Bjørn Wegge

Bjørn Agnar Wegge (born 28 August 1947) is a Norwegian missionary leader.

Since 2002[1] he is the secretary-general of the Stefanus Alliance International, formerly named Norwegian Mission to the East, which campaigns for Christian minorities Russia and Asia.[2]

After studying Christianity and folkloristics, he worked as a teacher at Tryggheim Folk High School and cultural director in Hå municipality. From 1980 to 1987 he was information director in Strømme Foundation. He then studied briefly at Fuller Theological Seminary before being hired as information director in Santalmisjonen.[3] Among others he specialized in the Norwegian Humanitarian Enterprise with a special interest in Azerbaijan and the theories linking ancient Scandinavia and Azerbaijan as propounded by Thor Heyerdahl.

Wegge initiated a 1997 musical album involving the Norwegian choir SKRUK and Azeri musicians and singers. The belief in Heyerdahl's theory is explicitly stated in the choice of the album's title: "The Land We Came From", with the choir's leader stating that Azerbaijan was "a culture that may be our long-forgotten homeland".[4] The album's cover featured a photograph of the ancient Caucasian Albanian church at Kish near Shäki.

The relevance of Kish church comes from J. Bjørnar Storfjell's archaeological excavation (also run by NHE and paid for by Norway) which led Heyerdahl to visit the church. The result was the appointment of Storfjell as chief archaeologist of a YUKOS-sponsored excavation to the Sea of Azov in 2001 to find evidence to back up Heyerdahl's Odin theory.[5] Photographs of artefacts found during the Azov excavation appeared in Heyerdahl's 2001 book Jakten på Odin. På sporet av vår fortid (The Hunt for Odin. Examining our Past).

He hails from Tveit and resides in Oslo, is married and has six children. Hobbies include track and field during his younger days, and a jazz band The Real Fake Band where he played with Eyvind Skeie among others.[1][3]

Bibliography

References

  1. 1 2 Sylte, Turid (14 February 2009). "Båret av andres tro". Vårt Land (in Norwegian). pp. 30–31.
  2. ↑ "Norsk Misjon i Øst skifter navn". Vårt Land (in Norwegian). 31 October 2011. p. 12.
  3. 1 2 Kraglund, Brita Skogly (28 August 2007). "De forfulgtes talsmann". Vårt Land (in Norwegian). p. 26.
  4. ↑ SKRUK. AZERBAIJAN SHARKILARI. FOLK - AZERBAIJANIAN MUSIC. MP3, WMA - INFOSTORE.ORG
  5. ↑ "Thor searches for Odin". BBC News.
  6. ↑ Azerbaijan with excursions to Georgia, 3rd edition, p337


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