Seven congregations

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland has a parochial organization, meaning that parishes have geographical boundaries, and people who are church members belong to a local congregation according to their home address (if they reside in Finland). In some parts of Finland, however, Finnish-speaking and Swedish-speaking congregations operate in the same geographical area, and a German-speaking Lutheran congregation brings together people with that language from all over the country. Membership in a local congregation, then, may also depend on one’s native tongue.

In Vantaa, Swedish speakers in all parts of the city belong in one Swedish-speaking congregation (Vanda svenska församling), but the Finnish-speaking majority of Lutherans in Vantaa form six congregations, roughly so that two parishes are on the west side of the airport and four on the east side (map below). Click on a link below to find more information on an individual congregation.

Hakunila Lutheran congregation (Hakunilan seurakunta)
Hämeenkylä Lutheran congregation (Hämeenkylän seurakunta)
Korso Lutheran congregation (Korson seurakunta)
Rekola Lutheran congregation (Rekolan seurakunta)
Tikkurila Lutheran congregation (Tikkurilan seurakunta)
Vantaankoski Lutheran congregation (Vantaankosken seurakunta)
Swedish-speaking Lutheran congregation (Vanda svenska församling)

The English words ”congregation” and ”parish” both translate as seurakunta in Finnish or församling in Swedish. A ”congregation” is a local community of Christians (the word is used to speak of people who worship together) whereas the word ”parish” refers to an administrative or geographical unit. (In the past, a rural parish was called pitäjä in Finnish or socken in Swedish, so that what is now Vantaa used to be Helsingin pitäjä / Helsinge socken.) Our seven congregations make up the Vantaa Parish Union.

Each of the seven Lutheran congregations in Vantaa has its own congregational council (Finnish seurakuntaneuvosto, Swedish församlingsrådet) and leading pastor (kirkkoherra/kyrkoherde) who are elected by parishioners to guide activities in the congregation. Each congregation arranges its own worship and other activities. Each congregation has associate and assistant pastors, church musicians, deacons, youth workers, office staff and other employees. It is the parish union, however, that owns church buildings, cemeteries and other facilities of the Lutheran church in Vantaa, and the parish union also runs financial administration. To oversee the parish union, voting-age Lutherans in Vantaa have elected a parish union board (Finnish yhteinen kirkkovaltuusto, Swedish gemensamma kyrkofullmäktige).

The Finnish-speaking Lutheran congregations and parish union in Vantaa belong to the Helsinki Diocese (Finnish website Helsingin hiippakunta), and the Swedish-speaking congregation belongs to the Porvoo Diocese (website in Swedish Borgå stift). Each diocese is led by a bishop.

Swedish-speaking Lutheran congregation in Vantaa (Vanda svenska församling)

About five thousand Swedish-speaking members of the Lutheran church live in Vantaa and make up a congregation of their own. Our congregation shares churches and other facilities with the six Finnish-speaking congregations in the same area, but we have our own worship services and other activities in Swedish. Our congregation is overseen by the bishop of Porvoo (Borgå in Swedish). Read More

Vantaankoski Lutheran congregation

Vantaankoski is a place along the River Vantaa where water flows rapidly, and the Finnish-speaking Lutheran parish that covers most of the western part of the municipality of Vantaa has been named after it. The name can be a bit misleading because most of the facilities and members of the congregation are in suburbs that have different names: Myyrmäki, Kaivoksela, Martinlaakso, Vantaanlaakso, Read More

Tikkurila Lutheran congregation

Among the Lutheran parishes in Vantaa, Tikkurila is the most populous and located in the middle. Members of the Lutheran church in suburbs on the south and east sides of the airport form this congregation. Historically, the Tikkurila parish is what is left of the centuries-old Helsinki rural parish (Helsingin pitäjä) after southern parts were annexed to the city of Helsinki and more parishes were Read More

Rekola Lutheran congregation

Rekola is located along the trunk railroad between Tikkurila and Korso. A Lutheran congregation was organized here in January 1985 when parts of the Tikkurila parish were formed into parishes of their own. Our church, built on a hilltop, was dedicated three years later. The church building also includes the parish office, two ”parish halls” and rooms for various kinds of meetings and activities – Read More

Korso Lutheran congregation

Korso is a suburban community located along the trunk railroad. A Lutheran congregation was formed here in 1966. A church building had already been constructed some years earlier. Renovated in 2001, the building also includes a parish hall, offices and facilities for various activities, so that people of all ages can meet there throughout the week. Read More

Hämeenkylä Lutheran congregation

The parish of Hämeenkylä is located in the southwestern corner of the municipality of Vantaa. The parish (congregation) was founded in January 1985, and nowadays it has about 13,500 members living in the suburbs of Askisto, Hämeenkylä, Hämevaara, Linnainen, Petikko, Pähkinärinne, Rajatorppa, Vapaala and Varisto. Our church is located near the intersection of ”Ring Three” (Kehä III) and Vihdintie. Read More

Hakunila Lutheran congregation

The parish of Hakunila is located in the easternmost part of the municipality of Vantaa. This congregation was founded in January 1985 when parts of the Tikkurila parish were formed into parishes of their own. Members of the congregation are Finnish-speaking Lutherans who live in the suburbs of Hakunila, Itä-Hakkila, Kuninkaanmäki, Länsimäki, Rajakylä and Vaarala and the villages of Länsisalmi, Read More

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