Rev Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the World Council of Churches, has been nominated as the next presiding bishop of the Church of Norway.
Tveit, who has served as general secretary of the WCC for the past 10 years, is the only nomination for the position in accordance with church regulations. An ordained pastor in the Church of Norway who holds a doctoral degree in theology from MF Norwegian School of Theology, he has previously served as a parish pastor, theological consultant and secretary general of the Council of Ecumenical Affairs within the church.
He was elected as general secretary of the WCC in August, 2009. His second consecutive term as WCC general secretary expires at the end of March next year.
Rev Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the World Council of Churches. PICTURE: Albin Hillert/WCC
Helga Haugland Byfuglien, the current presiding bishop, expressed her joy at Tveit’s acceptance of the nomination.
“We are delighted and grateful that Dr Fykse Tveit has confirmed that he is accepting the nomination and is willing to make himself available to become a bishop in our church and for the Bishops’ Conference,” she said.
The nomination is now being forwarded to the National Church Council, which is responsible for the further process until the appointment. The National Church Council has arranged for appointment at its meeting in Trondheim on 30th to 31st January next year.
Tveit said he was “thankful, humbled and honoured” by the confidence placed in him while “aware of the many dimensions and responsibilities of such a task”. said.
“I have made myself available for this process and have accepted the nomination as a call to continue to serve the church. I now wait for the final outcome of this process.”
The Church of Norway, a founding member of the WCC, is part of the Lutheran family of churches. As of 2018, it’s estimated that about 70 per cent of the 5.3 million Norwegians are members of the church.
