Large Norwegian Pentecostal Collection Deposited at Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center

A few of the Norwegian Pentecostal and charismatic books deposited at the FPHC

By Darrin J. Rodgers

Norwegians have played an outsized role in the development of Pentecostalism, first in Europe, and then around the world. Thomas Ball Barratt, a British-born Methodist pastor in Oslo, brought the Pentecostal message from America to Norway in December 1906. The movement then spread to England, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden. Barratt is widely regarded as the father of European Pentecostalism.

A distinct ecclesiology and missiology emerged among Pentecostals from Norway, Sweden and Finland. Scandinavian Pentecostals sent over a thousand missionaries who planted and nurtured the Pentecostal movement in many regions of the world. Today, global Pentecostalism cannot be understood apart from the influences of these Scandinavian missionaries.

Encyclopedia of Norwegian Pentecostal and charismatic movements, by Geir Lie

Despite the significance of Norwegian Pentecostals, their stories have often been neglected by scholars, in part because sources have been inaccessible. In an attempt to remedy this, over the past 25 years Norwegian historian Geir Lie has engaged in the backbreaking, groundbreaking work of documenting the varied Pentecostal and charismatic groups in Norway. Lie interviewed leaders, assembled an archival collection, and published several books, including an encyclopedia of the Norwegian Pentecostal and charismatic movements.

As Lie began to near retirement, he decided to place his personal collection of publications and research materials at the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center (FPHC), located in the national office of the Assemblies of God USA. The FPHC is the largest Pentecostal archives in the world, with materials in over 145 languages.

Lie also encouraged other Norwegian church leaders and scholars to place materials at the FPHC. Darrin Rodgers, director of the FPHC, traveled to Norway in November 2018, met with church leaders, gathered materials, and shipped two pallets back to America. Donors continue to deposit additional Norwegian materials at the FPHC.

The FPHC is grateful to three churches from Norwegian-American immigrant communities that helped to underwrite of cost of shipping the materials:
Freedom Church (Grand Forks, ND), Pastor Nathan Johnson
River of Life Church (Stanley, ND), Pastor Byron Lindbo
Assembly of God (Tioga, ND), Pastor Daryn Pederson

The FPHC catalog now includes about 1,200 records of Norwegian Pentecostal books, pamphlets, and periodical runs.  The FPHC also holds sizeable collections of Pentecostal publications in Swedish (786) and Finnish (724). The FPHC likely holds the largest collection of Scandinavian Pentecostal and charismatic materials outside of Europe. These resources are essential for scholars of global Pentecostalism.

The majority of the Norwegian collection at the FPHC consists of publications associated with Pinsebevegelsen, the largest segment of the Pentecostal movement in Norway. Leaders in several smaller but historically important groups also deposited significant collections at the FPHC: Brunstad Christian Church; the Faith movement; Kristent Nettverk; Maran Ata; and Nardusmenighetene.

Norwegian Collections Deposited at FPHC

Pinsebevegelsen (Pentecostal Movement)

T.B. Barratt

Pinsebevegelsen claims about 40,000 baptized members in 340 churches. Pinsebevegelsen does not consider itself a denomination, but a movement of independent churches. For this reason, Pinsebevegelsen does not have a national headquarters. The Filadelfia Church in Oslo, founded by T. B. Barratt, has been the most prominent congregation in Pinsebevegelsen. The Filadelfia Church helped launch several joint ministry endeavors, including the Filadelfiaforlaget (the primary Norwegian Pentecostal publishing house) and De Norske Pinsemenigheters Ytremisjon (the Norwegian Pentecostal missions agency, also known as PYM). The weekly Pentecostal newspaper, Korsets Seier, also began as a ministry of the Filadelfia Church.  In 2011, Pinsebevegelsen affiliated with the World Assemblies of God Fellowship.

Two Pinsebevegelsen organizations, Korsets Seier and PYM, deposited approximately 600 books, pamphlets, and periodical runs at the FPHC. This includes large runs of Korsets Seier (1930-2009) and several other periodicals, as well as numerous books about Norwegian Pentecostal theology, history, and missions.

Brunstad Christian Church

Skjulte Skatter, 1912

Brunstad Christian Church (originally called Smith’s Friends) has over 8,000 members in Norway and an additional 12,000 members in other nations. Founded by Johan Oscar Smith in the late 1890s, the group identified with Pentecostalism in 1906-1907. Smith’s younger brother, Aksel, initially cooperated with T. B. Barratt. After several years, Barratt and Smith’s Friends went their separate ways.

Brunstad Christian Church deposited at the FPHC a run of its monthly magazine, Skjulte Skatter (1912-2011), in addition to a collection of books.

Faith Movement

Magazinet, a Faith movement periodical, 1990

The Faith movement emerged in Norway in the 1970s and 1980s, influenced by American teachers such as Kenneth Hagin. The Faith movement also drew from aspects of the Norwegian Pentecostal and charismatic movements. Oslo Kristne Senter, founded in 1985 by Åge Åleskjær, grew to become the largest and most influential Faith church in Norway. In recent years, many leaders in the Norwegian Faith movement have distanced themselves from American prosperity gospel teachers and are more closely aligned with mainstream Pentecostals and charismatics.

Thomas Åleskjær, pastor of Oslo Kristne Senter, deposited about 120 Norwegian language books and periodicals, mostly relating to the Faith movement, at the FPHC.

Kristent Nettverk

Kristent Nettverk, a network of Restorationist charismatic churches in relationship with British New Church leaders Bryn and Keri Jones, was established in 1980s. Erling Thu, one of the founders of Kristent Nettverk, is a prolific author. Thu deposited at the FPHC over 20 books he authored, in addition to a run of Folk (1988-2007), a periodical he founded.

Maran Ata

Maran Ata magazine 1960

Norwegian Pentecostal healing evangelist and musician Åge Samuelsen (1915-1987) founded the Maran Ata movement in 1958/1959. Samuelsen was closely aligned with American evangelists associated with Voice of Healing magazine, such as Gordon Lindsay. Some Pentecostals left Pinsebevegelsen and formed Maran Ata churches. Samuelsen was removed from leadership of Maran Ata in 1965/1966 and formed a new organization, Vekkeropet Maran Ata.

Maran Ata and Vekkeropet Maran Ata each deposited runs of their periodicals at the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center: Maran Ata Bladet (1960-2018) and Vekkeropet Maran Ata (1968-1987).

Nardusmenighetene

Nardus magazine, 1985

Nardusmenighetene, an indigenous Norwegian Oneness Pentecostal denomination, was formed in the early 1980s by Torkild Terkelsen. Terkelsen deposited at the FPHC a run of the periodical, Nardus (1984-2006) and 17 books published by Nardusmenighetene.

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Do you have Pentecostal historical materials that should be preserved? Please consider depositing these materials at the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center (FPHC). The FPHC, located in the Assemblies of God national offices, is the largest Pentecostal archives and research center in the world. We would like to preserve and make your treasures accessible to those who write the history books.

Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center
1445 North Boonville Avenue
Springfield, Missouri 65802 USA
Phone: 417.862.1447 ext. 4400
Toll Free: 877.840.5200
Email: archives@ag.org
Website: http://www.iFPHC.org

Review: E. W. Kenyon

E. W. Kenyon: Cult Founder or Evangelical Minister?, by Geir Lie. Oslo, Norway: Refleks Publishing, 2003.

To some people, just the mention of E. W. Kenyon brings about a level of controversy concerning the roots of his theology. Kenyon really didn’t receive much public recognition until Daniel McConnell’s book, A Different Gospel, was published in 1988. In McConnell’s book, Kenyon’s theology is presumably linked to Christian Science, New Thought, and Unitarian ideas. McConnell’s book, in many ways, brought Kenyon’s suspicious dealings with cultic groups and ideas to a national, even popular level. But there is a lot more to be said of Kenyon before an irrefutable conclusion can be made. There is no doubt that E. W. Kenyon has had a great impact on the Pentecostal movement, and yet that influence on some may have been a controversial one.

One leader he influenced was Kenneth Hagin, whose work in the Word-Faith movement has impacted many areas of Pentecostalism. Reaching back even further to Kenyon’s time, he had a big influence on people like William Durham, F. F. Bosworth, and Aimee Semple McPherson, to name a few. Kenyon’s influence on the Pentecostal movement was far-reaching. Since Kenyon indeed has had a major impact on the Pentecostal church, further research into the origins of his theology is very important.

In Geir Lie’s book, he goes into great detail concerning Kenyon’s presumable “connection” with Christian Science and cultic ideas. The book is divided into 5 different parts. The first section deals with the life of E. W. Kenyon. Geir does a very good job digging into the elusive early life of Kenyon. He goes into detail concerning Kenyon’s early Christian experience to his critical time where he attended Emerson College. He also focuses on what Kenyon actually believed concerning God, Satan, the incarnation, and the Word. He then dives into the historical roots of Kenyon’s theology. In this part of the book, he goes into detail concerning the different possible movements that may have influenced Kenyon. The book finishes by dealing with the influence that Kenyon has had on the American Pentecostal movement and abroad.

Geir Lie’s book gives a great counter-balance to McConnell’s book. The background that Geir comes from, in which he goes into great detail concerning Kenyon’s background in the introduction, is an essential part of the book. Geir was directly influenced by the teachings of Kenyon, and he has even translated several of Kenyon’s books. Because of his own background, Geir is able to give the reader a unique perspective into the life and influence of E. W. Kenyon. The research he has done on the subject is immense and is evident throughout the book.

In conclusion, E. W. Kenyon: Cult Founder or Evangelical Minister?, is a must read for anyone who is serious with studying the roots of the modern-day faith teaching. With all the controversy surrounding Kenyon, his connection with the modern Pentecostal movement, and the fairly recent books published concerning Kenyon’s theological roots, this book is a valuable piece of the complicated puzzle surrounding the life of E. W. Kenyon.

Reviewed by Gary Larsen, Evangel University student

Paperback, 192 pages. $25.00, plus $3.50 shipping. Order from: Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, MO 65802; E-mail: archives@ag.org; Ph. 1-877-840-5200.

Review: Dictionary of Pentecostalism in Norway

Norsk pinsekristendom og karismatisk fornyelse: Ettbinds oppslagsverk (Norwegian Pentecostalism and Charismatic Renewal: One-Volume Dictionary), Geir Lie, editor. Oslo, Norway: REFLEKS-Publishing, 2007.

European Pentecostals are slated to gather in Oslo, Norway the week of September 18-23, 2007 to celebrate the centennial of the Pentecostal movement on that continent (see http://www.azusaeurope.etp.no).

What are the origins of Pentecostalism in Norway? The Azusa Street revival was one of the most prominent roots of European Pentecostalism. Word quickly spread around the world of the revival that began in 1906 at the small African-American gospel mission on Azusa Street in Los Angeles. Thomas Ball Barratt, a Norwegian Methodist minister of British descent, received the baptism of the Holy Spirit on November 15, 1906 while visiting New York. He returned to Norway, where he became that country’s leading Pentecostal expositor. The Pentecostal movement experienced burgeoning growth and, within several years, congregations had sprung up throughout the length of Norway. Barratt and his Filadelfia Church in Oslo were responsible for the spread of the Pentecostal movement to many regions of Europe. Barratt’s missiology — he viewed Pentecostalism as a global movement whose raison d’etre was missions — led hundreds of Norwegian missionaries to launch out across the globe. Today, Norway is home to approximately 300 Pentecostal congregations with 50,000 adherents and Europe has an estimated 4 million Pentecostal believers.

Just in time for the European Pentecostal centennial celebration, a historical dictionary of Pentecostalism in Norway has been published. Norsk pinsekristendom og karismatisk fornyelse, which has been years in the making, is an important achievement for several reasons.