Encyclopedia > Evangelical Lutheran Free Church of Norway
The Evangelical Lutheran Free Church, or the Free Church as it is commonly known, is a nationwide Lutheran church in Norway consisting of 81 congregations with approximately 21,000 members. It was founded in 1877 in Moss. It should not be confused with the Church of Norway. The Free Church is economically independent.
The Evangelical Lutheran Free Church is founded on the Bible and the Lutheran Church’s confession. In the Free Church it is those who are baptized and confess the Christian faith who have the voting power. It has the authority to call its clergy and all other personnel, and it passes its own laws.
As Norway was the weaker part of a union that kept all of its royal, intellectual, and administrative power in Copenhagen, Denmark, this period is was in light of the
Norway was one of the signatories of the
Norway is bounded for its entire length by seas of the North Atlantic Ocean: the North Sea to the southwest and its large inlet the
Lutheranism is generally friendly to the Ecumenical Movement, and with some exceptions, Lutheranchurches have participated in worldwide gatherings of Christians across confessional and denominational boundaries.
This term, or "Lutheranism," is employed to refer to the doctrine and practices authoritative in the LutheranChurches and as a broad term for those churches throughout the world in general.
Lutheranism did not radically change the structure of the medieval mass, but its use of vernacular language enhanced the importance of the sermons, which were based on the exposition of the Scriptures, and encouraged congregational participation in worship, especially through the singing of the liturgy and of hymns.
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