Sweden Attack, Just One Block from Adventist Church Headquarters

By: Rainer Refsbäck, Trans-European Division

Once again, Europe has suffered a cowardly terrorist attack in which innocent people have been mown down by a hijacked vehicle, this time in central Stockholm, Sweden. The regional office headquarters of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Sweden and the Stockholm Central Adventist Church are located only just over a block from Drottninggatan, Stockholm’s main pedestrian street, where the stolen truck hit and killed at least four and injured several others during the Friday afternoon attack on April 7.

“The Adventist Church strongly condemns the attack on our freedom that we’ve experienced today in Stockholm,” Union President Göran Hansen said in a statement. “This is a new and tragic reminder that we live in a world where extremists can, in an instant, turn a pleasant spring walk on a pedestrian street into chaos and nightmare. We mourn with those who today lost a dear family member, colleague or friend and we pray for their comfort.”

Employees at the union office, and other Adventists who work in central Stockholm pass Drottninggatan every day to and from work. The Union office is aware that many Adventists were in the area at the time of the attack. However, as far as they are aware, none were hurt.

“Instead of panicking, we will renew our conviction and zeal to spread hope for a better world together with our Lord and God,” said Hansen.

The attack in Stockholm comes just two weeks after a similar event in Westminster, central London. At that time Rafaat Kamal, president of the Trans- European Division church region, said: “We do not let acts like this defeat us, but rather we feel more compelled to share the love of God that can touch and transform all lives.”