Bjordal Church Explained

Bjordal Church
Fullname:Bjordal kyrkje
Former Name:Bjordal Chapel
Coordinates:61.0752°N 5.829°W
Location:Høyanger Municipality,
Vestland
Country:Norway
Churchmanship:Evangelical Lutheran
Denomination:Church of Norway
Diocese:Bjørgvin bispedømme
Parish:Bjordal og Ortnevik
Status:Parish church
Functional Status:Active
Founded Date:1906
Consecrated Date:1 Nov 1906
Architect:Victor Nordan
Architectural Type:Long church
Materials:Wood
Capacity:160

Bjordal Church (Norwegian: Bjordal kyrkje) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Høyanger Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Bjordal. It is one of the two churches for the Bjordal og Ortnevik parish which is part of the Sunnfjord prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Bjørgvin. The white, wooden church was built in a long church design in 1906 using plans drawn up byusing plans drawn up by the architect Victor Nordan, the son of the famous Norwegian church architect Jacob Wilhelm Nordan. The church seats about 160 people.[1] [2]

History

The people living around the Fuglesetfjorden had long desired a church of their own. In 1856, the people of Bjordal had petitioned for a church to be built in their village, rather than making the 12km (07miles) long journey to the Kyrkjebø Church on the other side of the fjord. Again in 1896, the people of Bjordal petitioned the government for their own church. It took three years, but in 1899, the government decided that an annex chapel (not a church) would be built. Planning began and after several years passed the church was completed. It was designed by Victor Nordan and it the lead builder was Jo Hove from Vik. The church was consecrated on 1 November 1906.[3] [4]

The nave of the new chapel measured about, the choir measured about, and the church porch measured about . The church is not large, but it has a picturesque location on a hilltop overlooking the fjord. In 1953, the chapel received electric lighting and then in 1958 electric heating was installed. It originally the status of a chapel (and was named Bjordal Chapel) until 1 January 1997 when it was upgraded to a church. At the same time the new parish of Bjordal og Ortnevik was created with Ortnevik Church and Bjordal Church being the parish churches. This meant that all the people in Høyanger on the south side of the Sognefjorden now had their own parish.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Bjordal kyrkje . Kirkesøk: Kirkebyggdatabasen . 2019-12-01.
  2. Web site: Oversikt over Nåværende Kirker . KirkeKonsulenten.no . Norwegian . 2019-12-01.
  3. Web site: Henden Aaraas . Margrethe . Vengen . Sigurd . Gjerde . Anders . Bjordal kyrkje . Fylkesarkivet . Norwegian . 2019-12-01.
  4. Web site: Bjordal kirke . 2021-09-26 . Norges-Kirker.no . Norwegian.