Olav Øygard (born 29 July 1956) is a Norwegian Lutheran prelate of the Church of Norway who serves as the Bishop of Nord-Hålogaland since 2014.

[1] In 2002, he returned to the MF Norwegian School of Theology for a Labor Supervisor Education course, and again in 2009 for a pastoral leadership development program.

[1][2][3][4] He remained in that position since 2011, though he took a short leave from March 2008 to April 2009, when he served as a counselor at the Alta family office.

From 1990 to 1998, he was a member of the diocesan council of the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland, serving as deputy chairman for part of that time.

[5] In addition, he was involved in programs working with disabled people abroad, in the Dominican Republic, Kenya, Romania, Russia, and Tanzania.

[1] In late August 2014, the Church Council of the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland met in Tromsø to elect a new bishop.

[5] And the most prominent issue dividing the candidates was homosexual marriage, with Finnset supporting it, and Øygard and Akerø opposing it.

[5] Øygard's election was announced at a press conference later that day, hosted by Church Council president Svein Arne Lindo.

[5] Speaking at the conference, Øygard told the press that he felt honored and humbled to have been elected, saying, "At first I thought to myself if I was what the diocese needs.

[6] Speaking to the newspaper Harstad Tidende, Øgard said that although he was happy to see the achievement of separation of church and state, it was likely that the diocese would enter a period of financial difficulty, with the new responsibility of paying the salaries of 90 priests and 15 administrative employees.

[6] He said that as a result, the diocese would have to decrease the number of worship services and vacate about ten positions over the course of the year due to lack of funds.

[4] On his Church of Norway profile during the bishops' elections in 2014, he described his views as follows:"With my theology, I am keen to emphasize that our religion is linked to the belief in certain historical events, first and foremost the death and resurrection of Jesus.