News
Rebuilding Faith in Norway’s Empty Churches
Faith Facts
- Norway reports some of the world’s lowest regular church attendance rates, between 2 and 7 percent.
- Only a handful of Churches of Christ remain active in a nation of 5.6 million people.
- Young adults and immigrant communities are showing renewed interest in the Gospel.
Stavanger, Norway, is home to a striking copper sculpture known as the Brutt Lenke, or Broken Chain. Three massive links rise from a windswept slab of rock overlooking the North Sea, one of them snapped. The memorial honors the 123 lives lost when the Alexander Kielland oil platform capsized in 1980.
Despite the cold mist rolling in from the sea, a woman and her children played nearby with their dog on a recent Monday. A couple of local women walked toward the shore, unfazed by the breeze. One of them smiled when a visitor called the weather windy. “This is a light breeze,” she replied.
Norwegians have a saying: “There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes.”
After twenty-five years reporting for The Christian Chronicle, I finally reached my ancestral homeland. More than a century has passed since any of my relatives walked these fjords. Norway’s rugged beauty is matched by a spiritual climate that remains cold and largely secular.
Europe can be a tough mission field, and Scandinavia may be the toughest of all. Church attendance across Norway, Sweden, and Denmark sits among the lowest in the world. Yet signs of change are appearing. Some church leaders in Sweden report growing interest among young people. The arrival of refugees from the Middle East and Ukraine is reshaping the continent’s religious landscape.
I came to Norway after the European Vision Workshop in Romania, thanks to a friend with a spare bedroom. Stephen Maddux, a Texas native and Oklahoma Christian University graduate, works for Halliburton in Stavanger. We first met in Singapore last year. Stephen hosted dinner for the small group of believers in the area.
Among the guests were Colin Beharie, originally from Jamaica, and his Norwegian wife, Reidun. She became a Christian through the work of missionary Richard Walker and trained at Sunset International Bible Institute. Emmanuel Azebeokhai, a student from Nigeria, joined us as well. The group often worships together on Zoom with another Nigerian family in Oslo.
Azebeokhai noted that interest in the Gospel exists beyond the immigrant community. Community churches are finding spiritual seekers among Norway’s young adults, and charismatic movements are expanding. Stavanger once hosted a thriving Church of Christ with about one hundred members. Like many congregations, it has struggled to pass the faith to the next generation.
Those gathered agreed that Norway needs godly men and women who speak the language and understand the culture. They must also be willing to endure wind, rain, snow, and winters when the sun sets at three in the afternoon. Fixing the broken links in Scandinavia will not be easy, but little worth doing in this life is easy.
It is time for believers to wrap themselves in the Holy Spirit, who alone can show the way. After all, there is no such thing as a bad mission field, just bad clothes.
Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.
Faith Facts
- God created mankind in His image as male and female, establishing biological reality as the foundation for human identity and society.
- Truth and integrity in public discourse reflect the biblical call to speak honestly and avoid deception in all matters.
- Communities thrive when laws protect free speech and prevent the misuse of legal tools to silence differing viewpoints.
A Texas transgender advocacy group has filed a motion asking a judge to permit depositions in an effort to identify the source of pre-Election Day mailers that the group claims falsely bore its name.
The legal filing seeks to compel testimony from individuals and organizations the group believes may have information about the mailing campaign. Court records indicate the mailers were distributed in the weeks leading up to the election and contained content the group alleges misrepresented its position.
Supporters of traditional values note that such legal actions can quickly shift from information gathering to attempts to chill protected speech. They point out that anonymous political speech has long been a cornerstone of American democracy, protected under the First Amendment.
“We are committed to uncovering the truth behind these unauthorized communications,” a spokesperson for the advocacy group stated in court documents.
Critics of the motion argue that the request for depositions risks exposing private citizens and organizations to burdensome litigation simply for expressing political views. They maintain that the courts should require concrete evidence of wrongdoing before allowing broad discovery that could reveal sources.
Legal observers say the case raises important questions about the balance between accountability and the right to anonymous expression in the political process. The judge’s ruling on the deposition request is expected in the coming weeks.
Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.
Faith Facts
- Jackson Street Church of Christ in Monroe, Louisiana, launched a Young Men’s Lectureship to train seven young believers in preaching and lead worship.
- Caleb Hambelton, a Central Church of Christ minister and graduate of Crowley’s Ridge College and Freed-Hardeman University, baptized five inmates at the Howell County Sheriff’s Office in Missouri.
- Kenneth Okwuonu, a physics and engineering teacher at Westbury Christian School in Houston, received the 2026 Innovative Teacher of the Year award from the Stanley M. Herzog Foundation.
In Monroe, Louisiana, the Jackson Street Church of Christ responded to concerns over a preacher shortage and youth leaving the faith by investing in its young men. Minister Ken Stegall, a graduate of the White’s Ferry Road School of Preaching, is training seven young believers to prepare and deliver sermons each Sunday evening. Other young men lead singing and prayer during the services.
The congregation reports growing attendance, renewed excitement among members, and a stronger sense of unity. “We are experiencing a number of additional blessings resulting from these efforts,” Stegall said.
“We can either sit around and be pessimistic about the future or we can invest ourselves in helping our youth,” he added. Two of the young men have already expressed a desire to become full-time preachers, and nearby congregations have invited them to speak.
In West Plains, Missouri, Caleb Hambelton shared the Gospel with inmates at the Howell County Sheriff’s Office and baptized five men in a stock tank on the back of a trailer outside the jail. “What an opportunity for CRC alum Caleb Hambelton to share the hope and love of Christ,” Crowley’s Ridge College said in a Facebook post.
The sheriff’s office noted the powerful reminder that “faith, hope, and second chances can reach people wherever they are.” The jail welcomes representatives from several local churches to minister to inmates.
Across the nation, Churches of Christ continue to recognize faithful service. Mark Hamilton received the Spiritual Formation Mentorship Award and was named an inaugural Distinguished Professor at Abilene Christian University. At Lipscomb Academy in Nashville, Ritchie Pickens was named 2026 Staff Member of the Year, Becky Starks earned 2026 Coach of the Year, and Beth Whitman was honored as 2026 Teacher of the Year.
Kenneth Okwuonu was one of only twelve educators nationwide to receive the 2026 Innovative Teacher of the Year award from the Stanley M. Herzog Foundation. He teaches high school physics and engineering at Westbury Christian School in Houston.
Kirk Brothers, Hunter Puckett, and Kaylan Stewart were named to the board of the M2Y (Ministering to Youth) conference. Beth DeBauche was appointed executive-in-residence and lead faculty for the undergraduate sport management program at Lipscomb University. Archie Shelton was named director of advancement and major gifts at Crowley’s Ridge College, and Garries Wamundila was appointed manager of Namwianga Community Radio in Kalomo, Zambia.
Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.
Faith Facts
- Human ingenuity reflects God’s image as Creator when technology serves the common good rather than replacing human dignity.
- Scripture teaches that mankind was given dominion over creation, not over one another, calling Christians to steward innovation wisely.
- Traditional American values emphasize the worth of every individual and warn against reducing people to mere economic units or tools.
New Yorkers encountered an unusual sight over the weekend when a California robotics company brought its latest creation to the streets of Brooklyn.
Faraday Future EAI Robotics Ecosystem showcased its Futurist humanoid robot, a machine priced at nearly ninety thousand dollars.
“New Yorkers gawked and wrestled with a mix of emotions over the weekend as Faraday Future EAI Robotics Ecosystem, a California-based company that produces humanoid and bionic robots, promoted a model of its nearly $90,000 all-new Futurist humanoid robot in Brooklyn.”
The display prompted conversations about the future of work and the role of machines in everyday life.
Faith communities are urging believers to approach such developments with discernment, remembering that technology should serve humanity rather than diminish it.
Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.
-
Self-Reliance2 years agoTrump’s Bold Move Uncovers Massive Social Security Fraud
-
Faith2 years agoNew Clues Emerge in Noah’s Ark Mystery
-
News2 years agoGovernor Walz’s Rhetoric Sparks National Controversy
-
News2 years agoMel Gibson’s ‘The Passion of the Christ’ Sequel Title Announced
-
Family2 years agoTexas Lawmaker Targets Furries in Schools
-
Freedom2 years agoMaine Lawmaker Challenges Sports Fairness Controversy
-
Family1 year agoCanada’s Controversial Policy Sparks Ethical Debate
-
Faith11 months ago
Congress Hears Pleas for Nigerian Christians