Midtgulen Church

Midtgulen Church
Midtgulen kyrkje / Midtgulen kirke
Location	Midtgulen, Bremanger
Country	Norway
Denomination	Church of Norway
Website	Midtgulen Church
Architecture
Architect(s)	Lars Sølvberg
Style	Wood langkirke
Administration
Parish	Bremanger
Diocese	Bjørgvin
Subdivision	Midtgulen

Midtgulen church (Midtgulen kyrkje) is a wooden "long church" in Midtgulen village in the municipality of Bremanger, Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The church is a part of the Davik prestegjeld in the Nordfjord deanery of the Diocese of Bjørgvin.^[1]

Midtgulen church is located at Kjelkenes on the mainland part of the municipality of Bremanger. The church, with a seating capacity of 200, was consecrated on 3 May 1904, by the Bishop Johan Willoch Erichsen. The architect Lars Sølvberg from Utvik made the designs. Midtgulen church is a sokn (sub-parish) church for the Midtgulen sub-parish. The sokn was transferred from Bremanger to Davik parish in 1966.^[2]

History

The old municipality of Bremanger comprised some areas around the Gulafjords, while the majority of people lived on the island of Bremangerlandet where the "sokn" church was located. The local people of Midtgulen promoted the church issue more in the form of a wish rather than a demand, and they discussed the matter more among themselves than with the vicar.

The first vicar in the parish, Ulrik Koren, was not particularly enthusiastic about building a church at Kjelkenes, as this would imply crossing the sea of Frøysjøen in all kinds of weather. The vicar on his part took no initiative to build more churches in the parish.

When the people of Gulen got an auxiliary graveyard in 1879, this was a step closer to getting their own church. In the early 1890s, the matter was formally put on the agenda for the local council. There was no discussion whatsoever concerning the location of the new church; it had to be next to the graveyard.

The people of Gulen got a fine and suitable church site close to the pine forest in the sheltered bay of Hjellvika. Various organisations and individuals joined forces to work and give gifts as the church was being built. The Gulen Rifle Club paid for the coloured window panes used in the church until the restoration work in 1954. The local youth organisation donated money for the first organ, and the congregation raised money for the baptismal font, and other objects and furniture.^[2]

References

1. ^ "Kyrkjene i Gulenfjordane". NRK.no. 2007. http://www.nrk.no/nyheter/distrikt/nrk_sogn_og_fjordane/fylkesleksikon/2845168.html. Retrieved 2008-09-27.  (Norwegian)
2. ^ ^{a b} Aaraas, Margrethe & Venden, Sigurd (2000). "Midtgulen Church". Sogn og Fjordane Arkiv. http://www.sffarkiv.no/sffbasar/default.asp?p=result&db=dbatlas_leks&spraak_id=2&ptype=single&art_id=14768. Retrieved 2008-09-27. 

Coordinates: 61°44′27″N 5°9′32″E / 61.74083°N 5.15889°E / 61.74083; 5.15889