Bernt Berntsen
Encyclopedia
Bernt Berntsen also known as Brother B. Berntsen, was a Norwegian-American Protestant Christian missionary to China
. In 1904, Berntsen and his wife Magna was able to preach along with several other independent
Norwegian missionaries in a mission station
in Damingfu
of Zhili Province
. Influenced by the 1906 Azusa Street Revival
, he later founded the Apostolic Faith Mission in China
(later amalgamated with the Assemblies of God
) with a group of American missionaries associated with the Pentecostal movement. His evangelism had a profound influence on the early co-workers of the True Jesus Church
, namely Zhang Lingsheng and Paul Wei
, and he is regarded as one of the early missionary progenitors of Pentecostalism in China
.
, in Vestfold
county, Norway
. Married to Magna Berg (1867–1935), he emigrated to the United States
in 1893 and was employed as a storekeeper
in a local grocery store
. He resided in Chicago, Illinois
for seven years and was naturalized as a United States citizen at the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois
on September 6, 1904. His son Henry Berntsen, was born at Chicago on August 1900.
South Zhili Mission which had been founded by Horace William Houlding in Damingfu
of Zhili Province
since 1901.
. In 1907, he journeyed to the Centennial Missionary Conference in Shanghai with the hope of finding someone who had experienced the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, the people there told him it was the 'work of the devil'. Although he was convinced that there was more to it than what the critics were saying, he nevertheless returned to the place of his ministry. After receiving a letter from a friend in Chicago who wrote that she had received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, Berntsen sailed back to America to see this revival firsthand.
In August 1907, he made a trip to Seattle where he encountered Martin L. Ryan holding group prayer meetings there. Although Berntsen sought for the baptism of the Holy Spirit but did not receive it. He then journeyed to Oakland, California
and attended prayer meetings held by William F. Manley, but again he did not receive it.
Berntsen ultimately travelled to Azusa Street Mission in Los Angeles where he received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit through speaking in tongues on September 15, 1907. After the Mission leaders heard his testimony, they agreed to give some financial support his missionary work in China.
Upon his trip back to Seattle, Berntsen and a group of eleven adult Pentecostal missionaries gathered together to form a non-denominational Apostolic Faith Mission
.
in 1908 to form the Zhengding
Mission in Hebei Province. Due to the lack of fluency in the language, four of the missionaries later left for Shanghai to learn the Chinese language
whilst Berntsen and his wife along with several others began spreading the Pentecostal message to the local populace. Berntsen encountered considerable resistance from some established missionary groups, nevertheless he always hoped to convince other western missionaries. He wrote:
He rented a store building where he held meetings during the morning and evening
, drawing good-sized crowds especially from among the poor.
In January 1910, Berntsen had led a number of the poorest people in the region to the Lord and described his work as a "rescue mission". By March that same year, he was caring for thirty orphan
ed children and a number of people who were disabled
, cripple
, blind
, dumb
, and other outcasts.
Between April and November 1910, Berntsen visited Norway
, Sweden
and Denmark
before returning to China directly from Northern Europe.
Berntsen also maintained contacts with the emerging Pentecostal movement in Norway
, led by Thomas Ball Barratt
and Erik Andersen Nordquelle
His daughter Ruth was born at Zhengding
in August 1910.
In 1912, they printed a Chinese-language
Publication named Popular Gospel Truths which emphasized on the importance of receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit. They remained at the Zhengding Mission until 1916. Among those baptised were Zhang Lingsheng (in 1910) and Paul Wei
(in 1916).
.
During 1916, Berntsen was approached by Zhang Lingsheng, whom after having read tracts published by the Seventh-day Adventists, advised Berntsen that he also keep the Seventh-day worship. He agreed to do so and on September 1, 1916, Berntsen announced on the thirteenth edition of the Popular Gospel Truth publication that they would be holding Seventh-day worship from now on.
In 1917, Berntsen published a tract titled "The Viewpoint on Seventh-day Sabbath worship in China", which mentioned that worshipping on the Western Sabbath day is equivalent to worshipping on Sunday in China. He reasons:
.
However Paul Wei
was opposed to keeping the Sabbath on a Sunday and dismissed the tract's viewpoints of the Sabbath as "erroneous". Zhang Lingsheng travelled to Beijing to peacefully persuade Paul to change his stance, but after several discussions together, Zhang himself understood and gradually accepted Paul's viewpoint. Hence in the spring of 1918, Zhang and Paul cooperated as co-workers, announced at the Tianjin
chapel that they were to be keeping the Sabbath worship on a Saturday and thus formed their independent Pentecostal
-Sabbatarian True Jesus Church
.
During the middle of 1919, Berntsen clarified his viewpoint regarding the Sabbath on the Popular Gospel Truth publication, .
By 1919, Berntsen had become affiliated with the "Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Church of God
".
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. In 1904, Berntsen and his wife Magna was able to preach along with several other independent
Non-denominational Christianity
In Christianity, nondenominational institutions or churches are those not formally aligned with an established denomination, or that remain otherwise officially autonomous. This, however, does not preclude an identifiable standard among such congregations...
Norwegian missionaries in a mission station
Mission Station
Mission Station is the eastern terminus station on the West Coast Express commuter rail line connecting Vancouver to Mission, British Columbia, Canada. The station is located on the north side of the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks in Mission on North Railway Avenue. The station opened in 1995,...
in Damingfu
Daming County
Daming County is a county of Hebei, China. It is under the administration of Handan city.-Administrative Divisions:Daming County has 6 towns and 14 townships.Towns:...
of Zhili Province
Zhili
Zhílì was a northern province in China from the Ming Dynasty until the province was dissolved in 1928 during the Republic of China era.-History:...
. Influenced by the 1906 Azusa Street Revival
Azusa Street Revival
The Azusa Street Revival was a historic Pentecostal revival meeting that took place in Los Angeles, California and is the origin of the Pentecostal movement. It was led by William J. Seymour, an African American preacher. It began with a meeting on April 14, 1906, and continued until roughly 1915...
, he later founded the Apostolic Faith Mission in China
Apostolic Faith Mission
The Apostolic Faith Church , formerly the Apostolic Faith Mission, is a Pentecostal Christian denomination with headquarters in Portland, Oregon, United States. The Apostolic Faith Mission of Portland was founded in 1906 by Florence L. Crawford, who was affiliated at that time with William J....
(later amalgamated with the Assemblies of God
Assemblies of God
The Assemblies of God , officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 140 autonomous but loosely-associated national groupings of churches which together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination...
) with a group of American missionaries associated with the Pentecostal movement. His evangelism had a profound influence on the early co-workers of the True Jesus Church
True Jesus Church
The True Jesus Church is a non-denominational Christian church that originated in Beijing, China, in 1917. The current elected chairman of the TJC International Assembly is Preacher Yong-Ji Lin. Today, there are approximately 2.5 million members in fifty three countries and six continents...
, namely Zhang Lingsheng and Paul Wei
Paul Wei
Paul Wei , previously known as Wèi Ēnbō , was born in Hebei province, China. He was a farmer from a poor family background and had very little education. In 1902 he migrated to Beijing where he later became a prosperous silk and merchandise dealer.By his own accounts, he was previously a...
, and he is regarded as one of the early missionary progenitors of Pentecostalism in China
Pentecostalism in China
The Pentecostal movement in China began when the first missionaries arrived in China in 1907. Almost immediately they put down roots in at least three places which later strongly influenced the development of Chinese Pentecostalism...
.
Early life
Bernt Berntsen was born in LarvikLarvik
is a city and municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Larvik. Larvik kommune - has about 41 364 inhabitants and covers 530 km2....
, in Vestfold
Vestfold
is a county in Norway, bordering Buskerud and Telemark. The county administration is in Tønsberg.Vestfold is located west of the Oslofjord, as the name indicates. It includes many smaller, but well-known towns in Norway, such as Larvik, Sandefjord, Tønsberg and Horten. The river Numedalslågen runs...
county, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. Married to Magna Berg (1867–1935), he emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1893 and was employed as a storekeeper
Storekeeper
Storekeeper is an enlisted rating in the United States Coast Guard; until 2009 it was also a United States Navy rating, the most common supply rate in US Navy vs. CS and SH and very much equivalent to the MOS 92 of the US Army...
in a local grocery store
Grocery store
A grocery store is a store that retails food. A grocer, the owner of a grocery store, stocks different kinds of foods from assorted places and cultures, and sells these "groceries" to customers. Large grocery stores that stock products other than food, such as clothing or household items, are...
. He resided in Chicago, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
for seven years and was naturalized as a United States citizen at the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois
Cook County, Illinois
Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than...
on September 6, 1904. His son Henry Berntsen, was born at Chicago on August 1900.
Commitment to Service
In 1904, along with his wife and two young boys, Berntsen sailed for China and joined the Non-denominationalNon-denominational Christianity
In Christianity, nondenominational institutions or churches are those not formally aligned with an established denomination, or that remain otherwise officially autonomous. This, however, does not preclude an identifiable standard among such congregations...
South Zhili Mission which had been founded by Horace William Houlding in Damingfu
Daming County
Daming County is a county of Hebei, China. It is under the administration of Handan city.-Administrative Divisions:Daming County has 6 towns and 14 townships.Towns:...
of Zhili Province
Zhili
Zhílì was a northern province in China from the Ming Dynasty until the province was dissolved in 1928 during the Republic of China era.-History:...
since 1901.
The Pentecostal encounter in America
On December 1906, Berntsen came across an early publication of The Apostolic Faith from Los Angeles which detailed the events of the Azusa Street RevivalAzusa Street Revival
The Azusa Street Revival was a historic Pentecostal revival meeting that took place in Los Angeles, California and is the origin of the Pentecostal movement. It was led by William J. Seymour, an African American preacher. It began with a meeting on April 14, 1906, and continued until roughly 1915...
. In 1907, he journeyed to the Centennial Missionary Conference in Shanghai with the hope of finding someone who had experienced the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, the people there told him it was the 'work of the devil'. Although he was convinced that there was more to it than what the critics were saying, he nevertheless returned to the place of his ministry. After receiving a letter from a friend in Chicago who wrote that she had received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, Berntsen sailed back to America to see this revival firsthand.
In August 1907, he made a trip to Seattle where he encountered Martin L. Ryan holding group prayer meetings there. Although Berntsen sought for the baptism of the Holy Spirit but did not receive it. He then journeyed to Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
and attended prayer meetings held by William F. Manley, but again he did not receive it.
Berntsen ultimately travelled to Azusa Street Mission in Los Angeles where he received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit through speaking in tongues on September 15, 1907. After the Mission leaders heard his testimony, they agreed to give some financial support his missionary work in China.
Upon his trip back to Seattle, Berntsen and a group of eleven adult Pentecostal missionaries gathered together to form a non-denominational Apostolic Faith Mission
Apostolic Faith Mission
The Apostolic Faith Church , formerly the Apostolic Faith Mission, is a Pentecostal Christian denomination with headquarters in Portland, Oregon, United States. The Apostolic Faith Mission of Portland was founded in 1906 by Florence L. Crawford, who was affiliated at that time with William J....
.
Return to China
They sailed to ChinaChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
in 1908 to form the Zhengding
Zhengding
Zhengding is a county in Hebei Province approximately 260 kilometers south of Beijing, China. It comes under the administration of nearby Shijiazhuang City and has a population of 594,000. Zhengding has been an important religious center for more than 1,000 years, from - at least - the times...
Mission in Hebei Province. Due to the lack of fluency in the language, four of the missionaries later left for Shanghai to learn the Chinese language
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
whilst Berntsen and his wife along with several others began spreading the Pentecostal message to the local populace. Berntsen encountered considerable resistance from some established missionary groups, nevertheless he always hoped to convince other western missionaries. He wrote:
He rented a store building where he held meetings during the morning and evening
Evening
Evening is the period between the late afternoon and night when daylight is decreasing, around dinner time at 6pm. Though the term is subjective, evening is typically understood to begin before sunset, during the close of the standard business day and extend until nightfall, the beginning of night...
, drawing good-sized crowds especially from among the poor.
In January 1910, Berntsen had led a number of the poorest people in the region to the Lord and described his work as a "rescue mission". By March that same year, he was caring for thirty orphan
Orphan
An orphan is a child permanently bereaved of or abandoned by his or her parents. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents is called an orphan...
ed children and a number of people who were disabled
Disability
A disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these.Many people would rather be referred to as a person with a disability instead of handicapped...
, cripple
Cripple
A cripple is a person or animal with a physical disability, particularly one who is unable to walk because of an injury or illness. The word was recorded as early as 950 AD, and derives from the Proto-Germanic krupilaz...
, blind
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
, dumb
Muteness
Muteness or mutism is an inability to speak caused by a speech disorder. The term originates from the Latin word mutus, meaning "silent".-Causes:...
, and other outcasts.
Between April and November 1910, Berntsen visited Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
before returning to China directly from Northern Europe.
Berntsen also maintained contacts with the emerging Pentecostal movement in Norway
Pentecostalism in Norway
Pentecostal congregations in Norway is the largest Protestant free church in Norway with a total membership at 39,590 people in 2009....
, led by Thomas Ball Barratt
Thomas Ball Barratt
Thomas Ball Barratt was a British-born Norwegian pastor and founder of the Pentecostal movement in Norway....
and Erik Andersen Nordquelle
Erik Andersen Nordquelle
Erik Andersen Nordquelle was the leader of the Free Evangelical Fellowship in Norway, also known as the Free Friends,. regarded by many as part of the Pentecostal movement.-History:...
His daughter Ruth was born at Zhengding
Zhengding
Zhengding is a county in Hebei Province approximately 260 kilometers south of Beijing, China. It comes under the administration of nearby Shijiazhuang City and has a population of 594,000. Zhengding has been an important religious center for more than 1,000 years, from - at least - the times...
in August 1910.
In 1912, they printed a Chinese-language
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
Publication named Popular Gospel Truths which emphasized on the importance of receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit. They remained at the Zhengding Mission until 1916. Among those baptised were Zhang Lingsheng (in 1910) and Paul Wei
Paul Wei
Paul Wei , previously known as Wèi Ēnbō , was born in Hebei province, China. He was a farmer from a poor family background and had very little education. In 1902 he migrated to Beijing where he later became a prosperous silk and merchandise dealer.By his own accounts, he was previously a...
(in 1916).
Later life
Starting from 1914 onwards, Berntsen and many of the Apostolic Faith Mission missionaries in China became affiliated with the Assemblies of GodAssemblies of God
The Assemblies of God , officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 140 autonomous but loosely-associated national groupings of churches which together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination...
.
During 1916, Berntsen was approached by Zhang Lingsheng, whom after having read tracts published by the Seventh-day Adventists, advised Berntsen that he also keep the Seventh-day worship. He agreed to do so and on September 1, 1916, Berntsen announced on the thirteenth edition of the Popular Gospel Truth publication that they would be holding Seventh-day worship from now on.
In 1917, Berntsen published a tract titled "The Viewpoint on Seventh-day Sabbath worship in China", which mentioned that worshipping on the Western Sabbath day is equivalent to worshipping on Sunday in China. He reasons:
.
However Paul Wei
Paul Wei
Paul Wei , previously known as Wèi Ēnbō , was born in Hebei province, China. He was a farmer from a poor family background and had very little education. In 1902 he migrated to Beijing where he later became a prosperous silk and merchandise dealer.By his own accounts, he was previously a...
was opposed to keeping the Sabbath on a Sunday and dismissed the tract's viewpoints of the Sabbath as "erroneous". Zhang Lingsheng travelled to Beijing to peacefully persuade Paul to change his stance, but after several discussions together, Zhang himself understood and gradually accepted Paul's viewpoint. Hence in the spring of 1918, Zhang and Paul cooperated as co-workers, announced at the Tianjin
Tianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
chapel that they were to be keeping the Sabbath worship on a Saturday and thus formed their independent Pentecostal
Pentecostalism
Pentecostalism is a diverse and complex movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on a direct personal experience of God through the baptism in the Holy Spirit, has an eschatological focus, and is an experiential religion. The term Pentecostal is derived from Pentecost, the Greek...
-Sabbatarian True Jesus Church
True Jesus Church
The True Jesus Church is a non-denominational Christian church that originated in Beijing, China, in 1917. The current elected chairman of the TJC International Assembly is Preacher Yong-Ji Lin. Today, there are approximately 2.5 million members in fifty three countries and six continents...
.
During the middle of 1919, Berntsen clarified his viewpoint regarding the Sabbath on the Popular Gospel Truth publication, .
By 1919, Berntsen had become affiliated with the "Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Church of God
Pentecostal Assemblies of the World
The Pentecostal Assemblies of the World is a Pentecostal Christian denomination. Founded in 1914, it is one of the oldest Oneness Pentecostal organizations in existence. Headquarters are in Indianapolis, Indiana, and The Christian Outlook is the church's official publication...
".
Death
Berntsen died at the German Hospital at Beiping, China on October 16, 1933 due to chronic dysentery.Published works
- Popular Gospel Truths (Chinese: 通傳福音真理報, Pinyin: Tōng chuán Fúyīn Zhēnlǐ Bào, 1912)
See also
- Protestant missions in China 1807-1953Protestant missions in China 1807-1953In the early 19th century, Western colonial expansion occurred at the same time as an evangelical revival throughout the English-speaking world, leading to more overseas missionary activity...
- The Pentecostal Movement
- Pentecostalism in ChinaPentecostalism in ChinaThe Pentecostal movement in China began when the first missionaries arrived in China in 1907. Almost immediately they put down roots in at least three places which later strongly influenced the development of Chinese Pentecostalism...