Early in the history of the Apostolic Faith Church in Portland, Oregon, people who were native to other countries felt the call of God to take the Gospel to their homeland. In 1912, Reverend Edvard Lind with his wife, Ida, and family left for Norway. The following year, Reverend Olaf Kostol and others made the journey from Portland to Stavanger.

The newly arrived group, together with Reverend David Grow and other Norwegian ministers, joined in holding meetings in Stavanger. They experienced much opposition in preaching the fullness of the Gospel, but nothing could quench the revival fires that had been kindled. The rented hall where the meetings where held was filled, and many stood outside the building. Souls were saved, sanctified and baptized with the Holy Ghost. Within a short time, the congregation was able to acquire a house close to the harbor in the city center. The meeting hall in the new location was filled and became too small within a few years, and it was necessary to look for a larger building. In 1925, another building (Bergjelandsgaten 29) was secured, and this building was soon filled. The revival spread to different parts of Norway, and branch churches were established. Today, there are Apostolic Faith churches in Tromso, Bergen, and Silsand.

Tracts and papers were printed in Portland by the thousands and distributed throughout the country of Norway. After a time, a local printing plant was set up in their own building for printing tracts. The first paper, later renamed “Levende Tro” (Living Faith), was printed during World War II, using volunteer labor. The number of subscribers increased from 400 to more than 20,000 in twenty years.

For more than 100 years, Stavanger has been known as the city of “meeting halls” in Norway. Many denominations have been established there, and hundreds of missionaries have been trained there before leaving for the mission fields. The street, Bergjelandsgaten, was famous for all the different churches, among them “Den Apostoliske Tro” (The Apostolic Faith). The sign, “Jesus verdens lys” (Jesus the Light of the World) was erected in 1928 and shines across the lake in the center of Stavanger. The pastor had a vision that the sign should spread the blissful message, despite opposition from influential citizens who tried to have it torn down. When the building was sold in 1993, the sign was declared a historical landmark by the local government. It has been restored and connected to the streetlights, and municipality pays for the upkeep.

In 1993, a new location for the church was acquired and a new building was erected. The place is close to residential areas, making it easier to come in contact with children and invite them to children's meetings.

Conventions were held by the Apostolic Faith Church in Norway as early as the 1920s, but they were discontinued during the war years. At the present time, a nice campsite about an hour's drive from Stavanger is rented for the conventions. The last few years, the conventions have been held at Easter time, which is almost a weeklong holiday. Visitors come from different parts of Norway, Denmark, and a delegation from London, creating a bilingual situation. Songs are sung in two languages at the same time, and the whole meeting is interpreted. The Norwegian Apostolic Faith Church always welcomes visitors, so pay them a visit whenever it works out for you!

Information about the schedule of services for the church in Stavanger is available here.