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Name of National Alliance: NORME – Norwegian Council for Mission and Evangelism
Principal leaders of NORME:
Chairman: Rev. Svein Ragnvald Tjora
General Secretary: Rev. Rolf Ekenes
Email address and phone: post@norme.no +47 22932775/ 90091562
Website: www.norme.no
The Evangelical Alliance (EA) in Norway was founded in January 1858. At the same time the prayer week also started.
In our country we have had three different bodies at the same time working with mission and evangelism: the Evangelical Alliance of Norway, Lausanne Norway and the Norwegian Mission Council. These organizations merged in 2001 into a new body called NORME. 35 different churches and organizations are members of NORME. Significant members are the Baptist, Pentecostal and Methodist church, two Lutheran free churches, the Salvation Army and a great number of mission organizations within and outside the State Church.
Because the Lausanne groupe is a member of NORME this also makes global mission a significant part of the EA/ NORME work.
EA/ NORME is organized with a board of 10 representatives, consisting of most protestant churches and key mission organizations/networks in Norway. EA/ NORME has a general secretary and no other staff. The EA/ NORME is a member of the European Evangelical Alliance and the World Evangelical Alliance. We are also part of the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization.
Norway has a thousand year long Christian tradition. About 85 per cent of the population are members of the Norwegian Lutheran Church, which is a state church. Christian values are deeply embedded in the Norwegian cultural traditions, culture and legislation.
One of the most significant cultural and spiritual challenges we face in Norway today, is the continously growing secularization and materialism. Church attendance is 3-4% on a regular basis. The different free churches experience a larger percentage of attendants than does the State church. But the broad range of Norwegian christianity face the same challenge of decline in an atmosphere of spiritual indifferentism and secularism. Yet at the same time we see great lights of hope through living and growing congregations, both within and outside the State Church.
There certainly is a need in Norway today for spiritual renewal both regarding the historical churches and many of the free churches. Norway needs born-again Christians who by their life and testimony demonstrate to the secular society what genuin Christian faith is all about. One of the most threathening issues within many of the church bodies today is the theological liberalism and dilution of biblical thruth which is splitting up the churches – both within and in between.
The EA/ NORME Norway has each year a major mission conference, the LINK conference, which focuses on a relevant theme dealing with subjects within the mission/ evangelism area. This year we focus on ‘Doing mission work in Europe today’. One of the main activities in the national EA of Norway has also been the prayer week in January each year.
Regarding ecumenical dialog and cooperation, we face a significantly more open atmosphere today than some years ago. The reason why it is so has do do with the fact that Christians from all denominations and groups have much of the same struggles and challenges - coming from the secular society in the closest neighbourhood. Our primary challenge is to overcome the secular mindsets and "neutrality" of many people, and to demonstrate the relevance of Christian faith to all people.
Prayer request:
-That the different Churches in Norway can stay together in proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour of all mankind.
-That the Church can be outspoken and courageous in its biblical teaching, both in terms of love, grace and justice.
-That the Church can be sensitive to people's needs and meet them in the most relevant way, both physically and spiritually.
-That God’s call to bring the gospel to all people can be received and integrated in the lives of Christians today.
-That God can raise up young Christian leaders who understand their culture and demonstrate that classic Christian faith still has relevance in our society.
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