Stranda Church

About

Stranda Church was constructed in wood in 1838, and seats approximately 260. The architect was Rolfsen, and the church was built by Gert Gjert from Nordfjordeid.

There has been a church at Stranda for many centuries, first at Opsvik in the 11th century and later at Sløgstad in the 1400’s. The Skafjell disaster in 1731 destroyed the church at Sløgstad, and a new cruciform church was built. The church was too small for congregations during the 1800’s, and the current, almost octagonal church was built. The most valuable item in the church is the triptych. It was most probably made in Lubeck or a craftsman from Northern Germany living in Bergen towards the end of the 1400’s. During the first half of the 1600’s the triptych had a base and top piece added in baroque style. The figure of Christ on the top piece is from the mid 1600’s. An inscription on the bases tells that the triptych was restored in 1777. Sunk into the Communion table is a white marble plate that has in probability been in use in the churches at Stranda for more than 800 years. The plate shows obvious signs of having been used in Catholic times. A depression in the middle must have once held a relic. There is good reason to believe that the plate was once the Communion table in St. Pæders Church at Opsvik. The pulpit is from 1648, and the smallest of the bells from 1721. The platter and challis in Stranda Church are also valuable artefacts. The wafers lie on a silver platter from 1696, and the challis with the wine is from 1651. The church was restored in 1927.
(Source: Berge, Ivar: Stranda Church 150 years. 1988,
Kulturnett).