Rev. Canon Dr Trond Bakkevig is a pastor of the (Lutheran) Church of Norway. Born in 1948, Bakkevig has a doctorate in theology from the University of Oslo (1979). From 1987-88, he was personal adviser to the Norwegian state minister of foreign affairs, and from 1984-93 general secretary of the Church of Norway Council on Foreign Relations. From 1993 to 2000, he served as pastor of the Röa Pansn parish in Oslo; he is currently dean of Vestre Aker, a grouping of eight Oslo city parishes, and senior pastor of Vestre Aker parish.

He is a member of the city's largest private social service organization - the "Oslo Church City Mission" board, that works with people living on the streets, in institutions or in other difficult circumstances. He was also vice-moderator of the board of Norwegian Church Aid from 1985-7, and 1988-93.

Since 1996, Bakkevig has helped facilitate dialogue between Christians, Muslims and Jewish religious leaders in Palestine/Israel, as well as with politicians and international church bodies on the situation there; this task has involved extensive contacts with political and religious leaders in Iran and other Middle East countries.

In addition, he has served as moderator or vice-moderator of a variety of other bodies, including the Norwegian Human Rights Institute at Oslo University, the university's Centre for Development and Environment, the Norwegian Refugee Council, and the Norwegian chapter of the Council of Christian Approaches to Disarmament and Defence, among others.

In 2000, a Church of Norway commission on church-state relationships produced a report that led to substantial changes in how the church was organized as well as its relationship with the state; Bakkevig was the moderator of that commission.

Bakkevig's ecumenical involvement began on a local and national level, and continued with his participation in an LWF study on "The Identity of the Church" in the 1970s, and his membership of a joint WCC/CEC Europe Commission from 1984-87. During the 1990s, he was a member of the Unit III Commission of the WCC (1991-98), international affairs adviser to the LWF general secretary and Council (1993-95), and a member of the Church of Norway's Council of Ecumenical and International Affairs Commission on Theology since 1997. He has been a member of the WCC Central Committee since 1999 and is the moderator of its Public Issues Committee.

Bakkevig has published several books, including På Skaperens jord. Innføring I kristen etikk (Introduction to Christian Ethics) (1984, new editions 1988, 1989, 1992), Ordnungshteologie und Atomwaffen. Eine Studie zur Sozialethik von Paul Althaus, Walter Künneth und Helmut Thielicke (German version of his 1984 doctoral dissertation) (1989), Den norske kirke og kampen mot apartheid (The Church of Norway and the Struggle against Apartheid) (1995). His many scientific and popular articles in Norwegian as well as international books and journals have mostly dealt with issues of ecclesiology, ethics and pastoral theology.

Bakkevig is married to Inger Anne Naterstad. He has two sons from an earlier marriage: Aasmund and Bendick. This first marriage ended in divorce.

August 2003

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