The Christian Church
The Christian Congregation ( DCG ), sometimes referred to as Smith's friends or earlier in German-speaking countries as the Norwegian Congregation or Norwegian Movement, is a Christian neo-religious movement that arose around 1900 in Vestfold (a province in southern Norway). Today around 20,000 people in 65 countries feel that they belong to the Community. The church has its origins in the same charismatic tradition as the Pentecostal movement , but differs from it in several ways. The Christian Congregation is the only religious community represented worldwide that has its origins in Norway. The congregation got its unofficial name "Smith's Friends" after the name of its founder Johan Oscar Smith .
history
Emergence
Johan Oscar Smith (1871–1943) is considered to be the founder of what is now the Free Church. He was born in Fredrikstad ( Norway ) and grew up in a Christian family. He began to sail at the age of fifteen and joined the Norwegian Navy at the age of 17, where he served as a sergeant for about 40 years.
Johan Oscar Smith was converted in 1898 at the age of 26. With no specific intention of founding a new Christian movement, Smith gathered around him to share his experience of faith. At that time, the congregation was a group of friends that met in connection with the movement of Bible-believing Christians at the time. Theodor Ellefsen and Smith's brother Aksel , a dentist, were among the first “friends” .
The development in Norway
In 1908 Johan Oscar Smith became acquainted with the war school cadet Elias Aslaksen (1888-1976), who assumed primary responsibility for the community after Smith's death in 1943.
On January 1, 1912, the brothers Aksel and Johan Oscar Smith published the first edition of the monthly Skjulte Skatter (German Hidden Treasures ). Since then the magazine has become the community's most important publication. Today the sheet is translated into 28 languages and sent worldwide.
During the First World War , the Norwegian Navy was tasked with monitoring the country's neutrality status. In this context Johan Oscar Smith and Elias Aslaksen were on duty along the Norwegian coast. In many port cities they came into contact with other believers. From these contacts small communities developed in several cities in the following years.
The international development
The first churches outside Norway emerged in Denmark and Sweden in the early 1930s . In 1950 the Christian Congregation had almost 1,000 members in Scandinavia .
In the mid-1950s there were first contacts with believers from Germany and many other European countries, from which congregations soon developed. The first churches sprang up in the United States in the 1960s and in Canada , South America , Africa , Australia, and Asia since the 1970s . Today there are local churches in over 60 countries.
Revival and crisis
Johan Oscar Smith was the community leader until his death in 1943. Subsequently, the community was led by Elias Aslaksen until 1976 and after his death by Smith's son Aksel Johan and his son-in-law Sigurd Bratlie. Since the mid-1990s, the community has been run by Bernt Stadven and Smith's grandson Kåre Johan Smith.
In the early 1990s there was a major awakening within the organization, e.g. T. charismatic statements. However, this created a crisis in which around 600 members left the fellowship, 450 of them in Norway. Some of the dropouts feel that at the heart of the conflict was who should lead the community. The organization itself describes the conflict as an awakening to personal conversion and seriousness.
International conference center in Brunstad
In 1956 the Christian Congregation acquired a property in the village of Brunstad in southern Norway, which has since been used as an international conference center. Over the years, the area has been expanded and modernized several times in accordance with requirements. Today Christian conferences with up to 10,000 people from over 30 countries are held here several times a year. The conference center has also been rented out for external events since 2000.
DCG in the media
In 1978, Sigurd Bratlie, then head of DCG, was arrested and sent to prison during a Christian meeting in Baghdad . As a result, the community in Norway, which had previously been rather unknown in the media, suddenly became known. Both the Norwegian Foreign Ministry and King Olav advocated Bratlie's release. The committed commitment of an employee of the Foreign Ministry, Yvonne Huslid, and the media attention brought about Bratlie's release about five months later.
In connection with the expansion of the conference center in Brunstad in the years 2003-2005, Smith's friends received a lot of, sometimes critical, attention in the Norwegian media.
In 2016, accountant Jonathan van der Linden was arrested because the public prosecutor suspected him of embezzling eight million euros and of forging, fraud and money laundering. Among other things, he had traveled to several countries around the world at the expense of the community with a call girl who is accused of having connections to the Dutch mafia and together with her bought a villa for € 1 million. The authorities confiscated 205,600 emails from him. The emails reveal a ramified global network of societies and foundations, which were fed by donations from the various church branches. In total, it concerns several hundred companies and foundations. Before his arrest, Van der Linden also leaked the emails to a journalist from the Dutch newspaper NRC, who then published several critical reports. So far, however, there has been no judgment or trial for these allegations.
Faith
theology
The Christian Church is a New Testament based faith community that believes in the Bible as the inspired word of God. The community emphasizes that the Bible is the only foundation of their faith and that they have no book of equal value alongside the Bible. Belief in Jesus as Son of God , the Holy Spirit , the forgiveness of sins , baptism and the Lord's Supper is fundamental .
The Christian Church practices the baptism of adults with full immersion in water. Therefore a confirmation is not necessary . Most local churches have a teenage Bible course that can be viewed as a parallel to church confirmation classes.
The community believes that the forgiveness of sins is not the ultimate goal but the beginning of a new life for a Christian.
The belief that Jesus was tempted but did not sin is central to the church. In this way, Jesus serves as an example and helper. He knows what it is like to live as a person and to have an individual will that goes against God's will. The Holy Spirit teaches believers to follow Jesus as a disciple. In the light of God's Word, through the Holy Spirit, he realizes more and more of the sinfulness. He realizes that his self-will rebels against God's will. If the believer now carries out God's will, the holy spirit cleanses the sin clinging to him. This makes life an ongoing process of ever greater knowledge and purification - a change from light to light, as the Bible puts it. The Bible describes this inner transformation as sanctification, according to the interpretation.
Position in the Christian family
The community itself sees its position within the Christian family as follows: “We believe that a spiritual community develops between all who live in accordance with God's Word. This is the congregation, which is also referred to as Christ's body […] - regardless of time and place, culture and tradition. ”DCG is not a member of a church alliance or ecumenical community, but maintains contact with neighboring congregations and church representatives.
The American religious researcher Lowell D. Streiker accompanied DCG over a longer period of time. He writes the following on the question of whether The Christian Congregation sees itself as the owner of the only true teaching:
“Do you (DCG) mean that there is no salvation outside of your group? Definitely no. Do you (DCG) believe that former members of your group who have left the group for one reason or another have gambled away their salvation? I couldn't find any evidence to confirm that. "
Church life
Church services and activities
General church services are held regularly in the local churches of DCG. As is customary in many free churches, anyone who wants to share something edifying can do so as speech, testimony, song or prayer.
The spiritual, sporting, artistic and cultural offerings for children and young people at DCG have visibly developed since the 1990s. Today there are regular church services for the different target groups as well as conferences, leisure time and offers in the fields of sport, music, media and art.
The community has a long tradition of community volunteer work. The construction of a new meeting room is usually seen as a collective task. As a result, it is not uncommon for several hundred people to work on a common task.
The big Christian festivals are usually celebrated at DCG at international conferences. Weddings and anniversaries are often celebrated in a festive service with the local congregation.
organization
The community has few established structures, although it is now represented in 180 locations in more than 60 countries. The respective association board is responsible for possible property of a local community. Spiritual leadership is exercised by one or more community leaders who, as a rule, have no theological training. In addition, there is a superordinate management, consisting of three to five people, who meet once a year with the community leaders of the local communities.
financing
DCG does not receive church taxes or other subsidies. The financial resources are mainly provided by donations. There are tariff sheets that set a fixed contribution to be paid depending on the income situation of the community member. This contribution rate is above the normal rates of the regional church.
In addition to the contributions, there are always campaigns aimed at attracting additional donations. There is, for example, the festival Das Zelt , for which the local congregations collect donations. “The“ tent ”is an allusion to a festival that the Brunstad community celebrates annually by the Oslofjord. The following applies: the more donations, the better the table at the party. "
Society, marriage and family
The members of DCG decide for themselves about their spouse, family size, their commitment, their place of residence, their style of dress, their leisure time, etc. They orientate themselves on the statements of the New Testament of the Bible.
The Christian community sees children as a gift from God. This is why there are many families with several children and many women prefer family life to professional careers. The children usually attend public schools.
The members often take part in social tasks, but little in general political life. However, everyone is free to vote.
mission
DCG traditionally runs a tentmaker mission , i. That is, the missionaries sent out have a regular job in their new place of residence instead of being paid by the ward. In addition to spreading the Christian Gospel in more than 60 countries on all continents, DCG also wants to give people help in practical life, referred to as helping people to help themselves.
Since 2008, The Christian Congregation has built meeting places in several developing countries, including India , Argentina , Romania , Ukraine, and Cameroon .
Youth exchange program YEP and Brunstad Bible School
YEP was established in April 2002 and is an international youth exchange program with participants between 18 and 25 years from communities on different continents. The aim of YEP is to convey the faith and history of the church to the youth, to introduce them to missionary work and church life, to bring them closer to Norwegian culture and language, to contribute to tolerance and respect by working in a multicultural environment and to volunteer at the conferences and projects of the community. There is a wide variety of courses and activities at YEP. The young people apply for a period of their choice. An average of 250 young people take part in the program every year. In 2010, 31 nations were represented in the YEP.
The Brunstad Bible School offers young people over 18 years of age part-time study based on the Brunstad Christian Church denomination. The school was established in 2004 and can be attended in combination with the youth exchange program. The values of the school are: "To convey faith in and understanding of God's word and his gospel, commitment out of love for God and people as well as respect for and understanding for people and cultures."
Literature and media
The Christian community in Norway has its own publishing house , the Skjulte Skatters Forlag Foundation . The editor in charge is Sigurd Johan Bratlie, who mainly publishes books and writings written by important and historical persons within DCG. The monthly Skjulte Skatter ( Hidden Treasures ) was first published in 1912 and has been published ever since. In addition, a family magazine is published monthly in many countries - in Germany this is called the volume .
Number of members
DCG does not keep lists of members, which is why the number of members can only be estimated. Lowell Striker, in his 1996 report, writes that the fellowship has nearly 30,000 members worldwide, nearly 15,000 adults and as many children. Kjell Arne Bratli, who wrote extensively about and for DCG, wrote in 1996 that the number of members is around 25,000.
Expert opinions and critics
Expert opinions
Over time, several theologians and religious experts have studied DCG. The Norwegian theologian Steinar Moe writes in “Fokus på Smiths venner” (Smith's friends in focus):
“One thing is certain, based on the understanding that Smith's friends have of the gospel, the church cannot be described as a non-Christian religious sect. The congregation is - with its special characteristics in some areas - anchored in the diversity of Christianity. "
The American religious researcher Lowell D. Streiker also comes to this conclusion:
“I investigated the extent to which Smith's friends are a sect / cult or a spiritual movement that is harmful in any way. I have come to the conclusion that Smith's friends cannot in any way be called a sect, cult, or harmful movement. "
When asked how he would call DCG, Streiker writes that, in his opinion, the best names would be “minority religion, alternative religion, protesting and determined church movement” or what he prefers to all: “a religious community”.
“Are you perfect? Of course not. But are they a destructive cult? Absolutely not."
critic
In particular, former members draw attention to themselves through critical statements about the community. Two of them are Alf Gjøsund and Johan Velten. DCG shouldn't be confused with the former Smiths friends, they say. Friedrich Griess, a retired civil engineer from Austria, whose daughter is a member of the community, has also been reporting critically about the community for many years.
literature
- The Christian Church
- Kjell Arne Bratli: En herrens tjener: Sigurd Bratlie 1905–1996 . Stiftelsen Skjulte Skatters Forlag, 2003 ISBN 82-91305-83-8
- Kjell Arne Bratli: Brunstad, Paradis Rett Forut . Stiftelsen Skjulte Skatters Forlag, 2000 ISBN 82-91305-67-6
- Kjell Arne Bratli: Seilas mot Himmelens kyst: en beretning om Johan Oscar Smith . Stiftelsen Skjulte Skatters Forlag, 1997 ISBN 82-91305-32-3
- Kjell Arne Bratli: The Way of the Cross: A report on the Norwegian community . Verlag Das Leben, 1996 ISBN 3-88801-050-0
- Johan Oscar Smith: Johan O. Smith's etterlatte brev . Stiftelsen Skjulte Skatters Forlag, 1992 ISBN 82-992592-1-5
- Kåre J. Smith : Hyrde and profet, en veiledning i hyrdetjeneste and menighetsliv . Stiftelsen Skjulte Skatters Forlag , 2004 ISBN 82-92493-13-1
- Academic
- Nils Block-Hoell: Smiths venner: en eiendommelig norsk dissenterbevegelse. In: Tidsskrift for Teologi og kirke , 1956.
- Audun Erdal: Smiths venner: innblikk i en norsk frimenighets oppkomst og egenart. In: Tidsskrift for Teologi og Kirke 2/1987. German translation .
- Geir Lie: Kristologies i Den Kristelige menighet: en misforstått impuls fra Keswickbevegelsen? Article in Refleks magazine .
- Steinar Moe: That shall be done: utstøtelse in the crystal menu in møte with the Lutheran tank entrance. Refleks publ., 2007, ISBN 82-996599-5-7 .
- Steinar Moe: What do Smith's friends teach? A contribution to comparative religious studies. MK Verlag, 2008 ISBN 3-935915-04-7 .
- Steinar Moe: Smiths venner: trossamfunnet uten navn. I .: Humanist , No. 1 (2001).
- Steinar Moe: Evangelieforståelsen i Den kristelige menighet. In: Tidsskrift for Teologi og Kirke 2/1996.
- Lowell D. Striker: Living Faith: The Truth about Smith's Friends. Smith's Friends: a “religion critic” meets a free church movement. Westport, Conn. : Praeger, 1999 ISBN 0-275-96084-6 .
- critic
- Alf Gjøsund: Be likevel: min vei ut av trossamfunnet Smiths venner . Lunde, 2004 ISBN 82-520-4596-0
- Johan Velten: Ansatt av Gud: et Kritisk søkelys på Smiths venner . Genesis, 2002 ISBN 82-476-0249-0 . German translation
- Johan Velten: Smith's venner: minner and refleksjoner: et personal tilbakeblikk fra en som valgte å gå i 1972 . Eget forlag, 1992. German translation
Web links
Official websites
Other links
- Brunstad Christian Church on snl.no in the store norske leksikon (Norwegian)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Our story. In: dcg-info.de. Retrieved January 22, 2018 .
- ↑ Trond Eivind Johnsen: The Legacy of Johan Oscar Smith. In: aktiveschristentum.de. Retrieved January 22, 2018 .
- ↑ Kjell Arne Bratli: Seilas Mot Himmelens Kyst. En Beretning Om Johan Oscar Smith. Skjulte Skatters Forlag, Tananger 1997, ISBN 978-82-91305-32-5
- ↑ Elling Siqveland: Den Kristelige Menighet / ”Smiths Venner”. In: Ders .: Trussamfunn på Stord. Høgskulen Stord, Haugesund 2006, p. 18 (Norwegian)
- ↑ Johan Velten: ansatt av Gud. Et Kritisk søkelys på Smiths venner. Genesis, 2002, ISBN 978-82-476-0249-2
- ^ Living Faith: The Truth About Smith's Friends - Lowell D. Streiker, 12
- ↑ A call girl in a suitcase full of money . In: NRC . ( nrc.nl [accessed November 23, 2018]).
- ↑ How the leaders of the sectarian Smith's Friends enrich themselves . In: NRC . ( nrc.nl [accessed August 26, 2017]).
- ↑ Barnaby Skinner and Mario Stäuble: Religious foundations abuse their special status . In: Tages-Anzeiger, Tages-Anzeiger . 2017, ISSN 1422-9994 ( tagesanzeiger.ch [accessed on August 26, 2017]).
- ↑ Our Faith . dcg-info.de. Retrieved February 17, 2015 ..
- ↑ Steinar Moe. Hva lærer Smiths venner? ISBN 82-7911-038-0
- ↑ The Church - Christ's Body . DCG. Retrieved February 17, 2015.
- ^ Living Faith: The Truth about Smith's Friends; Lowell D. Streiker, page 6
- ^ Church life . dcg-info.de. Retrieved February 17, 2015.
- ↑ a b Religious foundations abuse their special status. Retrieved February 23, 2017 .
- ^ Living Faith: The Truth About Smith's Friends - Lowell D. Streiker, 4
- ↑ New conference center in southern Ukraine . brunstad.org. March 13, 2012. Archived from the original on February 17, 2015. Retrieved on February 17, 2015.
- ↑ YEP . brunstad.org. Archived from the original on February 17, 2015. Retrieved February 17, 2015.
- ↑ a b Kjell Arne Bratli: Korsets vei - En fortelling om Smiths venner. Skjulte skatters Forlag, Tananger 1995.
- ^ Lowell D. Striker: Living Faith: The Truth about Smith's Friends. P. 3
- ^ Lowell D. Striker: Living Faith: The Truth About Smith's Friends. P. 16
- ↑ Steinar Moe: Focus på Smiths venner ( Norwegian ) Bib. 1996. Retrieved February 17, 2015.
- ↑ Alf Gjøsund: Bredside fra Velten ( Norwegian ) Vestibylen.no. October 2, 10. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved on September 29, 2007.
- ^ Friedrich Griess: Smith's friends . July 4, 2007. Retrieved August 14, 2007.