Churchmanship Evangelical Lutheran Consecrated 13 May 1866 Capacity 420 | Former name(s) Sellø kirke Opened 1866 | |
 | ||
Location Selje Municipality,Sogn og Fjordane Diocese Lutheran Diocese of Bjørgvin Similar Utvik Church, Innvik Church, Svelgen Chapel, Heggjabygda Church, Bremanger Church | ||
Selje Church (Norwegian: Selje kyrkje) is a parish church in Selje Municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It is located in the village of Selje. The church is part of the Selje parish in the Nordfjord deanery in the Diocese of Bjørgvin. The white, wooden church was built in 1866 to replace an earlier building. The present church was designed by the architect Frederik Hannibal Stockfleth. The church seats about 420 people. It was consecrated on 13 May 1866 by the Bishop Peter Hersleb Graah Birkeland.
History
Selje is an old church site. From the 12th until the 16th century, the old Selje Abbey was a major religious center for the region. It was located on the small island of Selja, just off the coast of the present-day village of Selje. A new church was built on Selja in the 16th century. That church was located on the south side of the island, and it was known as the Fylkeskyrkja. That church was torn down in 1654, and a replacement church was built on the mainland, approximately where the present church stands today. This new church was used from 1654 until 1866 when it was taken down and moved to Leikanger to become the present Leikanger Church. The old church was taken down and moved to make room for building a new, larger Selje Church.