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DenmarkCountry
To the north of Germany, between the North and Baltic seas, lies the peninsula that, along with hundreds of adjacent islands, comprises the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the ancient land of the Vikings, who in their time ruled over a vast empire, but it also is a fairy-tale like land depicted in the stories of Hans Christian Andersen.
People/Society
The Danish society reflects a progressive attitude in trying to provide a high standard of living for its residents. High taxes and a high level of social services are taken for granted. Danes are known for their tolerance of other people and for their diverse points of view, and are perceived to be socially progressive, self-confident, relaxed, friendly and liberal.
Religion
Denmark has a population of 5.41 million, of which about 90 percent are officially members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, two percent are Muslim, and three percent belong to other Christian churches. However, less than 5 percent of the population attends a Sunday church service. The luxury of worry-free economic existence has proven to be problematic. The suicide rate in Denmark is among the highest in the world, standards of morality seem very low and interest in matters of spiritual life and religion is almost non-existent.
History
The pioneers for the Church of the Nazarene in the Scandinavian countries were Rev. and Mrs. Orville Kleven, as both felt a desire to minister in their ancestral countries. After holding a series of evangelistic meetings in Norway and Sweden, they went to Germany in order to meet with Rev. Jerald Johnson. Together they went to Copenhagen and purchased a corner property in Rødovre, a suburb of the capital city. The Klevens then moved to Denmark and opened services in the new property on November 5, 1960. One year later, in November 1961, the church was officially organized.
The Church Today
In the late 1960s, Denmark, together with Holland and Sweden, formed the Northwest European District, and when the work began to grow in Sweden in the mid -`70s, the two countries formed the Scandinavia district. The ministry of the Church of the Nazarene in Denmark grew further in the following years. Today, on the Scandinavia District, there are churches in Greve and Solrød and a preaching point in Oslo, Norway. Rev. Kaj Ove Bollerup is serving as district superintendent.
The Web site of the Scandinavia district is: www.nazarene.dkOther Countries in the Northern Europe Field: Germany, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
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