Old Ålgård Church () is a historic

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in com ...

of the

Church of Norway The Church of Norway (, , , ) is an Lutheranism, evangelical Lutheran denomination of Protestant Christianity and by far the largest Christian church in Norway. Christianity became the state religion of Norway around 1020, and was established a ...

in Gjesdal Municipality in

Rogaland Rogaland () is a Counties of Norway, county in Western Norway, bordering the North Sea to the west and the counties of Vestland to the north, Telemark to the east and Agder to the east and southeast. As of 1 January 2024, it had a population of 49 ...

county,

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

. It is located in the village of

Ålgård Ålgård (historic: ''Aalgaard'') is the administrative centre of Gjesdal municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The village is located along the European route E39 highway, about southeast of the Sandnes (town), city of Sandnes in the Jær ...

. It used to be the main church for the Ålgård

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

which is part of the

Jæren prosti This list of churches in Rogaland is a list of the Church of Norway churches in the Diocese of Stavanger in Norway. It includes all of the parishes in Rogaland county. The diocese is based at the Stavanger Cathedral in the city of Stavanger (city) ...

(

deanery A deanery (or decanate) is an ecclesiastical entity in the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, the Evangelical Church in Germany, and the Church of Norway. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of ...

) in the

Diocese of Stavanger The Diocese of Stavanger () is a diocese in the Church of Norway. It covers all of Rogaland county in western Norway. The cathedral city is Stavanger, where the Stavanger Cathedral is located. The bishop is Anne Lise Ådnøy, who has held the p ...

. The white, wooden church was built in a

long church Church building in Norway began when Christianity in Norway, Christianity was established there around the year 1000. The first buildings may have been post churches erected in the 10th or 11th century, but the evidence is inconclusive. For inst ...

design and an

Art Nouveau Art Nouveau ( ; ; ), Jugendstil and Sezessionstil in German, is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. It was often inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and ...

style in 1917 using designs by the

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

Ole Stein. The church seats about 250 people.

History

Work began on the new church on 20 March 1916 when a groundbreaking ceremony was held. The church was

consecrate Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects ( ...

d on 11 May 1917 by the Bishop Bernt Støylen. The church cost about to build. There are several bullet holes in the exterior of the church that were caused by skirmishes during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

when the Germans occupied Norway. In the 1960s, the church was renovated and refurbished. After 98 years in use, the church became too small for the congregation and it was replaced in 2015 by the new

Ålgård Church Ålgård Church () is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Gjesdal Municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Ålgård. It is the main church for the Ålgård parish which is part of the Jæren prosti (deanery ...

, located directly across the street. The old church is no longer used for regular services, but it is used for special occasions such as weddings.

Media gallery

Ålgård kirke.jpg Ålgård kirkested.jpg Ålgård stasjon og kirke.jpg Aalgaard kirke 2.jpg

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Old Aalgaard Church Gjesdal Churches in Rogaland Wooden churches in Norway 20th-century Church of Norway church buildings Churches completed in 1917 1917 establishments in Norway

History

Media gallery

See also

References