Sven Oftedal
Encyclopedia
Sven Oftedal was a Norwegian American
Lutheran minister who helped found the Lutheran Free Church
.
Oftedal was born in Stavanger
, Norway
and studied at the University of Oslo
. He came to Minneapolis, Minnesota
in 1873 to serve as a professor of the New Testament
at Augsburg Seminary, predecessor to Augsburg College
. Augsburg was the first seminary founded by Norwegian Lutherans
in America. August Weenaas
, Augsburg’s first president, had recruited both Sven Oftedal and Georg Sverdrup from Norway to join the faculty. Sven Oftedal and Georg Sverdrup were scholars from prominent Haugean
families in Norway who came to Augsburg College, bringing with them a genuinely radical view of Christian education, centered on Scripture and the simple doctrines of Christianity. In time, both Oftedal and Sverdrup would serve as presidents of Augsburg College. Additionally, Oftedal was chairman of the board of regents at Augsburg College for 36 years.
It was at Augsburg College that Oftedal, along with Georg Sverdrup, founded the Lutheran Free Church. Sverdrup, Oftedal and others felt their beliefs were being compromised and broke away from the United Norwegian Lutheran Church of America
, forming the Lutheran Free Church in 1897. The denomination would exist as a separate synod until 1963.
In 1877, Sven Oftedal organized the Folkebladet Publishing Company which would merge in 1922 with the Free Church Book Concern. That company would in turn merge with Augsburg Publishing
in 1963. Oftedal was also elected to the Minneapolis School Board
and was appointed to the Minneapolis Library Board
. Additionally, Oftedal served as pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Minneapolis for five years. Trinity Lutheran Church, which was founded in 1868, was originally a Norwegian immigrant Lutheran church, which would have roots in the Lutheran Free Church.
Norwegian American
Norwegian Americans are Americans of Norwegian descent. Norwegian immigrants went to the United States primarily in the later half of the 19th century and the first few decades of the 20th century. There are more than 4.5 million Norwegian Americans according to the most recent U.S. census, and...
Lutheran minister who helped found the Lutheran Free Church
Lutheran Free Church
The Lutheran Free Church was a Lutheran denomination that existed in the United States from 1897 to 1963 mainly in Minnesota and North Dakota...
.
Oftedal was born in Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and studied at the University of Oslo
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
. He came to Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
in 1873 to serve as a professor of the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
at Augsburg Seminary, predecessor to Augsburg College
Augsburg College
Augsburg College is a selective liberal arts college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Augsburg was named for the Augsburg Confession, the document of Lutheran belief. The school was founded in 1869 in Marshall, Wisconsin as Augsburg Seminary and moved...
. Augsburg was the first seminary founded by Norwegian Lutherans
Church of Norway
The Church of Norway is the state church of Norway, established after the Lutheran reformation in Denmark-Norway in 1536-1537 broke the ties to the Holy See. The church confesses the Lutheran Christian faith...
in America. August Weenaas
August Weenaas
August Weenaas was a Norwegian American Lutheran minister and educator. August Weenaas was the founding President of Augsburg College.-Biography:...
, Augsburg’s first president, had recruited both Sven Oftedal and Georg Sverdrup from Norway to join the faculty. Sven Oftedal and Georg Sverdrup were scholars from prominent Haugean
Haugean
Haugean was a pietistic state church reform movementintended to bring new life and vitality into a Norwegian State Church which had been often characterized by formalism and lethargy....
families in Norway who came to Augsburg College, bringing with them a genuinely radical view of Christian education, centered on Scripture and the simple doctrines of Christianity. In time, both Oftedal and Sverdrup would serve as presidents of Augsburg College. Additionally, Oftedal was chairman of the board of regents at Augsburg College for 36 years.
It was at Augsburg College that Oftedal, along with Georg Sverdrup, founded the Lutheran Free Church. Sverdrup, Oftedal and others felt their beliefs were being compromised and broke away from the United Norwegian Lutheran Church of America
United Norwegian Lutheran Church of America
The United Norwegian Lutheran Church of America was the result of the union formed in 1890 between the Norwegian Augustana Synod , the Conference of the Norwegian-Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church of America , and the Anti-Missourian Brotherhood .In 1897, a group of churches left the UNLC and...
, forming the Lutheran Free Church in 1897. The denomination would exist as a separate synod until 1963.
In 1877, Sven Oftedal organized the Folkebladet Publishing Company which would merge in 1922 with the Free Church Book Concern. That company would in turn merge with Augsburg Publishing
Augsburg Fortress
Augsburg Fortress is the official publishing house of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and also publishes for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada as Augsburg Fortress Canada...
in 1963. Oftedal was also elected to the Minneapolis School Board
Minneapolis Public Schools
Minneapolis Public Schools or Special School District Number 1 is a school district that covers all of the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Minneapolis Public Schools enroll 36,370 students in public primary and secondary schools...
and was appointed to the Minneapolis Library Board
Minneapolis Public Library
The Minneapolis Public Library and Information Center was a library system serving the residents of Minneapolis, Minnesota in the United States. It was founded as the publicly traded Minneapolis Athenæum in 1860 and became a free public library in 1885 founded by T. B. Walker...
. Additionally, Oftedal served as pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Minneapolis for five years. Trinity Lutheran Church, which was founded in 1868, was originally a Norwegian immigrant Lutheran church, which would have roots in the Lutheran Free Church.
Sources
- Chrislock, Carl H., From Fjord to Freeway: 100 Years, Augsburg College (Minneapolis: Augsburg College, 1969)
- Dyrud, Loiell O. , The Quest for Freedom: The Lutheran Free Church to The Association of Free Lutheran Congregations (Minneapolis: Ambassador Publications. 2000)
- Fevold, Eugene L., The Lutheran Free Church: A Fellowship of American Lutheran Congregations 1897-1963 (Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House. 1969)
- Nichol, Todd W., All These Lutherans (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Publishing House. 1986)