History of the Evangelical Free Church of America

1. History of the Evangelical Free Church of America David M. Gustafson DMin, PhD Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

2. The evangelical Free Church and its antecedent movements are rooted in historic, orthodox Christianity. • Christian Scriptures • Nicene Creed • Apostles’ Creed • Athanasian Creed Scotum Fidei

3. Further, the EFCA and antecedent movements arise from the protestant reformation—a gospel-centered tradition. • Sola scriptura (by Scripture alone) • Sola fide (by faith alone) • Sola gratia (by grace alone) • SolusChristus (through Christ alone) • Soli Deogloria (glory to God alone)

4. Antecedent movements • Scandinavian Pietism • American Revivalism

5. In Germany, Pietism came as a response to “dead orthodoxy.” Book of Concord, 1580

6. An influential author of was pastor Johann Arndt (1555-1621) who wrote True Christianity. His Pietism emphasized Regeneration– the necessity to Be Born Again. True Christianity in German.

7. Philip JakobSpener(1635-1705), The father of Pietism, Promoted Reform Through: • collegiapietatis(college of piety), a group of devout believers who would meet privately for prayer and Bible study. • ecclesiolae in ecclesia(little church within the church; conventicle).

8. Moravians at Herrnhut, led by Count Nikolaus von Zinzendorf (1700-1760), practiced pietism that sent missionaries to: • West Indies • South America • South Africa • North America • Denmark • Sweden • Norway

9. Moravians organized conventicles, spreading Pietism through the läsare (Readers’) movement. In Sweden In Norway • Hans Nielsen Hauge (1771-1824), a Lutheran, was impacted by Moravian missionaries and promoted lay preaching. • In 1856, Gustav Adolph Lammers (1802-1878) helped form the Christian Apostolic Free Congregation in Skien, Norway. • Carl OlofRosenius (1816-1868), a Lutheran, published Pietisten (the Pietist), a journal for “Mission Friends.” • His successor was Paul Peter Waldenström(1838-1917), an early leader of the Swedish Covenant

10. the läsare / læsere (Readers’) movement Promoted: • Reading the Bible and devotional works such as Arndt’s True Christianity. • Gathering as believers in conventicles or the few free churches. • Being born again is “the one thing needful.” • Celebrating the Lord Supper, a rite for believers only. • Meeting as Mission Friendsto pray for and send missionaries. Gustav Adolph Lammers 1802-1878

11. American Revivalism:The American influence

12. American Revivalism followed the Puritan-Pietistrevival traditions of Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, and John Wesley, emphasizing the Bible’s authority and need to be born again. Jonathan Edwards, 1703-1758

13. The American revivalist who defined new evangelicalism was Dwight L. Moody. Dwight Lyman Moody, 1837-1899

14. Moody came to Chicago and worked as a boot salesman, and then as a city missionary with the YMCA. In 1873, he and his musical partner Ira D. Sankey began a two-year series of revival meetings in Great Britain. When they returned to America, they were international heroes.

15. Mass evangelism meetings with after-meetings to win the “anxious” to faith. Evangelical, non-sectarian cooperation. Lay evangelism. Gospel music. Christ’s Second Coming with rapture An independent Congregational church Moody promoted: Ira D. Sankey and Fanny Crosby

16. The first great American religious impulse to enter Scandinavia came in the form of Moody fever. The Swedish translation of D. L. Moody and His Work by W. H. Daniels, published by C. A. V. Lundholm in Stockholm in 1876. Private collection of David M. Gustafson

17. Evangelical Free Church pioneers, while initially influenced by the Rosenian pietist impulse, saw in Moody a kindred free spirit, and increasingly adopted his alliance ideal, beliefs, and methods—marks of his new American evangelicalism. J. G. Princell Used by permission of Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center, Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois

18. The year 1876 was pivotal for Mission Friends in America, the year when Moody began his city-wide revival campaign in Chicago, sparking a Swedish-American Moody fever. Chicago Tabernacle, built for Moody’s evangelistic campaign in the Windy City in 1876. Courtesy of the Billy Graham Center Archives, Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois.

19. Fredrik Franson became proficient in Moody’s methods of leading inquirers to faith, especially during the after-meetings. From this experience, he became known as “Moody’s Swedish disciple.” Fredrik Franson, 1852-1908

20. John Martenson, converted to faith during Moody’s Revival in Chicago and in 1877 became founder and editor of Chicago-Bladet.

21. Niels Peterlang from denmark attended Moody’s Church in Chicago. • In 1876 he worked with Franson at Moody’s city-wide campaign in Chicago. • In 1881 he participated at a meeting with Franson, Martenson, and Princell. • In 1881 he began to publish Folke-Vennen in Dano-Norwegian. • In 1882 he returned to Denmark where he organized the Christian Tract Society that became the Danish Covenant, under Franson. • In 1884 he returned to America and traveled to Tacoma, Washington, to serve the Scandinavian Congregational Church, the first Norwegian Free congregation in America.

22. In addition to Moody, P. P. Waldenström, editor of Pietisten in Sweden, continued to be a force that shaped Mission Friends in America.He popularized the expression, “Where stands it written?”His view that the primary effect of Christ’s death was to atone for humankinds’ sin and not to propitiate the wrath of God, led to controversy. P. P. Waldenström Used by permission of F. M. Johnson Archives, North Park University, Chicago

23. The common characteristics that Mission Friends shared with Moody drew them together. • Authority of the Bible • Conversion as “the one thing needful” • God’s love at the Cross • Lay evangelism • Living faith and piety J. G. Princell

24. Free Mission Friends shared not merely common characteristics with Moody but distinguishing marks of his influence. • Evangelical-alliance ideal • New premillennialism • After-meetings • Independent (fri) churches • Bible courses and institutes Fredrik Franson

25. Fredrik Franson • In 1878 sent out as the first missionary from “Moody’s” Chicago Avenue Church. • In 1879 cast the vision for the Utah mission to reach Swedish Mormons. • In 1880 established Swedish free churches in Denver and Nebraska. • In 1881 organized with Princell and Martenson a Prophecy Conference in Chicago. • In 1884 organized Lammers churches into the Norwegian Mission Covenant. • In 1890 founded the Scandinavian Alliance Mission (today TEAM).

26. trans- Atlantic movements • The influence of American Revivalism spread to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden in Moody fever. • Mission Friends (Läsare, Readers; Pietists) came to America seeking a better economic life and religious freedom. • People such as Franson, N. P. Lang, and Catherine Juelltravelled from America back to Scandinavia spreading among Pietist circles emphases of American Revivalism.

27. Formative Years in America Swedish Evangelical Free of America Norwegian-Danish Evangelical Free Church Association

28. J. G. Princell • In 1867 he was active among Swedish Mission Friends and President of the Swedish YMCA in Chicago. • In 1878 he resigned from the Augustana Lutheran Synod because of his Waldenströmianview of the atonement. • He served as headmaster of Ansgar College in Knoxville, Illinois, until the Ansgar Lutheran Synod decided to dissolve. • In 1884 he became an editor with Martenson at Chicago-Bladet. • He promoted a free, non-sectarian mission work among independent churches.

29. Swedish Free Mission Work • 1883 – Ministers gather in Chicago to discuss the nature of the Church, and the idea of a free, non-sectarian mission. • 1884 – Twenty-two ministers gather in Boone, Iowa, to discuss the nature of the Church and initiate cooperation to support home and foreign mission. They adopt eight resolutions pertaining to the Church and mission. Historically this is considered the beginning of the Free Mission work of the EFCA. • 1885 – Ministers gather in Minneapolis to discuss the formation of the Covenant– an idea that Free Mission Friends oppose because it is seen as forming a new sect or party that divides Christians. August Davis of Minneapolis

30. 1885 – Ministers gather in Rockford, Illinois, to discuss the ministry of the Holy Spirit, and the cooperative home mission to Swedish Mormons in Utah. • They elect to support the work of Ellen Modin and Edward Thorell. • Since Ellen Modinhad been on the field since February and was the first to receive funding from the mission fund, she was the first missionary of the Free Mission work. Miss Ellen Modin

31. In 1891, Ellen Modin founded in St. Paul, a school to train women evangelists, the Women’s Alliance Mission Home, and later in Minneapolis the Home of Shelter for troubled women and unwed mothers. From left: Amanda Gustafson, Mary Weider, Anna Nesberg, and Betsy Eckstrom.

32. 1887– Swedish Free Mission work commissioned the first overseas missionary, H. J. Von Qualen, a Dane, to Canton, China. • In Chicago he met Eugene Sieux and John Lee. • After Lee’s conversion, the three were of one mind to bring the gospel to South China. 吳碩卿 蕭雨滋

33. Rev. Eugene Sieux Siu Yu Chi 蕭雨滋 • In 1887 arrived to China three months before von Qualen • In 1896 was ordained in Chicago by the Swedish Free Mission • In 1905 became a missionary to Hawaii • From 1907 to 1913 served in Chicago as pastor of the Chinese Evangelical Mission • From 1913 to 1921 led the Chinese Nationalist League of America • In 1922 returned to China and worked to form the Evangelical Free Church of China 1866 – 1946

34. Christian orphans Home, Holdrege, Nebraska 1889– The Christian Orphan Home was founded in Phelps Center, Nebraska, by Pastor Axel Nordin.

35. 1890 – The “free Mission Friends” approved bylaws and adopted the name: Swedish-American Mission Society for Home and Foreign Evangelistic Work • “The purpose of this Society shall be, to the extent of needs and resources, through sending and supporting of well-regarded missionaries and preachers, to promote the spreading of the gospel in this and other countries.” • 1894 – The Ministerial Association Organized

36. 1897– A ten-week course began that became the Swedish Bible Institute in 1901. The school was founded to train men and women for ministry and missions. Swedish Free Mission Bible Course 1897

37. In 1908, the Free Mission incorporated in the State of Minnesota as the Swedish Evangelical Free Church of America. E. A. Halleen and Gustaf F. Johnson

38. In 1908, Josephine Princell and others founded the Women’s Missionary Society.

39. Missions expansion • South China, Hugo and Ruby Rodinein 1917 • Venezuela, David and Carrie Finstrom, Free Church Mission in 1920 • Africa, Belgian Congo, Titus Johnson, Free Church Mission in 1922 • Kentucky, Esther Wallstedtin 1931 • Japan: Calvin and Muriel Hanson, 1949 H. G. Rodine

40. Norwegian-Danish Free Church Association

41. 1884 – The first Norwegian-Danish Free congregations were formed in Tacoma, Washington, and Boston, Massachusetts.

42. There was a direct connection between the norwegian– danish free churches in americaand the norwegian covenant in Norway. • Severin K. Didriksenin Boston had served on the preliminary planning commission in Norway, working with Franson. • Niels Peter Lang in Tacoma had labored with Franson in America and Denmark. • Niels C. Carlsencooperated with Franson in Minnesota and the Dakotas. Niels Carlsen

43. Norwegian-Danish Free congregations were founded in the East, Midwest, and West. • In 1891 leaders from the Midwest and West met in Chicago and to form the Western Association to promote ministry and fellowship. • In 1898 churches in the East formed the Eastern Missionary Association. • The periodicals Evangelisten and Folke-Vennen served as organs to unite the Associations.

44. Union of the two Norwegian-Danish Associations • In 1900, the two associations published their annual reports in a single volume. • In 1909, they began to discuss seriously the question of uniting. • In 1912, a statement of faith was prepared and the Norwegian-Danish Evangelical Free Church Association incorporatedwith twenty congregations.

45. Education • In 1884, arrangements were made with the Chicago Theological Seminary to set up a Norwegian-Danish Department. • In 1889, Professor R. A. Jernberg served as professor of the department until its was discontinued in 1915. • Trends toward theological liberalism let to the establishment of the Bible Institute in Rushford, Minnesota in 1910. Rushford, Minnesota

46. Missions • The Norwegian-Danish Evangelical Free Church partnered with the Scandinavian Alliance Mission, today TEAM. • Dr. C. T. Dyrness, pastor of the Salem Church in Chicago, gave leadership to the mission and served on the board for many years, along with Josephine Princell and John Martensonof the Swedish Free. • One of the first missionaries was Malla Moe who served in South Africa. • Christine Villadsenwas martyred in China in 1918. • Additional missionaries went to India, Japan, Venezuela, and Mongolia.

47. Compassion ministrY • Lydia Children’s Home was established in Chicago in 1916. Lydia’s Children’s Home

48. Evangelical Free 1880 – 1910 I--------------Pietistic ----------------I 1910 – 1940 (Liberal) I----Fundamental----I (Pentecostal) 1940 – present I-----New Evangelical-----I

49. Merger Evangelical Free Church of America (Swedish) Evangelical Free Church Association (Norwegian-Danish)

50. 1946 – 1950 preparation for the merger • Barriers – language, nationalism, structure • Issues to resolve – publications, schools, missions, doctrine • Arnold T. Olson, Norwegian president (1942-1950) • E. A. Halleen, Swedish president (1922-1950) Dr. Arnold T. Olson and Dr. E. A. Halleen