Diocese of Agder og Telemark
Encyclopedia
The Diocese of Agder og Telemark Agder og Telemark bispedømme) is a diocese
of the Church of Norway
, covering the counties of Telemark
, Aust-Agder
and Vest-Agder
in Norway
. The diocese was created in 1925 as the Diocese of Agder, with the name being changed to the Diocese of Agder og Telemark in 2005.
became a diocese
, after first being a part of the Diocese of Bjørgvin
. This new diocese stretched from the coast of Haugesund
in the west to Gjernestangen between Risør
and Kragerø
, later the border stretched to Eidanger
in the east. Stavanger was the cathedral
city.
In 1682 Christian V, King of Denmark-Norway, issued an order that the Bishop
and the Prefect
were to be moved to the cathedral of Kristiansand
, which had been consecrated 1646 and which the King
intended be perfect site for a new cathedral. The citizens of Stavanger protested, with the Prefect and the Bishop refusing to move and ignoring the order. It took two years before Kristiansand was establsihed as the new cathedral city. The new name of the diocese became "Christiansands stift", and this later became the Diocese of Agder og Telemark.
The upper part of Telemark
had been transferred from the Diocese of Oslo
to the Diocese of Stavanger
in 1631 - and the rest of Telemark was transferred from Oslo to Kristiansand in 1864. In that same year, the parish of Røldal
was transferred from Kristiansand to the Diocese of Bjørgvin
.
The diocese consists of 67 parishes and 147 congregations. As at 1 January 2003, 347,324 members of the Church of Norway were in the diocese. The current bishop is Olav Skjevesland
.
The present church is the third cathedral in the city and the fourth church in the town square in Kristiansand. The church was built after a drawing by the architect Henrik Thrap-Meyer
. The church is described as neo-gothic style. The building is 70 meters long and 39 meters wide, and the tower is 70 meters high. The Cathedral has a beautiful wooden ceiling and six beautiful stained glass windows with Biblical themes.
In order to exploit the ancient walls of the church that burned in 1880, the altar was placed against the west, while the churches generally tend to have the altar in the east. Building work was completed on 1 February 1885. The church was consecrated on 18 March 1885 with Johan M. Brun as acting bishop.
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of the Church of Norway
Church of Norway
The Church of Norway is the state church of Norway, established after the Lutheran reformation in Denmark-Norway in 1536-1537 broke the ties to the Holy See. The church confesses the Lutheran Christian faith...
, covering the counties of Telemark
Telemark
is a county in Norway, bordering Vestfold, Buskerud, Hordaland, Rogaland and Aust-Agder. The county administration is in Skien. Until 1919 the county was known as Bratsberg amt.-Location:...
, Aust-Agder
Aust-Agder
is a county in Norway, bordering Telemark, Rogaland, and Vest-Agder. In 2002, there were 102,945 inhabitants, which is 2.2% of the total population in Norway. Its area is . The administrative center of the county is in Arendal....
and Vest-Agder
Vest-Agder
In the 16th century, Dutch merchant vessels began to visit ports in southern Norway to purchase salmon and other goods. Soon thereafter the export of timber began, as oak from southern Norway was exceptionally well suited for shipbuilding...
in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. The diocese was created in 1925 as the Diocese of Agder, with the name being changed to the Diocese of Agder og Telemark in 2005.
History
In 1125 StavangerStavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
became a diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
, after first being a part of the Diocese of Bjørgvin
Diocese of Bjørgvin
Bjørgvin Diocese is a diocese in the Church of Norway. It covers churches located in the counties of Hordaland and Sogn og Fjordane. The cathedral city is Bergen. Bergen Cathedral, formerly the Church of Saint Olaf, serves as the seat of the presiding Bishop...
. This new diocese stretched from the coast of Haugesund
Haugesund
is a town and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.-Location:Haugesund was separated from Torvastad as a town and municipality of its own in 1855. The rural municipality of Skåre was merged with Haugesund on January 1, 1958. Haugesund is a small municipality, only 73 km²...
in the west to Gjernestangen between Risør
Risør
is a city and municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. The city belongs to the traditional region of Sørlandet. It is a popular tourist place. The surrounding area includes many small lakes and hills, and is known for its beautiful coastline as well....
and Kragerø
Kragerø
is a town and municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Vestmar. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kragerø....
, later the border stretched to Eidanger
Eidanger
Eidanger is a rural parish and former municipality of Porsgrunn, in Telemark County, Norway.-History:Eidanger was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 . It was merged with Porsgrunn on 1 January 1964....
in the east. Stavanger was the cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
city.
In 1682 Christian V, King of Denmark-Norway, issued an order that the Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
and the Prefect
Prefect
Prefect is a magisterial title of varying definition....
were to be moved to the cathedral of Kristiansand
Kristiansand
-History:As indicated by archeological findings in the city, the Kristiansand area has been settled at least since 400 AD. A royal farm is known to have been situated on Oddernes as early as 800, and the first church was built around 1040...
, which had been consecrated 1646 and which the King
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
intended be perfect site for a new cathedral. The citizens of Stavanger protested, with the Prefect and the Bishop refusing to move and ignoring the order. It took two years before Kristiansand was establsihed as the new cathedral city. The new name of the diocese became "Christiansands stift", and this later became the Diocese of Agder og Telemark.
The upper part of Telemark
Telemark
is a county in Norway, bordering Vestfold, Buskerud, Hordaland, Rogaland and Aust-Agder. The county administration is in Skien. Until 1919 the county was known as Bratsberg amt.-Location:...
had been transferred from the Diocese of Oslo
Diocese of Oslo
Oslo bishopric is The Church of Norway's bishopric for the municipalities of Oslo, Asker and Bærum. It is one of Norway's five traditional bishoprics and was founded around the year 1070.-History:...
to the Diocese of Stavanger
Diocese of Stavanger
Stavanger is a diocese in the Church of Norway. It covers Rogaland. The cathedral city is Stavanger, and the bishop since 2009 is Erling Johan Pettersen.-History:...
in 1631 - and the rest of Telemark was transferred from Oslo to Kristiansand in 1864. In that same year, the parish of Røldal
Røldal
Røldal is a former municipality in Hordaland county, Norway.The parish of Suldal had to be divided into two formannskapsdistrikt January 1, 1838 – this because the main part of the parish belonged to the county of Rogaland, while the annex Røldal belonged to the county of Hordaland...
was transferred from Kristiansand to the Diocese of Bjørgvin
Diocese of Bjørgvin
Bjørgvin Diocese is a diocese in the Church of Norway. It covers churches located in the counties of Hordaland and Sogn og Fjordane. The cathedral city is Bergen. Bergen Cathedral, formerly the Church of Saint Olaf, serves as the seat of the presiding Bishop...
.
The diocese consists of 67 parishes and 147 congregations. As at 1 January 2003, 347,324 members of the Church of Norway were in the diocese. The current bishop is Olav Skjevesland
Olav Skjevesland
Olav Skjevesland is a Norwegian Lutheran bishop. He was appointed bishop of the Diocese of Agder in 1998. He was editor of Luthersk Kirketidende from 1976 to 1998. Among his books is Tro og tradisjon i ny tid from 2003....
.
Kristiansand Cathedral
Kristiansand Cathedral is the main church of Agder and Telemark Diocesan and parish church for the Church in Kristiansand. In 1682, there was a small church built of wood on site in Kristiansand. A new cathedral was built of stone and consecrated by Bishop Hans Munch in 1696, but burned down in 1734. The city's second cathedral was consecrated in 1738 by Bishop Jacob Kærup. This cathedral was destroyed in the city fire of 1880.The present church is the third cathedral in the city and the fourth church in the town square in Kristiansand. The church was built after a drawing by the architect Henrik Thrap-Meyer
Henrik Thrap-Meyer
Henrik Thrap-Meyer was a Norwegian architect.-Career:Henrik Thrap-Meyer was born in Bergen, Norway. He was educated at Polytechnicum in Hannover and Zurich between the years 1855-1860. He was a teacher at Bergen's Drawing School from 1860 to 1863...
. The church is described as neo-gothic style. The building is 70 meters long and 39 meters wide, and the tower is 70 meters high. The Cathedral has a beautiful wooden ceiling and six beautiful stained glass windows with Biblical themes.
In order to exploit the ancient walls of the church that burned in 1880, the altar was placed against the west, while the churches generally tend to have the altar in the east. Building work was completed on 1 February 1885. The church was consecrated on 18 March 1885 with Johan M. Brun as acting bishop.