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133 church buildings have received new owners since the divorce between the state and the Church of Sweden 23 years ago. In total, there are about 70 churches, about 50 chapels, three prayer houses, two church halls and some other buildings.
Not all buildings have been preserved, according to statistics from the church office and dioceses, writes Kyrkans Tidning.
About ten have been bought by municipalities where some of them have become preschools, around 15 have been sold to other religious communities, six have been demolished and three have burned down.
“Disposing of church buildings is a decision that is guided by the parishes’ needs and finances. Therefore, it is natural that you sometimes come to the conclusion that you have no use for a building,” says Markus Dahlberg, head of the unit for cultural heritage support in the Church of Sweden to the newspaper.
Since the year 2000, 25 new church buildings have been built. The Church of Sweden currently has approximately 3,400 consecrated churches, of which approximately 3,000 are protected according to the Cultural Environment Act.