NORWAY – On October 24, Rev. Markus Snellman was consecrated as bishop of the Lutheran Church in Norway and Iceland (Den Lutherske Kirke i Norge og Island – LKNI). The service took place at Ryenberget Church in Oslo.
In his sermon, which focused on Psalm 46, Bishop Snellman reflected on the challenges Christians in Norway face today—the departure from God and His Word in wider society, the opposition of the devil, and the old Adam which lives within us all. “But none of these enemies is omnipotent,” he said. “God alone is. Therefore we do not need to despair or fear. For the Lord is our refuge and strength.”
Bishop Snellman pointed his audience to Christ’s interventions on behalf of His people throughout the New Testament, before ultimately pointing them back to Golgotha—for there “God intervenes to deal with what is man’s greatest problem: sin.” As Christ dies upon the cross, he said, “the evil powers of the world seem to triumph.” But this was a hollow victory: “On Easter morning, death was defeated, the devil was put to shame, and sin was carried away.”
Jesus’ victory at the cross remains the “strong fortress” in which Christians today find courage and hope. “In the midst of the struggle and in the midst of the world’s unrest,” Bishop Snellman said, “God lets His grace and joy flow to us through His Word and Sacrament.”
Bishop Snellman holds masters degrees in theology from Fjellhaug International University College (Oslo) and from Concordia Theological Seminary (Fort Wayne, Indiana). He is also a student in the International Lutheran Council (ILC’s) Lutheran Leadership Development Program. A Swedish-speaking Finn, Rev. Snellman was serving as parish pastor in Narvik and Svolvær at the time of his election as bishop during the LKNI’s church council on March 14.
Outgoing Bishop Torkild Masvie led the consecration of Bishop Snellman. Bishop Masvie has led the LKNI since its founding, first as provisional bishop and then from 2017 on as its consecrated bishop.
Present for the event were the bishops and presidents of several church bodies, among other church leaders, with guests coming from Bolivia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, and the United States of America.
The International Lutheran Council’s Chairman, Bishop Juhana Pohjola of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland (ELMDF), was among those in attendance, and brought greetings to the LKNI’s new bishop. “I wish you, your family, and the church you lead the abundant blessings of the Triune God,” Chairman Pohjola said. “I look forward with joy to building cooperation here in the Nordic countries, throughout Europe, and worldwide through the International Lutheran Council.”
The Lutheran Church in Norway and Iceland is a member church of the International Lutheran Council, a global association of confessional Lutheran church bodies dedicated to the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, grounded in the authority of Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions.
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