Filadelfia Oslo
Filadelfia Oslo or Filadelfia Church Oslo is a Christian church associated with the Pentecostal movement in Norway. It is the largest Pentecostal congregation in Norway with 2,092 members in 2019. It conducts extensive work both at home and abroad.
History
Filadelfia Oslo was founded by pastor Thomas Ball Barratt in 1916 and was the first church in Kristiania which was part of the Pentecostal movement. He was pastor until 1940. Although the church was formally established in 1916, almost ten years after the beginning of the movement in Norway, it had already been holding services in a number of rented locations since 1910. At its founding, Filadelfia had approximately 200 members; in 2012 there were approximately 2,000 members, with 1,825 baptized members and 538 tilhørige.The church has always held a central place in the Norwegian Pentecostal movement due to its origins and size.
The church's building on St. Olavs gate, the so-called "new" Filadelfia, was consecrated in 1938, after an extensive renovation. According to Thomas Barratt's memoir, architect was the building committee's chairman.
In 2010 a new renovation was begun, resulting in a new front building with a foyer, coffee bar, and offices.
As of January 2020, the church consists of six congregations in six locations:
- Filadelfia Church City Center
- Microfila Children's Church
- Ungfila
- Filadelfia Church Majorstuen
- Filadelfia Church Lillestrøm
- Filadelfia Church Enebakk
Pastors (chronological)
- Thomas Ball Barratt
- Knut Petersen
- Paul Paulsen
- Morgan Kornmo
- Egil Svartdahl
- Daniel Egeli
- Andreas Hegertun, Håkon Jahr, Daniel Egeli
Programs
Filadelfia's most important programs are:- Sunday services with Sunday school
- Møtepunkt – Sunday service
- Ungfila – youth group
- Filadelfia Bible School
- Alpha course – course in the basics of Christianity
- Småfellesskap – cell groups that meet at home
- Filos – youth club at Sagene
- Center for prayer and spiritual care
Mission
From its beginning, Filadelfia has been responsible for missionaries around the world. Through the Pentecostal Foreign Mission of Norway, the church supports mission work in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Philippines, India, and the Middle East, among other areas.Some of the most active missionaries sent or supported by the church have been Robert Bergsaker, Laura Strand, Odd Børresen, Torborg Larsen, Solvor and Geir Hande, Unni and Werner Haugen, and Heidi and Roberto Enconado.
Leadership
The church has both administrative and spiritual leadership. Spiritual leadership consists of a leadership board, pastors with various areas of responsibility, and the leadership team. The board of elders is chosen by the church's highest body, its members.Pastors:
- Daniel Egeli
- Andreas Hegertun
- Håkon Jahr
- Egil Svartdahl
- Tore Deila
- Kristin Hauge Roaldsnes
- Halvard Hauge Roaldsnes
- Chris-Michael Børud Gustavsen
- Linn Lindtveit
- Laila Egeli Austeng
- David André Østby
Mother church
Filadelfia Blaker in Blaker is a branch of the Filadelfia Church.Filadelfia Church is the mother church of many international, non-Norwegian ethnic churches in Oslo: