Brunstad Christian Church

Smith's Friends is a worldwide Christian fellowship with no official denomination. Established in Norway early in the 20th century, they are called The Christian Church in official correspondence, but are also referred to as Brunstad Christian Church, 'the friends', 'the fellowship', 'the Norwegian Brethren', or 'the Norwegian Movement.'^[1]

The group has more than 220 churches in over 50 countries^[2]. The Norwegian researcher Knut Lundby has estimated that in the late 1990s, its membership at 25,000 to 30,000 and growing^[3]. As many as two thirds of its members live outside Norway.^[2].

Background

Johan Oscar Smith (1871-1943), credited as the founder of the group, was originally a member of the Methodist church. After a religious conversion in 1889 Smith began preaching to small gatherings. In 1905, his brother Aksel Smith (1880-1919) joined him and for nearly a decade, beginning in 1906, they were associated with the Norwegian Pentecostal movement. The two groups drifted apart as the Pentecostals became more structured, and some time after the split Smith's followers started to be referred to as "Smiths Venner", which translates in English to Smith's Friends. 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, especially during the wartime years, and established their first congregation.^[4]

Today, Smith's Friends still centers around Norway and a conference center called Brunstad. There are fellowships in more than 50 countries which identify themselves as being part of The Christian Church (Den Kristelige Menighet).

The church has its own publishing house, Skjulte Skatters Forlag, publishing books and distributing audio-visual media intended for edification and spiritual help. The monthly journal "Skjulte Skatter," (in English, "Hidden Treasures") has been published every month since 1912.

Teachings

Faith in victory over sin plays an important role in the beliefs of Smith's Friends. They preach that Jesus was tempted, but did not sin and that it is possible now by faith in him to follow his example. The birth and life of Jesus and his crucifixion and resurrection are central to their doctrine. They emphasize self-sacrifice, denial of self, unquestioning acceptance of the wisdom of the brothers, and social separation from other organizations and the world at large. Some of their more extreme attitudes and practices, e.g., prohibiting access to popular media, prohibiting birth control, and explicit homophobia, have moderated since leadership of the group shifted in a "revival" in the early 1990's. Power and authority in the group passed at that time to the leaders of this revival, most notably Kaare Smith, the grandson of founder Johan Oscar Smith and nephew of the prior leader, Sigurd Bratlie, as well as Bratlie’s son, Sigurd J. Bratlie. Members were polarized into those for and against the new leadership, and approximately 400 dissenting members who were labeled as opposers to God and his servants left.

The denomination has little or no contact with other Christian groups.