Aasmund Vik

Aasmund Robert Vik was born April 17, 1947, on a farm in Fyresdal, a remote part of  Telemark, Norway. He was raised in a strict Lutheran village in Setesdal. He studied college at Bø, also in Telemark. During these years of spiritual searching he left the Church of Norway and settled in the Roman Catholic tradition. He studied the arts in school and with his growing self-understanding as a gay man, he decided to move to the urban environment of Oslo after school. After a short time working in retail, he secured work as a stagehand at the Norwegian Opera House, after which he moved to the National Theatre and still works there more than three decades later, now as a secretary in the drama department.

In 1968, Aasmund became member of the Catholic Church and of the national gay organisation, DNF-48. As he felt his Roman Catholic faith strengthened, he felt a call to serve the church and spent some time in Assisi, Italy exploring the Franciscan religious life, but eventually found out that there were other ways of serving the Church. Feeling the strong desire to integrate his faith with his homosexuality, he traveled to England where he met with gay Christian groups.

At the time, Aasmund was president of the gay organisation DNF-48. In early 1976 this group convened a meeting on the church and homosexuality. Aasmund spoke at this meeting and invited others there to meet with him afterwards to talk about exploring this further. Four other persons expressed interest and together they formed the Christian Working Group, soon renamed the Open Church Group (Åpen Kirkegruppe). The group decided to be ecumenical and organized social outings as well as worship services. The Open Church Group grew in numbers over the next few years and developed groups in other cities as well.

After receiving an invitation in the mail, Aasmund decided to attended the annual meeting of the European Forum of Lesbian and Gay Christian Groups in Amsterdam in 1984.  This group had first met in 1982. Aasmund became a regular attender of the Forum, having passed the 25th annual meeting mark. The Open Church Group hosted the Forum for its annual meeting in 1986, in 1996 and again during Europride in 2005. Aasmund served on the board for five years (1990-1995), including two terms as president. During this time, the Forum expanded with increased participation of women as well as outreach into Eastern Europe.   http://www.euroforumlgbtchristians.eu/About/History.asp

Aasmund has continued his involvement with the Open Church Group, which is now one of the oldest and most active in Europe. He is also active as a member of the council in the international Catholic renewal organization IMWAC ( International Movement We Are Church) – founder member of the Norwegian branch in 2001 and re-elected as a council member in 2009.

He recently (2007) received significant media attention when he was elected president of the parish council in his church, St. Hallvard / Oslo, which is the largest Roman Catholic parish in Norway.

In 2009 he is boardmember of the Oslo branch of the national gay organisation LLH (formerly DNF-48), and is at the moment (November) launching LLH Senior, a support group for elderly LGBT people in Norway.

(This biographical profile provided by Aasmund Vik.)

Biography Date: October 2009

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