New member of the church council:
”Bergen is my second home,” says Gerald Kagambirwe Karyeija, (33) Ph.D. student living at Fantoft. In Bergen International Church we are glad to have Gerald as a part of our church family, and we welcome him as a new member of the church council.
- My part of Uganda is also mountainous, so I feel at home in Bergen. I like this city because it is not so fast and hectic as the other European cities. It is less crowded. It is also very safe at night. Bergen hasn’t got the typical city life. Here people retain their family relations. It is a modern city, but with a strong rural dimension.
Last year Gerald took a master degree in public administration at the University of Bergen, and he has recently returned from Uganda to start his work on a Ph.D. on how culture can influence parliamentary decision-making. Uganda is a country with a mix of cultures that result in conflicting views on many things. Muslims, for example oppose a law against polygamy, and Catholics are against laws for family planning.
What was your first impression of Norway?
- Norwegians were cold people! I felt that they didn’t want to relate to me and that they preferred to keep a distance. I also noticed that the living-standard is very high. And I was shocked by the way people express their intimacy in public. But I was pleased to find that it was so easy to relate with people in authority, like my teachers. They treat us as their equals.
Has this impression changed since then?
- Yes, I have found that Norwegians actually want to get to know you, although they are shy, and this may be misinterpreted by foreigners. I have also corrected the stereotype of Europeans. You are told that religion has died in Europe. But I have found so many faithful and spirit-filled people who are serving the Lord. This was better than I had expected.
Why did you join Bergen International Church?
- I went to a number of churches first, and then I found myself at home in BIC for a number of reasons: The services are in English, so I can understand what’s going on. You can find people from all ages in the congregation, from the very young to the very old. And the way the services are conducted suits my personality. Orderly, not noisy, yet not boring! It is truly an International church with people from so many backgrounds. It is homely. You find yourself welcome and involved at once. To me all this was very satisfying.
Do you have any vision for the church?
- I think it can grow, especially in terms of number. There are also many gifts that are not yet discovered and used.
We wish Gerald luck in his work on the Ph.D. and hope his wife Faustine, who is still in Uganda, can join him in Bergen soon.
Ellen Eliassen and Gunnlaug Bøyum were re-elected to a new term on the council at the Annual General Meeting on 26th of February.
