Five of the council's seven members approved the hiring of Nils Jøran Riedl as student pastor at the university, calling him a strong candidate and the best qualified for the job.
Riedl, who lives in a registered homosexual partnership, said he was delighted and "very grateful" that he got the job after a long waiting period.
New Oslo Bishop Ole Christian Kvarme didn't support Riedl's employment, confirming his opposition to gays and lesbians as pastors in the Norwegian state church.
