Loppa Church

Loppa Church
Loppa kirke
Loppa Church Location in Finnmark Show map of Finnmark Loppa Church Location in Finnmark Show map of Norway
Coordinates: 70°20′05″N 21°27′14″E / 70.3348°N 21.4540°E / 70.3348; 21.4540
Location	Loppa, Finnmark
Country	Norway
Denomination	Church of Norway
Churchmanship	Evangelical
Architecture
Status	Parish church
Functional status	Active
Architect(s)	Hans Magnus and Johan Lindstrøm
Completed	1953
Specifications
Capacity	150
Materials	Wood
Administration
Parish	Loppa
Deanery	Alta prosti
Diocese	Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland

Loppa Church (Norwegian: Loppa kirke) is a parish church in the municipality of Loppa in Finnmark county, Norway. It is located in the village of Loppa on the sparsely populated island of Loppa. The church is part of the Loppa parish in the Alta deanery in the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland. The small white wooden church was built in 1953. The church seats about 150 people, but it is rarely used since the island has few residents.

The first church on the island was probably built as early as the Middle Ages. There have probably been several church buildings here over a long period. This island was historically the centre of the parish, and thus this was the main church for the area. The previous church was burned down by the Germans during their withdrawal towards the end of World War II in 1944. When the new church was rebuilt after the liberation, it was agreed to build it on the site of the old rectory, a little ways to the east of the old church. The graveyard remains at the site of the old church. Since the mid- to late-20th century, most residents of the island have moved away from the small isolated island and now this church is not regularly used.