Stirrings in Norway

Members in Norway: Margit, Ray, Jenny and Aage

In a country recently categorised as the most prosperous country in the world, interest in the Bible has declined noticeably in the last generation. Whereas an advertisement in an Oslo newspaper may have attracted ten visitors to a Bible talk twenty years ago, it is doubtful whether there would be any response today.

However, there is still the essential need for pastoral visits to Norway to support and encourage the few isolated members scattered throughout the country. The number has been reduced to five following the falling asleep of Aage Usterud in March this year after much suffering. Aage and his wife, Margit, were baptised in 1961, and faithfully bore witness to the truth over many years. On their own initiative they would frequently print leaflets and spend their vacations distributing them far and wide from their home in Skien.

For many years, Aage, a practicing homeopath, published a quarterly magazine, Norsk Helseblad (Norwegian Health Magazine), in which he always included at least one article on some aspect of the Bible and Christian living for the sake of any who might be interested in spiritual health.

Our schedule also includes a visit to Sverre Petersen from Oslo, an enthusiastic student of the Word, who now contributes the bulk of the material for the Norwegian preaching magazine Med Åpen Bibel (With Open Bible). Med Åpen Bibel is a bi-monthly magazine which includes articles of an exhortational nature for the benefit of our members, as well as articles dealing mainly with first principles. The magazine is in its 38th year and is sent to about 120 people throughout Scandinavia.

For over two years Med Åpen Bibel and other material has been available on a web site, which has widened our potential to interest people in the Word. Shortly after the web site was launched, an African refugee and her husband contacted us to find out about Christadelphians in Norway. We are pleased that their interest has developed and they are now having weekly instruction from Brother Ray in Oslo. A young Ugandan man is also meeting regularly with him for Bible teaching, and it was a pleasure to experience the enthusiasm of our African friends during my recent visit.

A few years ago, it looked as if the truth would die out in Norway, as members grew old and fell asleep. It would seem that God has other plans! We pray that our Lord will bless our few members in Norway and lead yet others to obey the Gospel.

John Benson
from The Bible Missionary, no. 178, October 2005

Information about Scandinavia