13 Facts About Ulf Ekman

Ekman is married to Birgitta Ekman and has four sons: Aron, Jonathan Ekman, Samuel, and Benjamin.

Ulf Ekman studied ethnography, history and theology at Uppsala University and in January 1979 was ordained in the Church of Sweden, returning to Uppsala University to work as the chaplain for several years.

Ulf Ekman studied for a year at Rhema Bible Training Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States and upon his return to Uppsala in 1983 founded the Charismatic Evangelist church Livets Ord.

Ulf Ekman remained pastor of the church until passing on the pastorship to Robert Ekh in 2002 to focus on international work, though he later took up the position again.

Ulf Ekman founded Livets Ord University and Word of Life Bible School.

Reverend Kong Hee has once claimed Ulf Ekman to be one of his mentors, and over the years they have developed a close relationship.

On 9 March 2014, Ulf Ekman announced his and his wife's leaving Livets Ord with the intent of joining the Catholic Church.

Ulf Ekman claimed that a false image was created in the Swedish media on Word of Life as being against, for example, disabled persons, when the outspoken message was that God promises deliverance from sickness.

Later on, Ulf Ekman rarely preached the typical Word of Faith teachings.

Ulf Ekman partially criticized some of them, but wrote and said that the ground for his preaching was the revelation in the Bible he got from first listening to teachers like Kenneth Copeland and later studying at Kenneth Hagin's school in Tulsa.

Ulf Ekman seems to have broadened his doctrinal horizons with studies in patristic and church history.

Ulf Ekman has now an ecumenical approach to other congregations.

In November 2015, Ulf Ekman was criticized in a television episode of Uppdrag granskning, notably for his demand to be paid in cash when speaking in churches, a culture of silence refusing any criticism and his insistence on multiple offerings, in addition to the tithe.