Nokia Revival (also known as Nokia Missio) is a
charismatic
Charisma () is a personal quality of presence or charm that compels its subjects.
Scholars in sociology, political science, psychology, and management reserve the term for a type of leadership seen as extraordinary; in these fields, the term "ch ...
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
movement originating in
Finland in the town of
Nokia. The starting point of the movement was in 1991, when Markku Koivisto, the vicar of Nokia
Lutheran Church, experienced a strong charismatic renewal, having recovered from
cancer of the lymph gland in 1990. Koivisto started to arrange so called ''Thursday Nights'' which were characterised by strong emotional worship, loud prayer and various manifestations of the
Holy Spirit
In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is the divine force, quality, and influence of God over the Universe or over his creatures. In Nicene Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is the third person of the Trinity. In Islam, the Holy Spirit acts as ...
e.g. healings of the sick, spiritual gifts and falling down during prayer.
The nature and doctrines of the movement led to various disagreements with the
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (EL Church), and finally an alleged case of praying for a young boy's
resurrection heated up the situation between Koivisto and the EL Church. An official complaint was filed in the spring of 2006 and on 25 April 2007, the
Bishop of Tampere
The Diocese of Tampere (, ) is the second oldest and the largest diocese in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. It is divided into 69 parishes with a total population of over 595,000 people. The diocese is led by the Bishop of Tampere.
H ...
,
Juha Pihkala
Juha is a masculine given name of Finnish origin derived from Johannes (or John in English language contexts). Notable people with the name include:
* Juha Alén
* Juha Gustafsson
* Juha Hakola
* Juha Harju
* Juha Haukkala
* Juha Hautamäki
* J ...
, ordered Koivisto to leave the priesthood for half a year.
The Nokia Revival now has meetings in
Tampere at Metro Auto Arena. The activity has also spread by 2005 to
Helsinki and
Kokkola, and furthermore to
Jyväskylä. The Nokia revival was made a denomination in June 2008, bearing the name "Nokia Mission Church". Its meetings are mainly attended by members of
Lutheran,
Pentecostal and Free
Evangelical churches.
Nokia revival's organisation is called ''Nokia Missio''. It has mission work e.g. in
Albania,
India,
Israel and
Russia. Nokia Missio trains voluntary workers for churches. Other courses include the seeker-friendly
Alpha Course, Nokia Missio Bible Institute's seminars and a cell group leading course.
Markku Koivisto earned a Doctor of Theology degree at
University of Helsinki in 1997. In 2004, his cancer recurred but he recovered again in 2005. He was reported to have been dismissed from his position as the leader of the church after a
sex scandal
Public scandals involving allegations or information about possibly immoral sexual activities are often associated with the sexual affairs of film stars, politicians, famous athletes, or others in the public eye. Sex scandals receive attention ...
became public in 2011.
[ ]
Publications by Markku Koivisto
* Markku Koivisto: Miten kirkko ymmärtää sanomansa? Toimituskeskustelu ja kastetoimitus pastoraalipsykologisen ja liturgisen tutkimuksen näkökulmasta
ow Does the Church Understand Its Gospel? Pre Sacrament Discussion and Baptism from the Viewpoint of Pastoral Psychology and Lithurgy Studies University of Helsinki Publications, Käytännöllisen teologian julkaisuja 87, 1997, in Finnish, {{ISBN, 951-45-7721-3
References
External links
Nokia Missio
Charismatic denominations
Protestantism in Finland
University of Helsinki alumni