Church loses his grip on Oslo – Osloby

Major living Church is prepared for changes, but hopes to retain at least a couple of Sunday church services a month.

Member failure combined with strong population growth pushes forward changes in oslo church. Merging parishes and rental of church buildings is highly relevant. This spring there are limits in Northern and Western Aker Aker prostitution as erased and redrawn.

One ward – three churches

One of the proposals is to merge the three parishes Vestre Aker, Bakkehaugen and Major living room. You will then have one church and three churches. The question is what to do with the two churches that are left over.

In a note Oslo Bispedømmeråd sent for consultation, recommended that until further be two worship services a month in Major living Church.

– We’ve basically set us hopeful that there will be a joint parish council. What we have argued is that we continue to have Sunday worship services, if not every Sunday, so at least twice a month, says Arnbjørn Jakobsen, Head of Major living parish.

Other religions increases

The Norwegian Church lose their foothold in Oslo. Membership has fallen from 370,050 in 2000 to 344,616 in 2013. Once the capital at the same time has experienced strong population growth, the proportion of Church membership ever lower.

At the turn of the millennium was 72.9 percent of Oslo’s population Members of the Norwegian Church. Last year the proportion had fallen to 55.2 percent.

This is why the Church now feel compelled to change its facility in the capital.

For many of those who move into the city, belongs to another denomination. Number Muslims and members of other Christian faiths increases. Both groups have netted 50,000 members. In 2013 was 8.4 percent of Oslo’s population of Muslims. 9 percent belonged to another Christian denomination.

Churchwarden Robert Wright does not deny that the reorganization is due to religious Oslo is changing.

– These processes are clearly declaration that there are changes. We do not know what’s coming.

– Must reach more

Back in Major living Church is the parish leader Jakobsen afraid that the church community has built up, it will disintegrate if the offer worship Sundays are closed.

– We have a real audience, one foundation of the church, which meets every Sunday and is very fond of his church, says Jakobsen. He estimates that there are about 60 people on average worship services.

He has full understanding of the Church is going to have to see how it can make the most of your money.

– We must find new ways of being church on. When the Norwegian church member’s share drops, the challenge that we must reach out to more.

Ward manager thinks reorganization may open innovation.

– The church should be a place for freedom and joy. Church’s mission is to present themselves in a way that responds to our need for communion with God and with people.

Posted: 15.apr. 2,014 9:53 p.m.