– We naturally belong to KA, says General Secretary Helge S. Gaard of the Norwegian Mission Society (NMS), who announced a transfer of the Virke business organization.

He justifies his request to join KA as follows:

– NMS is a missionary organization with great international activities. At the same time, we are part of the ecclesiastical sector in a broader sense. Much of our work in creating missionary engagement, fundraising work and opening up a mutual global community is directed to the congregations of the Church of Norway, he says.

Marit Halvorsen Hougsnæs, chief executive of the KA employers’ organization for faith-based businesses, also thinks it makes sense for the NMS to partner with them.

– NMS has a long and proud history and is a large voluntary organisation, rooted in and with a wide contact area with the Church of Norway. We think they have a very natural place with us, she says.

KA grows

KA’s membership is dominated by congregations of the Church of Norway (DNK) and various church community bodies, but the organization also has members from across the diverse Christian organizational landscape.

With the admission of NMS, whose application for membership was accepted this week by the KA board, KA now has 14 members who are not bodies of the Church of Norway.

KA has seen some growth in this area, and in the past year Church SOS and Church Funeral Services have become part of the KA community. With NMS in the ranks came Norway’s oldest missionary organization, founded in 1842. NMS has a total of 160 permanent employees and is the largest among KA members who are not part of the formal structure of the Norwegian Church.

[ – Hvor mange ansatte i DNK og misjonsorganisasjonene har en ikke-hvit hudfarge? ]

will strengthen the sector

– Is it an ambition that you have, to become big?

– It is an ambition to strengthen the sector of faith and philosophy. Together with diaconal and Christian organizations, the Church of Norway has an important social mission, and we at KA provide an arena where the church and organizations can meet to work to increase their influence in society, states Marit Brandt Lågøyr, Head of Department. for sector policy and governance in CA.

– KA is the only main organization in Norway with specialist expertise in church, faith and outlook on life. We would like to bring together these actors who look alike and have a lot in common and also expand this community. It is important for the church and the organizations themselves, but also for society and most people. And we believe that the more people who become members with us, the more attractive this community will be for others as well,” she tells Kristelig Pressekontor.

Brandt Lågøyr sees great interest in increased cooperation and interaction between the Church of Norway and organisations, especially in these times when many are working to help refugees from Ukraine.

[ Synes misjonsorganisasjoner er tause i debatten om misjonærbarn ]

Active member

Until now, NMS was a member of Virke, which is an association of trade and service players with more than 24,000 member companies.

Now NMS is entering a much smaller context, but General Secretary Gaard still believes it is an advantage for NMS to change affiliations. NMS finds it beneficial for them to have access to attractive meeting places where they can collaborate with other Christian businesses.

– In addition, the expertise they have on the issues and framework conditions specific to our type of business, says Gaard.

NMS also points out that the organization has traditionally had a close relationship with the Church of Norway, and it is emphasized that this relationship is important to NMS. Much of the organization’s supporters are active in church congregations, and more than 500 local congregations have an agreement with NMS to support their missionary work.