The aim of this thesis is to discuss the ecclesial character of preacherchip, and to present a deeper understanding of it as a fundamental expression of being church. The underlying hypothesis is that different kinds of preachership are creating different kinds of ecclesial communities. And vice versa: Various kinds of ecclesial communities are creating different kinds of preachership .

The discussion is related to six ecclesiological case studies of preachership within the Free Church traditions in Sweden. The preachers are F. O. Nilsson (1809–1881), the founder of the first Baptist congregation in Sweden; P. P. Waldenström (1838–1917), theologian and the leader of the Mission Covenant Church of Sweden; Nelly Hall (1848–1916), travelling preacher and missionary in the Holiness Movement in Sweden; Hj. Danielson (1881–1954), Baptist minister in Stockholm and one of the first preachers on the radio; L. Pethrus (1884–1974), minster in Filadelfiakyrkan in Stockholm and the leader of the Swedish Pentecostal Movement; C. G. Hjelm (1903–1965), travelling Pentecostal Baptist minister and a popular preacher on casette tapes.

Different elements in the act of preaching – sermon, listener, preacher and situation – are revealed and analysed in the case studies. At the end of each case study the various elements are comprehended in an ecclesial practice, here named preachership (cf. leader – leadership, episkopos – episkopé). This concept of preachership transcends traditional understandings of ministries in the churches. Preachership as a result of the analysis is used to discover operative ecclesiologies in the communites, formed and integrated by preachership.

The thesis shows that there has been an unprecedented multitude of ecclesiologies within the Free Church traditions in Sweden. The Church has a fundamental communicative charachter, and in one sense the Church arises from listening. The sign and instrument for this is an ecclesial practice – preachership.