About Holsby

Who We Are

Holsby is an international Bible school and camp and retreat center located in southern Sweden. We are one of 25 such centers globally affiliated with the interdenominational Christian ministry, Torchbearers International.

Our mission is to proclaim the transforming presence of Jesus Christ through biblical teaching and practical training, equipping men and women for service in His church worldwide. We are centered in Christ, rooted in Scripture, engaged in discipleship and joined in community.

What We Believe

Our statement of faith is that of Torchbearers International, of which we are a member school:

• God is the triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• The Lord Jesus Christ is God’s Son being one with the Father. All things are created by Him and for Him.
• Through the action of the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary, He became man.
• He was without sin and of His free will, and by His sacrificial death upon the Cross, He brought about salvation for this fallen world.
• He is the only mediator between God and man, and by accepting His salvation through faith, man is justified from his sins and receives forgiveness and eternal life.
• Jesus Christ is risen bodily from the dead.
• Jesus Christ will return to deliver just judgement and to bring all things to completion.
• The Holy Spirit is God in unity with the Father and the Son.
• Through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ comes to dwell within those who accept Him through faith. Through the presence of the Holy Spirit, a person becomes a new creature, and is being transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ.
• Jesus Christ adds those who believe in Him to his Body. This is His church on earth, of which He is the Head.
• The Bible is, in its entirety, the revelation of God for mankind, inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Holsby History

The historic former health spa in the village of Holsbybrunn, Sweden, was purchased in 1973 by the Christian ministry, Torchbearers International, with the intention of opening a Bible school and conference center. The first students began arriving in September 1973.

Over the years, Holsby has welcomed thousands of local and international students and guests. Staff and volunteers have worked hard to retain the charm of the former spa, renovating and restoring its historical buildings, and adding recreational features, including the ropes course, climbing wall and outdoor barbecue pavilion.

Former spa and hotel owner, Hans Hanson, said of the Bible school: “A hundred years ago, guests came by horse and later by train. Nowadays young people arrive by plane and fly across oceans to come to this small, beautiful place called Holsby. They do not come so much for physical healing, but to seek inner strength for their lives. My grandfather, Johan Rudin, took over Holsby in 1883, and before that attended a Bible school. He would have greeted today’s guests with joy!”

Read more history of Holsby.