Smith's Friends
Encyclopedia
Brunstad Christian Church is a worldwide evangelical
non-denominational
Christian church. Established in Norway
early in the 20th century. It is represented by more than 220 churches in 65 countries. The Norwegian researcher Knut Lundby has estimated that in the late 1990s, its membership was at 25,000 to 30,000 and growing. As many as two thirds of its members live outside Norway. For many years the group did not have a formal name and was referred to as Smith's Friends, particularly in Norway.
Johan Oscar Smith
(1871–1943), the church's founder, was originally a member of the Methodist
church. After a religious conversion
in 1898 Smith began preaching to small gatherings. In 1905, his brother Aksel Smith (1880–1919) joined him. Smith had early contact with the Pentecostal movement in Norway and Aksel Smith cooperated with Thomas Ball Barratt
during the first few years after Barratt introduced Pentecostalism to Norway in 1906–1907. As both the Pentecostal movement and Smith's group developed, they became increasingly wary of each other, with Barrat accusing Smith of creating schism within his group, as some of his followers joined Smith. During the following years both groups wrote and published articles against the other.
In 1908, Johan Oscar Smith met Elias Aslaksen
(1888–1976) while serving in the Norwegian Navy
. Under the leadership of Johan Oscar Smith, Aksel Smith, and Elias Aslaksen the group began to grow quickly. During World War I
, Smith, as a Naval officer, partook in patrols of the Norwegian coast. During this time, he had contact with believers and churches were established in several Norwegian coastal towns. During the 1930s churches were established in inland Norway, most notably in Hallingdal
and Valdres
. During this period, congregations were also established in Denmark
.
From the 1950s, the church began to spread throughout Western Europe
, most notably in Germany
, Switzerland
, and the Netherlands
, after several church leaders were invited to participate in the Pentecostal conferences held at Leonberg
during the 1950s. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Brunstad Christian Church spread further to Eastern Europe
, the United Kingdom
, North America
, Australia
, Africa
and Asia
. Churches were first established in South America
in the 1970s.
Today, there are more than 220 congregations in more than 65 countries. The church has annual international conferences at Brunstad Conference Center
and regional conferences throughout the world. It has its own publishing house, Skjulte Skatters Forlag, publishing books and distributing audio-visual media intended for spiritual edification. The monthly journal Skjulte Skatter, ("Hidden Treasures") has been published every month since 1912.
died in 1943, overall leadership of the church passed to Elias Aslaksen
, followed by Sigurd Bratlie
in 1976 and Kåre Johan Smith in 1996. The church is non-denominational and has little formal association with other churches.
and the belief that the Bible
is the word of God. The fundamental elements of their faith are: faith in Jesus
as God
's son, faith in the Holy Spirit
, forgiveness of sin
, baptism
and the Lord's Supper
. They believe that the forgiveness of sins is undeserved and by received through Divine grace
when one believes in Jesus Christ. They practice the Baptism
of adults by complete immersion into water.
As an evangelical church, The Bible is central and believed literally. Books and writings by past and present elders in the movement are held in high regard within Brunstad Christian Church. The most central internal publications are the monthly magazine, Skjulte Skatter and Smith's Letters, a collection of letters written by Johan O. Smith, mostly to his brother Aksel and Elias Aslaksen.
The church claims to differ from other non-denominational evangelical groups through its belief that Jesus not only died to bring forgiveness of our sins, but that he was also tempted to sin just like every human being. The church teaches that Jesus' victory over sin as a human being is the basis for personal victory over sin and transformation into Jesus image for believers, which is defined as the process of sanctification
.
An analysis undertaken by Geir Lie investigates the extent to which the theology of Brunstad Christian Church was influenced by the Keswick revival
at the turn of the 20th century and by individuals such as Madame Guyón
and Jessie Penn-Lewis
.
Over several decades, the church has driven the mission work in this way, contributing millions of dollars, among other places, behind the iron curtain
before it fell. They have traditionally been a tentmakers
mission, where the missionary
who has been sent out takes up regular employment in the area they are posted.
The church is in the process of building conference centers in several foreign countries. As of January 2008, conference centers were under construction in India
, Romania
, Kenya
, Ukraine
and Cameroon
.
The Youth Exchange Program (YEP) is an initiative within Brunstad Christian Church where young people from affiliated churches around the world volunteer a year to work in church-related activities and projects. According to the church's website, the program mainly consists of missionary work, Norwegian language lessons, volunteer work, culture exchange and network building. The purpose of the program is to "obtain better knowledge of the church's basis of faith and its history" and to "teach and spread knowledge of international languages and culture". The program was founded in connection with the expansion of Brunstad Conference Center
and has since been expanded, so that participants are involved in missionary work and church activities in many different parts of the world. including the construction projects at local church properties. Each year, approximately 250 young people aged 18 to 25 years are invited to in the program.
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
non-denominational
Non-denominational Christianity
In Christianity, nondenominational institutions or churches are those not formally aligned with an established denomination, or that remain otherwise officially autonomous. This, however, does not preclude an identifiable standard among such congregations...
Christian church. Established in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
early in the 20th century. It is represented by more than 220 churches in 65 countries. The Norwegian researcher Knut Lundby has estimated that in the late 1990s, its membership was at 25,000 to 30,000 and growing. As many as two thirds of its members live outside Norway. For many years the group did not have a formal name and was referred to as Smith's Friends, particularly in Norway.
History
Johan Oscar Smith
Johan Oscar Smith was a Norwegian Christian leader who founded the evangelical non-denominational fellowship now known as Brunstad Christian Church.-Early life and career:...
(1871–1943), the church's founder, was originally a member of the Methodist
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
church. After a religious conversion
Religious conversion
Religious conversion is the adoption of a new religion that differs from the convert's previous religion. Changing from one denomination to another within the same religion is usually described as reaffiliation rather than conversion.People convert to a different religion for various reasons,...
in 1898 Smith began preaching to small gatherings. In 1905, his brother Aksel Smith (1880–1919) joined him. Smith had early contact with the Pentecostal movement in Norway and Aksel Smith cooperated with Thomas Ball Barratt
Thomas Ball Barratt
Thomas Ball Barratt was a British-born Norwegian pastor and founder of the Pentecostal movement in Norway....
during the first few years after Barratt introduced Pentecostalism to Norway in 1906–1907. As both the Pentecostal movement and Smith's group developed, they became increasingly wary of each other, with Barrat accusing Smith of creating schism within his group, as some of his followers joined Smith. During the following years both groups wrote and published articles against the other.
In 1908, Johan Oscar Smith met Elias Aslaksen
Elias Aslaksen
Elias Aslaksen was the leader of Brunstad Christian Church from 1943 until his death in 1976.Aslaksen enlisted in the Royal Norwegian Navy and studied at the Norwegian Naval Academy, graduating in 1910 as the top student in the history of the Academy.Aslaksen met Johan Oscar Smith in 1908 while...
(1888–1976) while serving in the Norwegian Navy
Royal Norwegian Navy
The Royal Norwegian Navy is the branch of the Norwegian Defence Force responsible for naval operations. , the RNoN consists of approximately 3,700 personnel and 70 vessels, including 5 heavy frigates, 6 submarines, 14 patrol boats, 4 minesweepers, 4 minehunters, 1 mine detection vessel, 4 support...
. Under the leadership of Johan Oscar Smith, Aksel Smith, and Elias Aslaksen the group began to grow quickly. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Smith, as a Naval officer, partook in patrols of the Norwegian coast. During this time, he had contact with believers and churches were established in several Norwegian coastal towns. During the 1930s churches were established in inland Norway, most notably in Hallingdal
Hallingdal
Hallingdal is a valley and traditional district in Buskerud county in Norway. It consists of the municipalities of Flå, Nes, Gol, Hemsedal, Ål and Hol.-History:Ancient routes went to Vestlandet through Valdres and Hallingdal and down Røldal to Odda...
and Valdres
Valdres
Valdres is a traditional district in central, southern Norway, situated between Gudbrandsdal and Hallingdal.Administratively, Valdres belongs to Oppland. It consists of the municipalities Nord-Aurdal, Sør-Aurdal, Øystre Slidre, Vestre Slidre, Vang and Etnedal. The main town in the region is...
. During this period, congregations were also established in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
.
From the 1950s, the church began to spread throughout Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
, most notably in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, after several church leaders were invited to participate in the Pentecostal conferences held at Leonberg
Leonberg
Leonberg is a town in the German federal state of Baden-Wuerttemberg about 10 miles to the west of Stuttgart, the state capital. Approximately 45,000 people live in Leonberg, making it the third biggest borough in the rural district of Böblingen .Leonberg is most famous for its picturesque market...
during the 1950s. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Brunstad Christian Church spread further to Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
, the United Kingdom
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. Churches were first established in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
in the 1970s.
Today, there are more than 220 congregations in more than 65 countries. The church has annual international conferences at Brunstad Conference Center
Brunstad Conference Center
Oslofjord Convention Center is a convention center in Stokke, Norway, as well as the company established to manage the facility.-Ownership and management:...
and regional conferences throughout the world. It has its own publishing house, Skjulte Skatters Forlag, publishing books and distributing audio-visual media intended for spiritual edification. The monthly journal Skjulte Skatter, ("Hidden Treasures") has been published every month since 1912.
Organization
Brunstad Christian Church is an association of some 220 churches worldwide. The church has no ordained clergy and few members have any theological training. The church keeps no official membership register. Leaders are appointed in each local church congregation on the basis of their perceived virtue, the confidence of members in the individual and their natural abilities. There are no elected leaders. When Johan Oscar SmithJohan Oscar Smith
Johan Oscar Smith was a Norwegian Christian leader who founded the evangelical non-denominational fellowship now known as Brunstad Christian Church.-Early life and career:...
died in 1943, overall leadership of the church passed to Elias Aslaksen
Elias Aslaksen
Elias Aslaksen was the leader of Brunstad Christian Church from 1943 until his death in 1976.Aslaksen enlisted in the Royal Norwegian Navy and studied at the Norwegian Naval Academy, graduating in 1910 as the top student in the history of the Academy.Aslaksen met Johan Oscar Smith in 1908 while...
, followed by Sigurd Bratlie
Sigurd Bratlie
Sigurd Rudolf Gudbrandsen Bratlie was the leader of Brunstad Christian Church from 1976 until his death in 1996.Bratlie was born in Nordstrand, Norway and was the youngest of nine children....
in 1976 and Kåre Johan Smith in 1996. The church is non-denominational and has little formal association with other churches.
Teachings
Brunstad Christian Church places its basis of faith in the New TestamentNew Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
and the belief that the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
is the word of God. The fundamental elements of their faith are: faith in Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
as God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
's son, faith in the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
, forgiveness of sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
, baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
and the Lord's Supper
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
. They believe that the forgiveness of sins is undeserved and by received through Divine grace
Divine grace
In Christian theology, grace is God’s gift of God’s self to humankind. It is understood by Christians to be a spontaneous gift from God to man - "generous, free and totally unexpected and undeserved" - that takes the form of divine favour, love and clemency. It is an attribute of God that is most...
when one believes in Jesus Christ. They practice the Baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
of adults by complete immersion into water.
As an evangelical church, The Bible is central and believed literally. Books and writings by past and present elders in the movement are held in high regard within Brunstad Christian Church. The most central internal publications are the monthly magazine, Skjulte Skatter and Smith's Letters, a collection of letters written by Johan O. Smith, mostly to his brother Aksel and Elias Aslaksen.
The church claims to differ from other non-denominational evangelical groups through its belief that Jesus not only died to bring forgiveness of our sins, but that he was also tempted to sin just like every human being. The church teaches that Jesus' victory over sin as a human being is the basis for personal victory over sin and transformation into Jesus image for believers, which is defined as the process of sanctification
Sanctification
Sanctity is an ancient concept widespread among religions, a property of a thing or person sacred or set apart within the religion, from totem poles through temple vessels to days of the week, to a human believer who achieves this state. Sanctification is the act or process of acquiring sanctity,...
.
An analysis undertaken by Geir Lie investigates the extent to which the theology of Brunstad Christian Church was influenced by the Keswick revival
Keswick Convention
The Keswick Convention is an annual gathering of evangelical Christians in Keswick, in the English county of Cumbria.- History :The Keswick Convention began in 1875 as a catalyst and focal point for the emerging Higher Life movement in the United Kingdom. It was founded by an Anglican, Canon T. D....
at the turn of the 20th century and by individuals such as Madame Guyón
Jeanne Marie Bouvier de la Motte Guyon
Jeanne-Marie Bouvier de la Motte-Guyon was a French mystic and one of the key advocates of Quietism...
and Jessie Penn-Lewis
Jessie Penn-Lewis
Jessie Penn-Lewis was a Welsh evangelical speaker and author of a number of Christian evangelical works.-Early life:Penn-Lewis was born in Victoria Terrace, Neath in 1861. Her father was a Methodist minister...
.
Mission
Brunstad Christian Church is actively engaged in missionary and humanitarian work around the globe. According to their official website, they are careful not to mix their missionary work and humanitarian aid in an effort to ensure that people are not influenced to a particular teaching or religion simply by the material goods the missionaries have to offer. Moreover, the church states that it believes in "preaching the gospel without necessarily giving people hope of better living conditions" and, for this reason, "channel money or material goods through social or public organisations where distribution of goods takes place according to need, and not according to religious persuasion".Over several decades, the church has driven the mission work in this way, contributing millions of dollars, among other places, behind the iron curtain
Iron Curtain
The concept of the Iron Curtain symbolized the ideological fighting and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1989...
before it fell. They have traditionally been a tentmakers
Tentmaking
Tentmaking, in general, refers to the activities of any Christian who, while functioning as a minister, receives little or no pay for his or her church work, and supports him or herself by additional, unrelated work...
mission, where the missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
who has been sent out takes up regular employment in the area they are posted.
The church is in the process of building conference centers in several foreign countries. As of January 2008, conference centers were under construction in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
and Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
.
Youth Exchange Program
Brunstad Conference Center
Oslofjord Convention Center is a convention center in Stokke, Norway, as well as the company established to manage the facility.-Ownership and management:...
and has since been expanded, so that participants are involved in missionary work and church activities in many different parts of the world. including the construction projects at local church properties. Each year, approximately 250 young people aged 18 to 25 years are invited to in the program.