Meet Bjornar Tjonn
Bjornar Tjonn
Bjornar got to know the Lord at a very early age while growing up in a Christian home in Norway. His parents were very active in a Lutheran church, and Bjornar’s faith grew through revival-meetings and through his years at a private Christian high school. While attending university in Louisiana, Bjornar started attending a Baptist church and finally accepted baptism at the age of 29. In 2003 he was ordained as a deacon at North Sea Baptist Church in Stavanger, Norway, where he currently serves as the church’s Deacon Ministry Team Leader. During his time as a deacon, he has had the opportunity to participate in many areas of ministry, from prayer to finances to staff searches to special event planning. He feels called to work behind the scenes as a support to those “out in front”.
Bjornar has a BS degree in Petroleum Engineering and a MS in Engineering Management. He met his wife Daphne, who is from Louisiana, while studying there, and they have been married for more than 20 years. They have two adult sons, Marcus and Benjamin, who still live in the Stavanger area. After finishing his degrees, he returned with his family to Norway, where he completed his obligatory military service and subsequently entered the petroleum industry. This gave his family an exciting opportunity to live and work in Australia for a few years and the rest of his career has been spent in Norway.
Bjornar has a great concern for the spread of the Gospel and strengthening of ministries and missions around the world. He regularly shares his faith at work and is grateful to have an international impact through his service as a member of the FMI Board of Directors.