Rørstad 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 ...

Sørfold Municipality Sørfold is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Nordland Counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Districts of Norway, traditional district of Salten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of S ...

Nordland Nordland (; , , , ) is one of the three northernmost Counties of Norway, counties in Norway in the Northern Norway region, bordering Troms in the north, Trøndelag in the south, Norrbotten County in Sweden to the east, Västerbotten County to t ...

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 isolated village of

Rørstad Rørstad is a village in Sørfold Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The village is located along the Sørfolda fjord, about south of the village of Nordfold and about northwest of the village of Røsvika. The historic Rørstad Church is ...

. It was once the main church for the Sørfold

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

Salten prosti Salten is a traditional district in Nordland county, Norway. It includes the municipalities of Gildeskål, Bodø, Beiarn, Saltdal, Fauske, Sørfold, Steigen, and Hamarøy. Salten covers an area of about and has a population (2016) of about 7 ...

(

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 Sør-Hålogaland Sør-Hålogaland is a diocese in the Church of Norway. The Diocese covers the Lutheran Church of Norway churches located within Nordland county in Norway. The diocese is headquartered in the Bodø (town), town of Bodø at Bodø Cathedral, the sea ...

. The white, wooden church was built in a

cruciform A cruciform is a physical manifestation resembling a common cross or Christian cross. These include architectural shapes, biology, art, and design. Cruciform architectural plan Christian churches are commonly described as having a cruciform ...

style in 1761 by an unknown

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 ...

. The church seats about 300 people.

History

The oldest existing historical record referring to Rørstad Church dates back to 1589, but it was not new that year. In 1661, the church was noted as being in terrible condition and so it was decided that it would be torn down and rebuilt, reusing any salvageable materials from the old building. The new 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 in 1665. The new wooden church was

with a

steeple In architecture, a steeple is a tall tower on a building, topped by a spire and often incorporating a belfry and other components. Steeples are very common on Christian churches and cathedrals and the use of the term generally connotes a relig ...

above the centre of the church. In 1761, a new church was built at Rørstad to serve the whole Sørfold parish. The church was located along the heavily traveled

Sørfolda or is a fjord in Nordland county, Norway. It is located in Sørfold Municipality and Bodø Municipality. The Sørfolda is a southeastern branch of the main Folda, Nordland, Folda fjord. Side branches include the Nevelsfjorden, Eidekjosen, Skju ...

fjord, making it an ideal location for the church for a long time due to the prevalence and ease of boat travel at that time. Nearing the end of the 19th century, however, roads were becoming better and more well-used in Norway and since there was no road to Rørstad, it was decided in 1880 to build a new church along the municipal road system and then close the church and only use it for special occasions. A new church,

Røsvik Church Røsvik Church () is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Sørfold Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Røsvika. It is one of the churches for the Sørfold parish which is part of the Salten prosti (dean ...

, was built in 1883 in

Røsvika Røsvika is a village in Sørfold Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is located along the southern shore of the Sørfolda fjord, about north of the municipal centre of Straumen. The village had a population (2007) of 209 and a pop ...

to replace the old, isolated church. There are no real permanent residents in Rørstad anymore due to its lack of a road connection to the rest of the municipality. Rørstad is now mostly a collection of summer cottages, so the church no longer used regularly, except for special worship services that are held twice each summer. It has not been regularly used since 1883.

Media gallery

Rørstad church seen from the east.jpg, Exterior view Rørstad prestegård, Nordland - Riksantikvaren-T413 01 0048.jpg, Parsonage Rørstad Præstegaard og gamle kirke i Sørfallen - no-nb digifoto 20160317 00023 bldsa NGU0357 (cropped).jpg, View of the area The congregation gathered outside Rørstad church.jpg, Church and congregation (c. 1930) Interior from Rørstad church.jpg, Interior view Rørstad kirke - an10071209104002.jpg, Design of the building Rørstad kirke - an10071209104001.jpg, Floor plans of the building Roerstad church.jpg, Church in 1982 Roerstad church altar piece 1760.jpg, Altar in 1982

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rorstad Church Sørfold Churches in Nordland Wooden churches in Norway Cruciform churches in Norway 18th-century Church of Norway church buildings Churches completed in 1761 16th-century establishments in Norway

History

Media gallery

See also

References