在奥斯陆的西边, 挪威, sits a uniquely-designed gray church with strong Augustana ties, 无论是对过去还是对未来. 1958年由一位奥古斯塔校友创办, the church will be the site of worship for the university’s spring celebration of 100 years of homecoming in 挪威.
In September 2023, Augustana celebrated 100 years of homecoming on campus. 5月底，12bet游戏平台将把庆祝活动带到奥斯陆. 从周五, 可能31-Sunday, 6月2日, 非盟的校友, staff and friends will gather in 挪威’s capital to celebrate community, alumni achievement and tradition — including a special worship service.
The American Lutheran Congregation (ALC) will welcome Augustana on 6月2日, for a worship service. 仪式将结束一个周末的返校节庆祝活动, 包括一个开球活动, 探索奥斯陆的机会和宴会.
After the visitors worship, they shouldn’t plan on leaving right away, said 牧师. Peter Rogness ‘67, who served as ALC’s interim pastor in 2014-15.
“They (the group) should go downstairs to Hanson Hall because there is the very typical Norwegian coffee hour which is not doughnuts — it's waffles with a little jelly on them and coffee, 这是一个很好的社交时间,罗格斯说. “如果他们拜访那里的人, it doesn't take very long to begin to discover connections and the degrees of separation.”
汉森大厅是以牧师的名字命名的. Dr. 奥斯卡·汉森，29岁, 谁在1958年创立了ALC, after being called by the Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELC) to start an English-speaking congregation in Oslo. The congregation’s beginning reflected a commitment to serve the growing number of tourists, Norwegian-American家庭, American embassy personnel and English-speaking students living in Oslo. The decision was also an expression of gratitude for the Norwegian ancestors who brought the Christian faith from the United States.
创立ALC是汉森的家族事业, 他的妻子, 默特尔(洛克肯)30岁, 还有他们的孩子, Mark, 玛丽(特罗达尔饰)和乔安妮(内斯塔德饰), who later served the Augustana Board of Regents (now Trustees) from 1974-82. 1958年10月，全家在奥斯陆定居, the congregation that Hanson formed began worshiping in rented halls. 汉森一家每周举行圣经学习, 唱诗班练习, 在他们家里举行坚信礼课和委员会会议. 这家人还接待了许多来自美国的游客.S.
Rogness, 是汉森孩子们的第三个表亲, 我想起了马克讲过的他在奥斯陆的故事.
“我想他当时在上中学, and they used to go down to the boats when they'd be coming in with a bunch of fliers about the church,罗格斯说. “如果他们听到有人说英语, 他们会走过去，把传单塞到他们手里, or they’d go to hotel lobbies and listen for anybody speaking English. They were doing what you do when you're starting a new congregation.”
Hanson’s call in Oslo lasted two years, but before he and his family returned to the U.S., the congregation purchased property at Fritners Gate 15 — where the church is located today. Hanson raised funds for the new building while resuming his call to serve as an evangelist.
“(美国基督教联盟)已经是一个足够强大的教会, by 1964, 他们建造了(12bet游戏平台)将要在里面做礼拜的教堂罗格尼斯说.
When Rogness served as interim pastor in 2014, the ALC was celebrating its 50th anniversary.
“There were still members that had been there all that time,” Rogness remembered. ”,, a quite famous boys’ choir had started there right when the church was built and was nationally, 即使是国际知名的. 他们为了这次活动一起回来了, 有一些七八十岁的老人在唱歌, 那真是太棒了.”
的酒精度 identifies as an ecumenical congregation — one focused on greater Christian unity — but its teachings and ministry reflect a Lutheran foundation.
An Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) pastor always serves the congregation, 保持会众和ELCA之间的联系. The congregation, at times, has also served as an internship site for ELCA seminarians. 的酒精度 supports the ELCA’s mission work around the world through outreach contributions, as well.
“Worship itself on a Sunday morning would feel pretty much at home to people who are coming from Lutheran churches in the U.S.罗格尼斯说. “这是路德教会的礼拜仪式，管风琴师非常出色. So, (Augustana) will have a nice worship experience when they're there.”
Rogness, who served as bishop of the American Lutheran Church's Southern Wisconsin District, ELCA的大密尔沃基教会和圣. Paul Area Synod, worked for the ALC after his retirement in 2014. 担任主教比教区牧师更久的, Rogness said the opportunity to simply serve a congregation again was very appealing. There was also the adventure that came with “serving an international congregation on foreign soil.”
这是罗格斯最难忘的回忆, 虽然, about his time at the ALC was the diversity of the congregation. 的酒精度, 主要是由路德派美国人开始的, now has members from more than 30 countries and almost as many faith traditions.
“It's a marvelous mix of people who have Lutheran connections and backgrounds and, 在很多情况下, 美国的背景, but that was far more true at the beginning of the congregation than it is now,罗格斯说. “I used to tell people that the name, ‘American Lutheran Congregation,’ reflects its roots.”
As the Augustana community prepares to celebrate homecoming in 挪威, 罗格尼斯和他的妻子, Gerry (Sheridan) ‘67 — who was by his side during his time at ALC — have just one piece of advice for worshiping at the Augustana-connected church.
“准备好庆祝它的国际化程度吧，”格里说.
“They aren't worshiping in a Norwegian church, per se,” added Peter. “They're worshiping in an international church with a Norwegian flavor to it.”
了解更多12bet游戏平台挪威100年返乡的故事，请访问 奥吉.edu/Oslo2024.