Last December, Bishop Halvor Nordhaug retired, after having held the job since 2009. Now it has been decided that Ragnhild Jepsen will be his successor. – I am happy and grateful for the appointment as bishop in Bjørgvin. It is a big task that I approach with joy and humility, says Jepsen in a press release. Eight of the church council’s members voted during their meeting on Thursday in Jepsen. The other candidates, vicar Sunniva Gylver and vicar Kjersti Gautestad Norheim received six and two votes respectively. She will be the first female bishop in Bjørgvin. Ragnhild Jepsen has been dean in Nidaros for eleven years. Here from 2016, when the royal family visited Nidaros Cathedral on the occasion of the royal couple’s 25th anniversary. Photo: Ned Alley / NTB – Delivers in one area after another – She has solid leadership experience, and will be able to function as a clear, confident and good leader from the outset. She is a wonderful liturgist, and a very good preacher. She has a lot of experience with community contact and cultural life. She delivers in one area after another, says church council leader Kristin Gunleiksrud Raaum to news. Raaum believes Jepsen will be a visible and clear bishop. She also wants to marry the same sex. – She has done that, and was very clear about it, says Raaum. Church council leader Kristin Gunleiksråd Raaum is satisfied with the appointment of the new bishop. Photo: CF-WESENBERG / CF-WESENBERG Ragnhild Jepsen was born in 1969, and grew up in Ål in Hallingdal. She has been deacon in Nidaros cathedral for eleven years, and has not worked or served in Bjørgvin diocese before. Her father was born in Stord, and the family on her mother’s side comes from Bergen and Os. She was the one that both the bishops and the diocesan council gave the highest priority when they had time to make a statement on 20 January. Jepsen will be consecrated as bishop in Bjørgvin on 16 April. Then the king will be present. Long and difficult process The bishop in Bjørgvin is responsible for managing what is the largest diocese in the country, in addition to the 29 seamen’s churches around the world. The process of finding a new bishop started last autumn. On 2 September, the diocese published the 96 name proposals that had been received. On 18 November, the diocesan council nominated five candidates for the position. Kjersti Gautestad Norheim was then presented, after a supplementary nomination. On 6 January this year, the three candidates with the most advisory votes were announced. Even then it was clear that the next bishop was going to be a woman, as there were three women standing. – I was a little surprised that there were three women. Western Norway is always a bit behind. But right from the grassroots it has been indisputable that one wants a woman, says Berit Andersen, who in 1976 became the first female priest in Bjørgvin diocese. The work of choosing the right bishop has been difficult, says church council leader Raaum. – That is the privilege and the problem I have when I have had three good candidates. The bishops of the Church of Norway These are the current bishops of the Church of Norway: Olav Fykse Tveit, president, Nidaros domprosti Ingeborg Midttømme, vice president, Møre diocese Kari Mangrud Alvsvåg, Borg diocese Kari Veiteberg, Oslo diocese Ole Kristian Bonden, Hamar diocese Jan Otto Myrseth , Tunsberg diocese Stein Reinertsen, Agder and Telemark diocese Anne Lise Ådnøy, Stavanger diocese Ragnhild Jepsen, Bjørgvin diocese Herborg Oline Finnset, Nidaros diocese Ann-Helen Fjeldstad Jusnes, Sør-Hålogaland diocese Olav Øygard, Nord-Hålogaland diocese
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