Mission History

Church of Norway

Christianity arrived in Norway around 1000 A.D., coming from the British Isles and Germany. Those who brought Christianity in the early years were monks, individuals on Viking voyages and, most often, bishops and kings on journeys. The church was firmly established in Norway by the end of the 12th century. King Christian III, ruler of Denmark and Norway at the time of the Reformation, accepted the Lutheran faith, and by the end of the 16th century the Reformation had touched all levels of society in Norway.

As the Church of Norway grew out of a line of Christian kings, it retained a state church system with the king as head representative. Over time, the Church was granted certain levels of autonomy by the Parliament. Some of these reforms included the establishment of a General Synod (1984) and granting the diocesan councils the right to appoint pastors (1989). Today, the Parliament continues to decide the laws and financial framework for the Church and the bishops are still elected by the government.