Thomas Ball Barratt was a British-born Norwegian pastor and founder of the Pentecostal movement

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...

 in Norway.

In 1905, as head of the Methodist

Methodism

Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...

 City Mission in Oslo, Barratt travelled to the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 with the aim of raising funds to build new premises in Oslo. He was baptised in the Holy Spirit

Baptism with the Holy Spirit

Baptism with the Holy Spirit in Christian theology is a term describing baptism in or with the Spirit of God...

 and spoke in tongues

Glossolalia

Glossolalia or speaking in tongues is the fluid vocalizing of speech-like syllables, often as part of religious practice. The significance of glossolalia has varied with time and place, with some considering it a part of a sacred language...

 in November 1906 while staying in New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

, after hearing news of the 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...

 in Los Angeles

Los Ángeles

Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

.

He returned to Norway in December 1906 without funds or church support. Nevertheless, starting in 1907, he held revival meetings in Oslo which attracted international attention, and he became one of the prime movers of the Pentecostal movement in Europe. Lewi Pethrus

Lewi Pethrus

Petrus Lewi Pethrus was a Swedish Pentecostal minister who played a decisive role in the formation and development of the Pentecostal movement in his country.-Life:...

 from 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....

, Alexander Boddy

Alexander Boddy

Alexander Alfred Boddy was an Anglican vicar and one of the founders of Pentecostalism in Britain.-Early life:...

 from England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 and Jonathan Paul

Jonathan Paul

Jonathan Anton Alexander Paul was a German Pentecostal minister, writer, theologian, and Bible scholar and translator.Paul graduated from the Studium der Theologie in the University of Griefswald and pastored in Pomerania...

 from Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

came to Oslo, and became convinced of the divine origin of the movement. They became leaders of the Pentecostal movement in their respective countries.