At the age of ten, Pastor Arto Sädeaho was born again and got baptised. Then, as a young man, he found his wife Orvokki and also became actively involved in missions.
As a couple they served for seven years as missionaries in South East Asia – thus they know how it feels to live in a foreign land, far from one’s roots.
After returning to Finland, Arto served as a Pastor in two Finnish Pentecostal churches. In 2000, he started an international, interdenominational church in Espoo, west of Helsinki. In 2008, after Espoo International Christian Fellowship (now UCC) had been well established, Arto followed his calling, and handed over his pastoral duties to his young successor (2008). The same year he founded a mission association, GNN Finland (GNN=Good News Networking) to channel missions he and his wife had implemented for 30 years already in Finland and oversees. He has also been in the council of the Fellowship of European international Churches since its beginning in 2004.
In 2009, Arto & Orvokki, and a small team of committed believers, planted an international church in the northern part of the Helsinki metropolitan area. Vantaa International Christian Fellowship is located just 6 km east from the Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport. VICF, as it’s called, has grown and is also involved with mission work. Pastor Arto is a gifted person to start new things and an inspiring communicator in encouraging others to get involved with world missions. He does everything with a full heart and uncompromising commitment. At the same time he has a pastor’s heart. Pastor Arto, along with his like-minded wife Orvokki, have been a blessing both in Finland and abroad.