Bjørnskinn Church

Bjørnskinn Church
Bjørnskinn kirke
View of the church
Bjørnskinn Church Location in Nordland Show map of Nordland Bjørnskinn Church Location in Nordland Show map of Norway
Coordinates: 69°00′03″N 15°37′47″E / 69.0007°N 15.6297°E / 69.0007; 15.6297
Location	Andøy, Nordland
Country	Norway
Denomination	Church of Norway
Churchmanship	Evangelical Lutheran
History
Founded	1700s
Consecrated	29 April 1885
Architecture
Status	Parish church
Functional status	Active
Architect(s)	Johan Kunig
Completed	1885
Specifications
Capacity	250
Materials	Wood
Administration
Parish	Bjørnskinn
Deanery	Vesterålen prosti
Diocese	Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland

Bjørnskinn Church (Norwegian: Bjørnskinn kirke) is a parish church in the municipality of Andøy in Nordland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Bjørnskinn on the island of Andøya. The church is part of the Bjørnskinn parish in the Vesterålen deanery in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.

The oldest church in Bjørnskinn was located right at the base of the local mountain on the north side of Bjørnskinn. That church was destroyed in an avalanche in the 1700s. It was replaced by a wood church in 1740. That church lasted over 100 years before it needed replacement. After some time and debate about the location of the replacement church, a new church was built in 1885 in the village of Bjørnskinn. The new church was designed by the local architect, Johan Kunig, to seat about 250 people. The new church was consecrated on 29 April 1885 by the Bishop Jacob Sverdrup Smitt. The organ in Bjørnskinn church was built in 1860 and has been at the church since 1936.