Johan Oscar Smith facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Johan Oscar Smith
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Founder of Brunstad Christian Church
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| Born | October 11, 1871 Fredrikstad, Norway
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| Died | May 1, 1943 (aged 71) |
| Nationality | Norwegian |
| Occupation | Master Chief Petty Officer |
| Title | Leader of Brunstad Christian Church |
| Term | 1905-1943 |
| Successor | Elias Aslaksen |
| Spouse(s) | Pauline Pedersen |
| Children | Kristian Smith Johanne Sandvik Lydia Smith Aksel Johan Smith Rakel Bratlie Helge Anker Smith Ludvig Smith |
| Parents |
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| Family | Aksel Smith |
Johan Oscar Smith was a Norwegian Christian leader. He started a Christian group now known as Brunstad Christian Church. He was born on October 11, 1871, and passed away on May 1, 1943.
Contents
Johan Oscar Smith was born in Fredrikstad, Norway. He grew up in a Christian family. As a child, he lived in three different Norwegian towns: Fredrikstad, Kristiansand, and Oslo.
When he was fifteen, Smith finished school. He also completed training to become a watchmaker. After this, he decided to go to sea. At seventeen, he joined the Norwegian Navy. He served in the Navy for forty years. Smith completed six years of military training. He was the top student in his class. He became a Master Chief Petty Officer, which is a high rank.
In 1902, Smith married Pauline Pedersen. They had six children together.
Starting a Christian Movement
On May 17, 1898, Smith had an important spiritual experience. This happened while he was working on a Navy ship called the Thor. After this, he started going to Methodist church services. He also began holding his own meetings with small groups of young people.
Smith soon decided to leave the Methodists. He felt that other believers did not share his deep interest in living a holy life. This idea of sanctification was very important to him. Over the next few years, his younger brother, Aksel, joined him. In 1908, Elias Aslaksen, who was a naval cadet at the time, also joined their group.
During World War I, Smith and Aslaksen were sent to patrol Norway's west coast. They were on a ship called HNoMS Sleipner. When they had time off, they held meetings wherever they could. This helped them gather more people who liked Smith's message. This group grew into what is now called Brunstad Christian Church.
Smith described the group as "a free group of people without a name." He also said it had "no human organization." Because of this, Brunstad Christian Church has never kept official membership lists. After Smith passed away, Elias Aslaksen became the main leader. He guided the movement until he died in 1976. Today, Brunstad Christian Church has about 40,000 members. They have churches in 65 countries around the world. It is the only major international religious movement that started in Norway.
Smith believed that many mainstream churches were not serious enough about their faith. He did not study theology in school. Instead, he read the Bible very carefully. He taught people to live by what the Bible says. He encouraged them to "walk in the light that God gives." His main ideas were:
- Winning completely over sin.
- Changing and growing through sanctification.
- Building up "Christ's body" (the Church) on Earth.
Smith was very firm in his beliefs. He stood strong even when he was mostly alone in the early days of his work.
Facing Challenges
Smith faced a lot of disagreement from other churches in Norway. Around the year 1900, many people in Norway became interested in the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Smith himself experienced this in 1900.
Smith taught that it was important to obey the Holy Spirit. He believed that by obeying the Spirit, people could become clean from sin. They could also gain more and more Christian virtues. He felt that others focused too much on just the experience of receiving the Spirit. He thought they were less interested in living a life of obedience. In the early years, he often spoke and wrote about this. This led to criticism of Smith and his new movement. One of the main critics was Thomas Ball Barratt, who led the new Pentecostal movement.
His Passing
Johan Oscar Smith passed away at his home in Horten on May 1, 1943. He had a heart attack early in the morning. His last words the night before were, "Yes, thanks and praise."
Smith's funeral was the largest ever seen in Horten. This was true even though there were strict travel rules. These rules were in place because of the German occupation of Norway. His son, Aksel Johan Smith, spoke at the funeral. He said that he had never seen his father upset or impatient.
His Writings
Smith wrote a lot during his life. He wrote many poems and songs. He also wrote several books and hundreds of articles. He sent many letters to his family and friends. About 280 of these letters were written between 1898 and 1943. Most of them were sent to his brother Aksel and Elias Aslaksen. These letters are published in a book called Letters of Johan O. Smith. This book has been translated into many languages. Smith also wrote a short book explaining the Epistle to the Ephesians, a book from the Bible.
