Daniel is a native Swede, who lives in Kronoby, Finland. His ministry is predominately to translate Gospel centered materials into Swedish. This includes books, internet articles, subtitled videos, and sermons. He is also working as an administrator for evangeliecentrerat.se, which means “Gospel Centered.” Daniel works with the non-profit organization, Reformedia (https://www.reformedia.se). He has been part of the church plant, Gothenburg International Baptist Church (https://gibk.se), where he served by teaching, preaching, and doing evangelism, together with Daniel Norén. Now, he is part of Agape International Baptist Church, with HeartCry supported pastor Kyle McCartan.
Testimony of Conversion
I was born and raised in Gothenburg, Sweden, by Christian parents who attended a large Pentecostal Church. Seeking approval from the world, this church had already turned lukewarm before my birth, avoiding teachings that might be perceived as stumbling blocks to the many unbelieving visitors they wanted to attract and keep.
In my formative years, I attended the church’s different programs, yet I never heard a clear, faithful presentation of the gospel. The pastors and teachers spoke much about Jesus and God’s love, but the aspects of God’s wrath, hatred for sin and the necessity of repentance remained untouched.
I always regarded myself as a Christian. Outwardly I lived a moral “Christian life.” I had stopped cursing when I was six, and I did not drink, smoke, or fornicate like my unbelieving schoolmates did. I was not lured by those things, but gaming became my passion which consumed my thoughts and time. In my foolishness I thought I would be able to avoid this wicked world and its inhabitants, obtain a simple job to pay bills and food, and lock myself inside with my video games until I died or Jesus returned.
Since I hoped that Jesus would return soon, I started studying the book of Revelation and browsed the Internet for information about the end times. This did not clear up my confusion, but a growing conviction about my sins began to take root: Would Jesus really approve of me as a Christian and take me with Him when He returns? How can I know if I am right with God?
The inability to do anything good in my flesh became increasingly apparent, and the fear of divine judgment weighed heavily on my conscience. I started to realize God’s demands for perfection and His wrath for disobedience. As I grappled with the haunting notion that my numerous transgressions might lead me to hell, I lived in a state of profound fear for several years.
At the age of 19, I enrolled in a one-year Bible school at our church. During this year, l committed to read through the entire Bible. As I delved into the Scriptures amidst a blend of both sound and unsound teachings, I gained a deeper understanding of God’s Word. One lesson explored the atonement, including the “penal substitutionary atonement.” It was presented as if it was just one of the many possible aspects of explaining what happened on the cross. But I understood this was it—this was the gospel!
Simultaneously, my personal Bible reading brought me to the book of Romans. I came to chapter 5, verse 20, which was a significant moment where the Holy Spirit illuminated my soul: “Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.” Until I read this, I had thought that my many sins and repeated failings must have used up all the forgiveness I could get from God. But this verse turned it all on its head and gave me full assurance, because it is all based on God and not myself.
Daniel’s Call to Ministry
After stepping away from my Pentecostal church, God providentially brought me together with a small group of Bible-believing Christians who were looking for a biblical church but could not find one. We began weekly home Bible studies, and after a year or two of faithful practice, we formally established a church with regular Sunday worship. I served there from 2010 to 2017 under HeartCry missionary and pastor Daniel Noren.
During this time, I also became involved in translation work, and this served as my primary ministry for many years. I have always been interested in languages and the meaning of words, and I learned English at an early age, even before they began teaching it to us in school. In 2008, I began studying Latin at the University of Gothenburg, and later, I studied Biblical Hebrew and Ancient Greek. In these times of study, I found that languages came quite naturally to me.
In addition to the lack of gospel-preaching churches in Sweden, there is a great need for sound literature in Swedish. While there are a lot of “Christian” books available, much of it consists of self-help, positive-thinking, charismatic, prosperity-gospel, and theologically liberal literature. Additionally, Swedish Bible translations generally prioritize readability, sometimes at the expense of accuracy. In contrast, I found there was an abundance of excellent material in English. So, rather than reinventing the wheel by writing everything myself, I sought to translate good material that already existed. Daniel Noren also recognized this need and suggested I seek HeartCry’s support for the work.
In 2017, I moved to Finland and served at Agape International Baptist Church in Jakobstad with Kyle McCartan, who is also a HeartCry missionary. In 2025, he encouraged me to plant a church in Kokkola, Finland, and in May of 2026, we left Agape International to begin this work.
The people group I have been sent to serve are Swedish-speaking Finns, primarily in Kokkola and the surrounding small towns and villages. They are culturally Swedish and have strong ties to Swedish traditions, but they live as a minority within a predominantly Finnish context. Finland is a highly secular and liberal society, with most people identifying culturally as Lutheran. Even in this region, sometimes called the “Bible belt,” there is little exposure to faithful, gospel centered teaching, and many lack understanding of the seriousness of sin, repentance, salvation, and the call to holy living. I pray for God’s guidance, provision, and protection as we seek to reach this people. I pray that Christ will build us into a church that will continue to advance His Kingdom for generations to come, until He returns.