The Norwegian Baptist Union (NBU) (Det Norske Baptistsamfunn) is a national organization of Baptists in Norway for promoting cooperation in missions, benevolence, and education; also called the Baptist Union of Norway.
Enoch Richard Haftorsen Svee, a young Norwegian supported by American Baptists, returned to Norway in 1842 and ministered there, but died before any churches were established. The first Baptist church in Norway was founded at Skien in 1862 by Frederick Ludvig Rymker, a former Danish sailor turned missionary. The Baptists formed regional associations. The first (South) was formed in 1872, and North & West in 1877. 13 representatives from 8 churches met and formed the Norwegian Baptist Union (NBU) in 1878, with Janne M. Sjödahl being elected its first general secretary in 1879. The Baptist Missionary Society of England supported the work in Norway, beginning with Rymker, until 1892. When this support was discontinued, the Norwegians requested and received support from the American Baptist Missionary Union. Baptists of Norway established a theological seminary in 1910, a youth association in 1922, and a high school in 1958.
The NBU is a member of the European Baptist Federation and the Baptist World Alliance. According to the official Union web site, current membership (2003) includes 4971 members in 69 congregations. Two non-Union churches, numbering about 75 members, cooperate with the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism.
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