The Baptist Union of Norway ( no, Det Norske Baptistsamfunn) is a
Baptist
Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compe ...
Christian denomination in
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
. It is affiliated with the
Baptist World Alliance
The Baptist World Alliance (BWA) is the largest international Baptist organization with an estimated 51 million people in 2022 with 246 member bodies in 128 countries and territories. A voluntary association of Baptist churches, the BWA account ...
. The headquarters is in
Stabekk Stabekk is a suburban centre in the municipality of Bærum, Norway, west of Oslo. It is predominantly a residential area, with many residents commuting to Oslo. As of 2005 the population was 6,261.
Bærum has the highest income per capita and the hi ...
.
History
First congregations
The first Baptist in Norway was Enok Richard Haftorsen Svee. Raised in a
Haugianer family in
Orkanger
Orkanger is a town and the administrative centre of Orkland municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The town is also a former municipality which existed from 1920 until 1963. The town sits at the end of the Orkdal Fjord, an arm of the Trondhe ...
, he moved to
Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...
in 1837 to attend missionary training. There he came into contact with a group of unorganized Baptists and participated in the founding of Denmark's first Baptist congregation the following year. This was illegal at the time. Svee returned to Orkanger in 1842 and died a year later, never establishing a congregation in Norway.
The
Parliament of Norway passed the Dissenter Act on 16 July 1845, allowing Christian congregations outside the
Church of Norway to be established. The Swedish Baptist
Fredrik Olaus Nilsson
Fredrik Olaus Nilsson (28 July 1809 – 21 or 24 October 1881), also known as F. O. Nilsson, was a pioneer Swedish Baptist pastor and missionary who founded Sweden's first free church, a Baptist congregation. He married Ulrika Sophia Olsson (1812 ...
visited Norway several times from 1851, but his preaching was futile. Instead the Danish preacher Fredrik L. Rymker from
Odense
Odense ( , , ) is the third largest city in Denmark (behind Copenhagen and Aarhus) and the largest city on the island of Funen. As of 1 January 2022, the city proper had a population of 180,863 while Odense Municipality had a population of 20 ...
was successful at establishing a congregation. The Danish community dispatched him to Norway to preach. He arrived in
Skien Skien () is a city and municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county in Norway. In modern times it is regarded as part of the traditional region of Grenland, although historically it belonged to Grenmar/Skiensfjorden, while Grenland referred the ...
on 21 September 1857 and started preaching in the various
free church
A free church is a Christian denomination that is intrinsically separate from government (as opposed to a state church). A free church does not define government policy, and a free church does not accept church theology or policy definitions fr ...
es there. He also travel around to neighboring towns. Carl Gundersen Kongerød became the first Baptist baptized in Norway, on 25 December 1858. By 22 April 1860 there were nine Baptists in the area and the Baptist congregation in Porsgrunn and Solum was founded.
[Eidberg (1976): 29]
![Skien baptistkirke](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e6/Skien_baptistkirke.jpg)
Rymker continued to travel and preach until 1862, funded through grants from congregations in the United States. He helped establish
Larvik Baptist Congregation on 14 November 1860 and
Kragerø
Kragerø () is a town and municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional regions of Grenland and the smaller Vestmar. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kragerø. The city of Kragerà ...
Baptist Congregation on 31 August 1862.
A congregation of baptists in
Levanger
Levanger is a municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the district of Innherred. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Levanger. Some of the notable villages in the municipality include Alstadhaug, Ekne ...
was founded in 1862. New preachers arrived in Norway and the cause spread throughout the 1860s.
Eidsvoll
Eidsvoll (; sometimes written as ''Eidsvold'') is a municipality in Akershus in Viken county, Norway. It is part of the Romerike traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Sundet.
General information
...
Baptist Congregation was founded on 29 August 1864 and in
Melum on 25 December 1865. Additional congregations were founded in
Arendal presumably on 14 August 1867, followed by
Bergen
Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula o ...
,
Tromsø
Tromsø (, , ; se, Romsa ; fkv, Tromssa; sv, Tromsö) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø.
Tromsø lies in Northern Norway. The municipality is the ...
and
Tvedestrand
is municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sørlandet. The administrative center is the town of Tvedestrand. There are many villages in the municipality including Dypvåg, Fiane, Gjeving, Gødders ...
in 1870. Two years later congregations were established in the towns of
Langesund
is the administrative centre of the municipality of Bamble, Norway.
The town of Langesund was established as a municipality 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). It was merged with Bamble 1 January 1964.
In the early days, Langesund was ...
,
Risør
is a municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located on the Skagerrak coast in the traditional region of Sørlandet. The administrative centre of Risør municipality is the town of Risør. There are many villages in Risør such as Akland, ...
and
Trondheim
Trondheim ( , , ; sma, Tråante), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2020, it had a population of 205,332, was the third most populous municipality in Norway, and ...
.
[Eidberg (1976): 30]
Focus shifted to the capital
Kristiania
Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
(today Oslo). The Swedish pastor Sven Svensson visited the city, funded by the
Baptist Missionary Society (BMS) and helped incorporate a congregation in 1874. It became the subject of personal conflicts and part of the congregation split in favor of the
Adventist Church, and the organization was disestablished in 1880.
It was reestablished in 1884 and within a decade had become the largest Baptist congregation in the country.
[Eidberg (1976): 31]
![Oslo 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/Oslo_1._baptistkirke.JPG)
All the congregations were established as independent denominations under the protection that the Dissenter Act provided, even if they could have as few as six members.
Following a movement inspired by the United States, there was a trend towards weak
congregationalism
Congregationalist polity, or congregational polity, often known as congregationalism, is a system of ecclesiastical polity in which every local church (congregation) is independent, ecclesiastically sovereign, or "autonomous". Its first articulat ...
. This established a common understanding of the legal and organizational independence of each congregation, while retaining the need for a national administrative and theological coordination. By the early 1870s the congregations in Skien, Bergen, Trondheim and Tromsø had largely taken on regional responsibilities and covered areas far exceeding the city limits.
Establishing the union
The Sønnenfjellske District Association was founded in 1872 as a cooperative body in
Eastern Norway
Eastern Norway ( nb, Østlandet, nn, Austlandet) is the geographical region of the south-eastern part of Norway. It consists of the counties Vestfold og Telemark, Viken, Oslo and Innlandet.
Eastern Norway is by far the most populous region ...
.
Tromsø Missionary Society was founded in 1877. It originally was a subset of the Tromsø congregation, but was soon joined by newly established congregations in Northern Norway. The same year the congregations in Trondheim and Bergen established Vestenfjellske Missionary Society. These were responsible for inter-congregational coordination and activities, especially
evangelism.
[Eidberg (1976): 32]
The first national conference took place on 6 to 8 July 1877 in Bergen, with ten delegates from five congregations. For the first time the number of Baptists were calculated, totaling 511 at the end of 1867. The main organization outcome was the establishment of a committee to establish a common
Sunday school curriculum.
The following year a meeting was held in Bergen with most of the pastors in the country. BMS attended with a representative,
Edward Bean Underhill
Edward Bean Underhill (1813–1901) was an English missionary secretary, known as a Baptist historian and biographer.
Life
Born at St. Aldate's, Oxford, on 4 October 1813, he was one of seven children of Michael Underhill, a grocer in Oxford, by ...
. An agreement was made whereby a national union would be established and receive financial support from BMS.
[Eidberg (1976): 33] Another outcome of the meeting was the foundation of Adelfia, an association for the pastors.
[Eidberg (1998): 165]
![Lillehammer baptistkirke](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Lillehammer_baptistkirke.JPG)
The formal decision to establish the Baptist Union of Norway was taken at the second national conference, held in Trondheim the following year. Thirteen delegates from eight congregations participated. Nine congregations joined the union; the remaining six refrained either because they were not represented at the conference or because they were feared the union would interfere in congregational affairs.
Janne M. Sjödahl was appointed the union's first chairman.
It was officially founded in 1879.
The first inter-congregational bulletin was , first published by G. Hübert in 1879. Three years later the
hymnal
A hymnal or hymnary is a collection of hymns, usually in the form of a book, called a hymnbook (or hymn book). Hymnals are used in congregational singing. A hymnal may contain only hymn texts (normal for most hymnals for most centuries of Chr ...
was published. Adelfia began publishing the national newsletter in 1880. These initiatives led to the union establishing a publishing office, .
[Eidberg (1976): 38]
![Raufoss baptistkirke](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/Raufoss_baptistkirke.JPG)
The Baptist communities in Norway enjoyed close relations with BMS in England and Scandinavian expatriate congregations in the United States through the
American Baptist Missionary Union
International Ministries is an international Baptist Christian missionary society. It is a constituent board affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA. The headquarters is in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, United States.
History
The s ...
(ABMU). The latter was mostly concentrated in
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
. After first establishing a common Scandinavian seminary, it split and a Norwegian–Danish seminary was established in the
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
community of
Morgan Park as part of the Baptist Union Theological Seminary (later to become the
University of Chicago Divinity School
The University of Chicago Divinity School is a private graduate institution at the University of Chicago dedicated to the training of academics and clergy across religious boundaries. Formed under Baptist auspices, the school today lacks any s ...
). This remained the main point of contact with the American Baptist community. Forty-two Norwegians attended the seminary from 1884 to 1910.
[Eidberg (1976): 36]
The establishment of the seminary caused a close connection between the Norwegian Baptist congregations and that of the
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. I ...
; it was the source of new inspiration. A major step took place in 1885 when pastors began to be ordained. The number of Baptist congregations reached eighteen in 1886, although the membership growth was significantly steeper with 1,335 members that year. Ten years later it had increased to 26 congregations and 2,132 members. It reached 35 congregations and 2,900 members in 1902.
BMS announced in 1890 that it would withdraw all financial support for work in Norway starting in 1892. They cited that Norway no longer was seen as a missionary site, and that recruitment had leveled off. They also argued that the congregations should have the capacity to fund their own operations. The Baptist Union of Norway therefore contacted the Norwegian expatriate community. ABMU offered support to the union on the condition the Norwegians would preach in line with the American organization's theology and that Norwegian international missionaries would represent ABMU.
Establishment of institutions
![Holtekilen Baptist Seminary](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/Holtekilen_Baptist_Seminary.jpg)
The Baptist Union of Norway became a founding member of the
Baptist World Alliance
The Baptist World Alliance (BWA) is the largest international Baptist organization with an estimated 51 million people in 2022 with 246 member bodies in 128 countries and territories. A voluntary association of Baptist churches, the BWA account ...
in 1905 and J. A. Øhrn became an inaugural vice president.
[Eidberg (1976): 37] The
Norwegian Baptist Theological Seminary was founded in 1910, allowing both pastors and missionaries to be educated domestically for the first time. Olaf J. Øie was hired as the first rector, a role he held until his death in 1943. The seminary soon offered a bachelor-level degree.
[Eidberg (1976): 39]
A separate Norwegian mission was founded at the annual conference in 1915. Fundraising secured Bernhard Ã…lbu's travel to the
Belgian Congo
The Belgian Congo (french: Congo belge, ; nl, Belgisch-Congo) was a Belgian colony in Central Africa from 1908 until independence in 1960. The former colony adopted its present name, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in 1964.
Colo ...
. This was the first time that Norwegian Baptist missionaries traveled without being under the auspices of the ABMU. Due to the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
he was not able to travel until 1918. The effort was concentrated in the
Bas-Uele District
Bas-Uele District (french: District du Bas-Uele, nl, District Beneden-Uele) was a district of the Belgian Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was formed from part of Uele District in 1912. Later it was merged back into Uele Distr ...
, especially in the settlements of
Bili and
Monga. The network was gradually expanded and by the 1970s there were additional missionary stations in
Bondo,
Butu,
Likati
Likati is a town in the Aketi Territory of Bas-Uélé Province in the north of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Location
Likati is on the N4 road from Buta to Bondo.
The Likati River, a tributary of the Rubi River flows in a south ...
and
Ndu. By 1945 the Congo mission had baptized 3,000 converts.
The Baptist Women's Association of Norway was founded in 1916 to coordinate women's work between the congregations. This included both evangelism and missions, as well as annual seminars. The Baptist Youth Association was founded in 1922 to coordinate the activities of the youth associations in each congregation.
[Eidberg (1976): 40] From 1921 the local congregation operated a fishermen's home in
Honningsvåg
, other_name =
, native_name =
, nickname =
, settlement_type = Town
, image_skyline = Honningsvåg-01.jpg
, image_caption = View of the city
, pushpin_map = Finnmark#Nor ...
. Another attempt to spread the word in Northern Norway took place through the "skerries mission". Boats were used to reach coastal hamlets without regular church services.
![Sel baptistkirke](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Sel_baptistkirke.JPG)
The organization saw its membership hit a plateau during the 1900s, but then saw significant growth again during the 1910s. Membership numbers grew again during the 1930s and hit an all-time high of 7,500 members in the late 1940s. By then
Pentecostalism
Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement was increasing in Norway. Many Baptists changed to Pentecostal congregations and locally there was often competition for the same congregants. Similarities in theological stances, especially regarding
baptism
Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost ...
and congregationalism, often eased the transition between congregations.
[Eidberg (1976): 42]
Along with the
Baptist Union of Denmark
The Baptist Union of Denmark ( da, Baptistkirken i Danmark) is a national organization of Baptists in Denmark for promoting cooperation in missions, charitable work, and education.
The first work in Denmark generally considered Baptist began in 1 ...
and the
Baptist Union of Sweden
The Baptist Union of Sweden ( sv, Svenska Baptistsamfundet) is the oldest of several Baptist bodies in Sweden.
The first-known Baptist church in Sweden was organized on September 21, 1848, in Vallersvik, where a group of people committed the firs ...
, the Norwegian union established a congregation in
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
, the Scandinavian Seamen Mission in 1946.
Two Norwegians have been secretary-general of the Baptist World Alliance. The first was Arnold T. Øhrn from 1948 to 1960, and his successor Josef Nordenhang from 1960 to 1969.
The Baptist Folk High School was inaugurated in 1958.
It changed its name to
Holtekilen Folk High School in 1979.
![Baptist church in Ã…se, Nordland](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/Baptist_church_in_%C3%85se%2C_Nordland.jpg)
Many of the smallest congregations had problems funding both a church and the pastor's wages. In some congregations this was solved by only hiring the pastor part-time, or having them funded through their spouse working. In any case wages were comparatively low for the education. From the 1960s a "wage fund" was created, whereby larger congregations subsidized the wages of pastors in smaller congregations. The Baptist Study Council was established in 1972 to publish study circles.
This agency remained until 2010.
The missionary activity was expanded from 1984, when the annual conference voted to allow mission to other countries than
Zaïre
Zaire (, ), officially the Republic of Zaire (french: République du Zaïre, link=no, ), was a Congolese state from 1971 to 1997 in Central Africa that was previously and is now again known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Zaire was, ...
.
Oppdal
is a municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Dovre region and the traditional district of Orkdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Oppdal. Other villages in the municipality include Lønse ...
Baptist Congregation left the union in 1986. During the mid 1980s the union experienced major economic problems and a large deficit. The congress of the European Baptist Federation was hosted in
Lillehammer in 1994, with the union as the organizer. Four thousand delegates participated at the event at
HÃ¥kons Hall
HÃ¥kons Hall, sometimes anglicized as HÃ¥kon Hall and Haakons Hall, is an arena located at Stampesletta in Lillehammer, Norway. With a spectator capacity of 11,500 people, it is the largest handball and ice hockey venue in the country. HÃ¥ko ...
. The union launched its website on 19 February 1996. was reorganized in 2004 and changed from a weekly newspaper to a monthly magazine. It took the name ''Baptist.no'' in 2009.
[Liland & Iversen (2010): 100]
Oslo Third Baptist Congregation was excluded from the union in 2006 after it had elected a member living in a same-sex partnership to its board. After decades with stagnating membership, the Baptist community experienced rising membership numbers and increasing number of congregations from the late 2000s. The Norwegian Baptist Seminary was reorganized in 2008. It merged with the Pentecostal Center for Leadership and Theology to form the Norwegian School of Leadership and Theology. It was accredited as a college and was situated at the Baptist complex at Stabekk.
Organization
![Kirkesalen](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/Kirkesalen.jpg)
The union has 97 congregations.
Membership is tied to the individual congregations rather than to the union. Based on a form of weak congregationalism, these are autonomous organizations which elect their own leadership. The union therefore acts as a coordinating organization. The congregations are organized into five
regional
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
districts, each with their own board. The union has an annual meeting with delegates from each congregation. This body holds the supreme authorities within the union. It appoints the main board, other committees and various issues regarding economy, institutions and plans.
The head office is situated at
Stabekk Stabekk is a suburban centre in the municipality of Bærum, Norway, west of Oslo. It is predominantly a residential area, with many residents commuting to Oslo. As of 2005 the population was 6,261.
Bærum has the highest income per capita and the hi ...
in
Bærum
Bærum () is a municipality in the Greater Oslo Region in Norway that forms an affluent suburb of Oslo on the west coast of the city. Bærum is Norway's fifth largest municipality with a population of 128,760 (2021). It is part of the electoral ...
outside
Oslo
Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population ...
. The union has an administration with seven employees, led by Secretary-General Terje Aadne.
The Baptist Union of Norway is a member of the
Baptist World Alliance
The Baptist World Alliance (BWA) is the largest international Baptist organization with an estimated 51 million people in 2022 with 246 member bodies in 128 countries and territories. A voluntary association of Baptist churches, the BWA account ...
, the
European Baptist Federation
The European Baptist Federation (EBF) is a federation of 59 Baptist associations and is one of six regional fellowships in the Baptist World Alliance. The headquarters is in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
History
The EBF was founded in Ruschlikon, Swit ...
and the
Christian Council of Norway.
Membership
Statistics Norway counted 10,283 members of the Baptist Union of Norway in 2014. This is based on the official reported numbers of adherents to the state for state grants. This number includes children and non-baptized adherents.
According to a denomination census released in 2020, it claimed 103 churches and 6,651 members.
Institutions
![Holtekilen folk high school](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/Holtekilen_folk_high_school.jpg)
The
Norwegian School of Leadership and Theology is an accredited college jointly owned by the Baptist Union and
Filadelfia Oslo
Filadelfia Oslo or Filadelfia Church Oslo () is a Christian church associated with the Pentecostalism in Norway, Pentecostal movement in Norway. It is the largest Pentecostal congregation in Norway with 2,092 members in 2019. It conducts extensi ...
, a Pentecostal congregation. Approved by the
Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education
The Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education, NOKUT is a Norwegian government agency, established in 2003 as part of the Quality Reform. Its areas of responsibility include quality assessment of Norwegian universities, university colle ...
, it offers a three-year bachelor's degree in leadership and theology, and a one-year course in Christianity. Although not a formal requirement, most pastors have taken a four-year theological education at the college.
Holtekilen Folk High School is situated at Stabekk and has 85 pupils. It features six tracks: music, fashion/design, travel, film/photography, street sociology and ethics/sustainability.
The union publishes a monthly magazine, ''Baptist.no'', which is distributed to all members of the congregations.
The Norwegian Baptist Historical Society is given the task of maintaining Baptist archives in Norway and publishing historical and theological presentations. Its main work is the semi-annual magazine ''Baptist'' which provides articles on Baptist history, theology and practice. It also publishes literature.
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
External links
Official website
{{Portal, Evangelical Christianity, Norway
Baptist denominations in Europe
Religious organizations established in 1879
1879 establishments in Norway
Organisations based in Bærum
Evangelicalism in Norway
Baptist Christianity in Norway