Lovisa Möller has been appointed the new Swedish reverend at the Church of Sweden in Bangkok. Lovisa Möller will be replacing reverend Lennart Hamark who will be moving to Hong Kong with his wife Lis and daughter Miranda in the spring.
Lovisa Möller, 45, is married to Ola who works for SIDA. The couple has two children, Anton, 17 and Elida, 16. She was born in Stockholm and raised in Bollnäs, Hälsingland but has lived in the surroundings of Uppsala since she was twenty.
In Bangkok, Lovisa Möller’s first workday is on April 1, 2009.
“On Sunday April 5 everyone is welcome to the reception service lead by bishop Lennart Koskinen from Visby and my boss Rev. Krister Tholin from Uppsala and Skåne! Especially as my family can´t be present I will need all friends, old and new, by my side on this day,” she says, adding that Ola and the kids will arrive in Bangkok in August.
Lovisa Möller has for the last five years been serving as the bishops chaplain in the diocese of Uppsala.
“I have assist the bishop in various ways, prepares for meetings, visitations and services. I am as well heading the bishop´s department,” she says.
“Before that, I worked in congregations in the countryside of Uppsala.”
The posting in Bangkok wil certainly not be Lovisa Möller’s first time overseas.
“From 2000 to 2002, Ola had a position at the Embassy of Sweden in Hanoi. My days were at that time mostly filled with school business, homework with the kids, Vietnamese lessons, art lessons and household management. I had a temporary post as the local contact person for the Swedish Adoptionscenter and filled in at the international congregations services.”
“In 1993-1996 we lived in Harare, Zimbabwe as Ola was Associate Professional Officer (APO) in a regional agricultural project. I was home with Elida who was only 7 months and Anton who turned two years old a week after arrival. I was active in the Evangelic Lutheran Church of Zimbabwe and served as a voluntary Scandinavian pastor when needed. Me and my friends started up the tradition of the Swedish “Öppna förskolan” for toddlers. It became a forum to speak and play in Swedish for the youngest children. And for their mums and dads to have a chat and a piece of cake…
Lovisa Möller says that she and Ola had discussions in the family for about a year about working abroad again so when the position in Bangkok came up she didn’t hesitate as she immediately felt as this was her vocation.
“Southeast Asia has always attracted me, ever since the pictures of temples in the schoolbooks I read as a child through backpacking and field studies on religions politics.
“I have a lot to learn about Thailand and what it means to be a Scandinavian in this context. I am looking forward to this challenge in order to be able to be a good resource to the swedes and other Scandinavians who lives or visits the country.
The most challenging part will be working as a priest where there are so many different kinds of people from all walks of life, she ads.
Asked about if she has any plans for the current premises of the Church of Sweden in Bangkok on Sukhumvit Soi 33, which reportedly may be close down, Lovisa Möller cautiously says that she needs time to look into this issue.
“First I want to take up my position and get to know the people and the conditions in Bangkok before I can answer this question. But, let me assure you that whatever happens to that building the Church of Sweden is going to stay on in Bangkok and Thailand and continue develop its activities to serve Swedes and other Scandinavians,” she says.
“I have heard that there is a lot of good work being done in many areas of interest to me and that there are traditions to administer and develop. Let´s start with that.”
