A Great Church in a Little Building: St Edmund's Oslo


The Venerable Brian Russell is the former Archdeacon of Aston in the diocese of Birmingham. His experience in that wider ministry of oversight and collaboration have fitted him well for the role of Senior Chaplain of Norway. Although based in St Edmund's Oslo, Fr Brian oversees and supports the ministry and mission of daughter communities throughout the country, but especially in Stavanger, Bergen and Trondheim, all of which have their resident priests as well.


Fr Brian is keen to harness the opportunities that the Porvoo Agreement hold out to the Church of England. Already several priests of the Church of Norway in various places are authorised to take Anglican services. There are always new and next steps, however. In the past months, Fr Brian has been in conversation with the Bishop of Tromsø in the Norwegian Arctic region about possible deeper collaboration in that city. Fr Brian is our Diocese in Europe representative on the Porvoo Contact Group.



In the meantime, parish life continues well in St Edmund's Oslo. Last Sunday 4 people received the sacrament of Confirmation. This Anglican congregation, with a modest but historic building in downtown Oslo, is becoming known "the Great Church in a Little Building".

The parish website is here.




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