, led by Finnish people and grounded in the local culture, offers a place of connection and belonging. This new season of church planting in Finland is about more than numbers; it’s about cultivating communities of faith that can bring light and hope to the nation.