History
Early inhabitants of Norway had a trading relationship with Roman-occupied
Gaul in the first few centuries AD. But no written history of Norway emerged
until the 8th century. Vikings from Norway looted and terrorized the North
Sea and settled in France, England, Russia and even in North America, by
way of Iceland and Greenland.
The first powerful king to emerge and begin unifying the Norwegian Viking
tribes was King Harald I. After his death, however, his sons broke up the
kingdom and infighting was rampant. After the civil strife subsided, Norway
united itself to Denmark from 1381 to 1814, then to Sweden from 1814 to
1905. Norway became independent in 1905 and became one of the most socially
advanced nations in Europe. Norway was neutral during World War I, but its
neutrality was violated in 1940 when the Nazis invaded and occupied the
country until 1945. After WWII, Norway abandoned neutrality policies in
world affairs by joining NATO in 1949. Today, King Harald V reigns in Norway,
and Jens Stoltenberg serves as Prime Minister.
Church
History
Christian missionaries arrived in Norway as early as 825 AD. Saint Anskar
worked among Viking tribes but found very few people willing to convert.
Later, some kings tried to force Christianity upon the people. Norway first
experienced the Pentecostal Movement through the ministry of an English-born
Norwegian, Thomas Ball Barratt. Baptized in the Holy Spirit in New York
in 1906, he returned to Oslo (then Christiania) the following month where
he held meetings in a large gymnasium, preaching the Pentecostal message.
Since Norwegian believers experienced an outpouring of the Holy Spirit at
the beginning of the 20th century similar to that in the United States,
the Assemblies of God did not establish a presence there.
The
Movement Today
he Pentecostal fellowship in Norway continues to grow. The Pentecostal
World Conference was held in Oslo, the capital, in 1992. In 2001, the Pentecostals
claimed 250 churches, 28,571 members, and 44,000 adherents.
Additional
Facts About Norway
Capital:
Oslo
Area:
146,896 square miles
Population:
4,546,123
Language: Norwegian (official)
Ethnic Groups: Germanic (Nordic, Alpine, Baltic) and Lapps
(minority)
Agriculture:
Grains and oats
Industry: Wood and paper products, shipbuilding, metals,
chemicals, food processing, fishing, oil and gas |
