Norwegian Baptist Union

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The Norwegian Baptist Union (NBU) ( Det Norske Baptistsamfunn ; literally actually: The Norwegian Baptist Community ) is a national union of Norwegian Baptists . Above all, it is responsible for tasks that exceed the capabilities of the autonomous member communities. This includes external and internal missions , diakonia and the training and further education of full-time and voluntary employees.

history

Baptist Church in Bærum-Holtekillen

Enoch Richard Haftorsen Svee, a young Norwegian who was supported by American Baptists, came back in 1842 and preached in Norway but died before churches were planted. The first Baptist church in Norway was founded in Skien in 1862 by Frederick Ludvig Rymker, a former Danish missionary sailor. The Baptists formed regional groups. The first (south) was founded in 1872, north and west followed in 1877. In 1878, 13 representatives from 8 churches founded the Norwegian Baptist Union , whose first general secretary was Janne M. Sjödahl . The Baptist Mission Society of England supported the work in Norway. When that connection broke, they asked and got the support of the American Baptist Mission Society. A theological seminary was founded in 1910, a youth organization in 1922 and a college in 1958.

Organization and statistics

The Baptist Union is a member of the European Baptist Federation and the Baptist World Federation . According to our own sources, in 2003 there were 4971 members in 69 parishes.

In addition to the congregations united in the Norwegian Baptist Union, there are two independent Baptist congregations that cooperate with the World Baptist Union. Together they have around 75 members.

literature

  • William H. Brackney: Article Norway . In: William H. Brackney (ed.): Historical Dictionary of the Baptists . Volume 25 in the Historical Dictionaries of Religions, Philosophies, and Movements series . The Scarecrow Press: Lanham, Maryland and London 1999. ISBN 0-8108-3652-1 . P. 310.
  • Peder A. Eidberg: Article Norway (1860) . In: Albert W. Wardin (Ed.): Baptists around the World. A comprehensive handbook . Broadman & Holman Publishers: Nashville, Tennessee 1995. ISBN 0-8054-1076-7 . Pp. 248-250.

Web links