Faith and the sins

People gathering around the colporteurs wanted  a living faith, manifesting itself
in actions. They dissociated themselves from alcohol, which was a big problem
in Skallsjö as well as the rest of the country. Since alcohol and drinking was 
associated with the so called "play houses" where youngsters played and danced, 
they also dissociated themselves from "play houses" and dancing. Also the 
clergy dissociated themselves from the "play houses" and at the parochial church
meetings they were often mentioned as "nests of lewdness" and "nests of fornication".

It has been told that Gerda, the daughter of Anders Johansson at Björnås and his
wife Britta, was "quite a dancing doll". When she had found salvation she called out
to her friend Augusta from Sundet, who was also fond of dancing: "We are on our
way to hell, we are lost, we are on our way to losing our souls!"  They of course
quit dancing.

Another relative, Sunna-Kalle, Johannes Persson's son, was good at playing the 
violin. Before he found salvation he used to play at dance pavilions and  "play
houses". He stopped that when he found salvation.
 

Pietsists 

Those who had found salvation was often called pietists, and they gathered in
the different homes to read the Holy Bible and interpret it  their way. Most often it
was someone from the neighborhood who preached, but sometimes there were 
ministers from other places, even as far as from Norway. The difference between
the priests from the Lutheran State Church and the nonconformist preachers might 
best be described as Natalia Dahlborg writes in her letter to Albin Andersson's
wife Frida when she one day had had to go to the Lutheran State Church instead
of the Mission Hall:"...the place looked nice, but it did not give the food for the soul 
that is required for the nourishment and upkeeping of life not to die out. I take it
that is why the priests themselves do not have spiritual life but is spiritually dead...".
Well, that was her opinion of them...

The Mission Covenant Church 

Above all it was the adolescents who found salvation. Albin and Frida Andersson
was two of them. They were both members of Skallsjö Mission Covenant
Church which was founded in 1878. The nonconformist church would influence
their whole way of thinking, their moral values, living conditions and spare time
occupation. Their son Valfrid Flodén has told that "at the meetings there were many
speakers who found it easy to begin talking, but oh so hard to stop, even if they 
of course kept talking with friendly and honest intent".

It was not until 1909 that Skallsjö Mission Hall was built just behind Nääs 
elementary school. Albin Andersson at Maden had made the design and led 
together with Alfred Larsson the building of the hall. Before the small assembly
had their own hall to gather in they continued the meetings in different homes,
among others at Albin's cousin Karl Larsson and his wife Charlotta at Foglenäs.

It has been told that when Svante August Flodén had found salvation he wanted
to bring preachers to his parental home Björnås/Floget. He asked his fathers
permission to hold meetings at home, but Anders did not dare let them come.
His mother Britta dared though - she was a little more resolute...The thing is
that at the time one was not allowed to hold meetings in the homes without the 
permission of the squire. Since it was far between Björnås and Floda Manor
she evidently thought that they could do without a permission.

On Sunday 15th of November, 1903, some youngsters were gathered at
Foglenäs. They decided to found Skallsjö Skogar's Youth Association for young
people, 12 years old or more. Albin was elected chairman and remained so for
the next 15 years. The youth association and its activities grew and in 1918 
Skallsjö Skogar's Mission Hall was built on land that was donated by the
squire's at Floda Manor wife Anna von Proschwitz. The same year, 1918, 
Svante August Flodén was home from his missionary work in Congo and was the
one to preach in Skallsjö. At the weekly meetings in Skallsjö Skogar Albin was
the one who most often, after a long days work, held the meetings. His daughter
Bojan accompanied him during the long walk through the woods to the Mission
Hall.  She has told how she had to keep quiet on the way there since Albin then
used to prepare his sermon. On the way home though he used to joke and have
fun.
 

Source:
     " 200 år av min historia...", unpublished paper 1993, Åsa Broman.