Norwegian Union Conference
Established in 1992
Subfields: East Norway Conference, North Norway Conference, South Norway Conference
Churches: 59
Address: Royseveien 41, 3530 Royse, Norway
Mailing: P.O. Box 124; 3529 Royse; Norway
Website: www.adventist.no
Email: [email protected]
The history of church in Norway
Norwegian immigrants to North America would send back home copies of Adventist pamphlets and the Scandinavian language journal Advent Tidende, published in Battle Creek, Michigan, from 1872. This literature created some interest in the old country.
John G Matteson returned to his native Denmark in 1877 as an Adventist missionary. In August and September 1878, he made an exploratory trip to Norway finding several people keeping the Sabbath. Judging Norway to be a promising mission field, Matteson moved to Christiania (Oslo) the same year. In October he began a series of public lectures. His first meeting was held in a room of the house where he stayed. To his surprise his small place was filled to capacity with people standing on the stairways unable to get in and many had to be turned away. He soon rented larger halls, drawing crowds of 800-1,200 people.
The Advent message met opposition from the clergy, but people kept coming, and on 11 January 1879, the first thirty-four-member Seventh-day Adventist church in Norway was officially registered. Many of the new members were women – most came from the working class, several came from a local Baptist church that was closed down because of Matteson’s preaching.
