Forn Sidr of America is officially 1 year old today! One year ago, we became a registered 501(c)3 Church organization. We want to give a special thanks to those who’ve been with us throughout this journey and a hearty welcome to those who’ve recently discovered us. It’s with the support of our friends and followers that we exist today.
Our organization began as an idea between Heathens who wanted a compassionate, modern, and progressive Heathen space, but we weren’t always Forn Sidr of America. Originally intended solely as an online space, we started as Shieldwall of the Rockies Facebook group to find other like-minded Heathens and connect. Word quickly spread about our unique approach and our commitment to centering marginalized identities in this religious community. To meet the overwhelming response, we became Shieldwall of North America but the hopes and aspirations for this initiative only gained momentum. With more and more people inquiring about services, clergy, and memberships it became clear that to meet the needs of our followers we had to become something more.
Forn Sidr of America—an organization that could serve the spiritual needs of all people seeking a compassionate form of Heathenry. The vision was a modern Heathen religion that blends the roots of living lineage with North American traditions and on April 4th, 2019 we ratified our Bylaws and became an official Church in the state of Colorado.
We immediately set to work; building infrastructure, scouting leadership, and setting the foundations for a religious community to flourish and grow upon together. While most of our work has been internal, we found time to attend local events such as Colorado Pagan Pride, Colorado LGBTQ Pride, the Vampire Soiree, and hosted our own event for Yule. The support and excitement we’ve seen at these events has kept us pushing forward passionately on this project and there will be even greater things from us in 2020. We’ve learned a lot, adjusted a lot, and we hope that you are as excited about our continued growth as we are. Stay tuned for announcements very soon. In the meantime, please keep visiting our website and social media accounts for updates as they come.
Our intersectional team is made up of full-time students, graduate degree seekers, full-time workers, and people who manage chronic illness. We’ve dedicated our time and passion to this Church, all of us taking time out of our lives to bring you Forn Sidr of America. Your enthusiasm has kept us going and with your support we’ve made it over the daunting hurdle of our first year. It is with gratitude and pride that we raise a horn and celebrate our one-year anniversary with you.
Here’s to our first year!
Skål!
– Forn Sidr of America