Churchmanship Evangelical Lutheran Completed 1664 Opened 1664 Parish Ogndal | Functional status Active Address 7718 Steinkjer, Norway Capacity 290 | |
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Similar Bodom Church, Henning Church, Beitstad Church, Kvam Church, Egge Church | ||
Skei Church (Norwegian: Skei kirke) is a parish church in the municipality of Steinkjer in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located in the village of Ogndal. The church is part of the Ogndal parish in the Nord-Innherad deanery in the Diocese of Nidaros. The white wooden church was constructed in 1664, making it the oldest wooden church in Steinkjer.
History
Name Skei suggests that the place may have been a meeting place also in pre-Christian times. Skei means "contest or the event center," which probably suggests something about the use, even if the site is not known as a place of worship.
It is impossible to determine when the first church was built at Skei, but in historical records from 1490 "Skeide Sokn" is mentioned, and Olav Engelbrektsson has in its Domesday Book from 1530's referred to the farm "church Skeiid". Skei church is mentioned in connection with the will of the Crown (the King's property) by the Reformation (1536).
In 1725 the church was sold at auction, and the first private owner, Colonel Claus Janus Gedde who also bought Mære Church and Henning Church. Over the next 75 years, the church was owned in turn by Casper Heirich von Westerwald (1735-1772), Andrew Bull (owner for only two days), Jorgen Melbourne Westerfwaldt (1772-1776), Theodore Bergmann Holst (1776-1786), and David Andrew Gram (1786-1803).
In 1803, the local congregation bought the church for 3,150 rigsdalers, and then on 1 January 1901, the local municipality took over the ownership of the church.