Thomas Ball Barratt
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Thomas Ball Barratt, also known as T. B. Barratt, (22 July 1862 – 29 January 1940) was a British-born Norwegian pastor and one of the founding figures of the Pentecostal movement in Europe, bringing the movement, or baptism in the Holy Spirit, as it became known, to Norway and Europe in 1906. He was originally a
Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...
pastor but later left the church and went on to establish the Pentecostal movement in Norway. Close to his heart were the matters of
salvation Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...
, his social engagement ( charitable work), and " fight against alcohol." He was seen as one of the founders and leaders of the European Pentecostal movement. His motto was "," 'onward to ancient Christianity'. He was interested in art, singing, and music, and translated songs to Norwegian. He was a sought-after preacher and wrote several books and a number of theological articles in Christian publications. On 10 May 1887, Barratt married Laura Jakobsen. They had eight children, though only four survived to adulthood. Daughter Mary Barratt Due was a pianist; together with her husband
Henrik Adam Due Henrik Adam Due (19 April 1891 – 13 May 1966) was a Norwegians, Norwegian violinist originally from Saint Paul, Minnesota, and the son of physician Elias Kristian Jensen Due (1845–1931) and Elen Henriette Due (née Broch, 1853–1926), marrie ...
they founded the
Barratt Due Institute of Music The Barratt Due Institute of Music in Oslo, Norway, is a music education institute founded in 1927 by pianist Mary Barratt Due and violinist Henrik Adam Due. It is situated in Fagerborg in Oslo and is a private stiftelse, foundation which receive ...
in 1927. Musicians Cecilie Barratt Due and
Stephan Barratt-Due Stephan Henrik Barratt-Due Jr. (born 1 June 1956 in Oslo, Norway) is a Norwegian violinist, the son of violinist Stephan Henrik Barrat-Due (1919–1985) and Else Barratt-Due (b. Holst, June 1925). Biography Barrat-Due started his violin studi ...
are Thomas Ball Barratt's grandchildren. Barratt died 29 January 1940. On his deathbed he stated, "There was more land to conquer."


Life and ministry

Barratt was born in
Albaston Albaston ( kw, Trevalba) is a hamlet in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is in the civil parish of Calstock. It is located at Ordnance Survey . Albaston is about 1 mile (2 kilometres) from the centre of Gunnislake and half-a-mile (0.7 kil ...
,
Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
. His father, Alexander Barratt, led the sulfur mining operation at
Varaldsøy Varaldsøy is an island (and village) in the municipality of Kvinnherad in Vestland county, Norway. The island is the largest island in the Hardangerfjorden. Most of the inhabitants live on the southern tip of the island in the village of Vara ...
in Hardanger and moved there alone in 1867. The rest of the family came to Norway in 1868, when Barratt was five years old. He grew up to be fluent in English and Norwegian. His parents were highly active in the Methodist movement. As an eleven year-old, Barratt was sent to a Methodist school in England and received salvation at twelve years of age. He received his theological education at Wesleyan Collegiate Institute in Taunton, now known as Queen's College, where he also studied art and music. He also studied under composer Edvard Grieg in Norway.


Methodism

After Barratt began preaching at age 17, he pastored several churches in the
Methodist Episcopal Church The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself on a national basis. In ...
of Norway. In 1885, he went to Kristiania (now Oslo), where he worked as a preacher for a year at the Second Methodist Church. In 1886, he moved back to Voss. In western Norway, he met Laura Jakobsen, who would become his wife in 1887, at the Free Evangelical Fellowship
free church A free church is a Christian denomination that is intrinsically separate from government (as opposed to a state church). A free church does not define government policy, and a free church does not accept church theology or policy definitions from ...
in Bergen. At 27 years old, in 1889, he returned to Kristiania as pastor of the Third Methodist Church, Centralkirken, where he worked until 1902. His work there eventually led to him taking on a number of other tasks. He founded ('The City Mail'), now ('Victory of the Cross'), which was first published on 27 February 1904. The newsletter featured edifying articles and reports on Christian work around the world. In 1902 Barratt founded ('Kristiania city mission'), a social work organization. He desired to help alcoholics and the downtrodden. The annual Methodist conference had given him its blessing, but without particular enthusiasm. After three years, in 1905, he planned to build a large new building in Oslo, , as the current building was becoming too cramped. The new building was to be a center for the mission. He travelled to New York in 1906 to raise money.


In the United States

Barratt rented a room in preacher
A.B. Simpson Albert Benjamin Simpson (December 15, 1843 – October 29, 1919), also known as A. B. Simpson, was a Canadian preacher, theologian, author, and founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA), an evangelical denomination with an emphasis ...
's guesthouse in Manhattan. The guesthouse was a temporary residence for
missionaries A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...
waiting to travel by ship to their mission fields on other continents; today the organization is known as the
Christian and Missionary Alliance The Alliance World Fellowship is the international governing body of the Christian and Missionary Alliance (The Alliance, also C&MA and CMA). The Alliance is an evangelical Protestant denomination within the Higher Life movement of Christianity ...
. Barratt's attempts to raise money for his planned building, , were unsuccessful. During his stay in New York, he sent reports about Christian life in America to Norway, which were published in the newsletter .


Speaking in tongues and baptism in the Holy Spirit

In New York, he heard about the Azusa Street Revival occurring in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
. Barratt had long desired baptism in the Holy Spirit, and in September of 1906 he came across the newsletter ''The Apostolic Faith'', published by the Azusa Street Mission. He never made it Los Angeles to attend the Azusa Street Revival as he lacked the money. He did, however, send a letter there; the reply he received changed his life. It challenged him to give his life and plans to God, so he prayed and experienced a breakthrough on 7 October 1906, being baptised in the Holy Spirit. On 15 November 1906, he experienced another breakthrough as he spoke and sang in tongues. He said further that at four o'clock in the morning, he was speaking in tongues in several languages. He sang in the Spirit and his voice was different, clear, strong, and pure. In 1906, in the newsletter , in Norway, Barratt wrote about what had happened to him in the United States. His articles from New York told of a "Pentecost anew. Los Angeles has been visited by an awakening reminiscent of the one described in the second chapter of
Acts The Acts of the Apostles ( grc-koi, Πράξεις Ἀποστόλων, ''Práxeis Apostólōn''; la, Actūs Apostolōrum) is the fifth book of the New Testament; it tells of the founding of the Christian Church and the spread of its message ...
" and "A flash of light from the west. When I received my baptism in the Spirit." According to Barratt, he was the first in New York to have experienced baptism in the Spirit like those in Los Angeles.


Back in Norway

Barratt returned to Norway in December 1906 without funds or church support. With his return, his baptism in the Spirit caused a stir. Others had heard about it from and he began to hold meetings in Oslo. This was the beginning of several revival meetings which included speaking in tongues. He rented (a gymnastics hall) in Oslo, across the street from where the congregation he founded,
Filadelfia Oslo Filadelfia Oslo or Filadelfia Church Oslo () is a Christian church associated with the Pentecostalism in Norway, Pentecostal movement in Norway. It is the largest Pentecostal congregation in Norway with 2,092 members in 2019. It conducts extensi ...
, is located today. When Barratt took the podium 23 December 1906, and was about to tell about his baptism in the Spirit, he could only stand there crying. In the end, he left the podium without having preached. The day after Christmas, he held another meeting and Christmas party. The hall was packed. Several more meetings were held between Christmas and New Year, including a Christmas party at Kristiania Bymisjon in the Methodist church. After the children went home, the room was filled with adults for a Pentecostal revival that lasted all night. By New Year, ten people had been baptised in the Spirit in Oslo. This marked the start of the Pentecostal movement in Norway.


Break with the Methodist Church

Barratt was a Methodist pastor until 1907, but after returning from the United States, he did not serve in the Methodist Episcopal Church again. He gave up leadership of Kristiania Bymisjon and began to hold his own meetings. In 1909 the leading actor
Anna Larssen Bjørner Anna Vilhelmine Johanne Dorthea Larssen Bjørner née Halberg (1875–1955) was a Danish actress and Pentecostal preacher. She was born in to a theatrical family and she was appearing in plays at the age of six. However her father died and her moth ...
gave up her high profile career to become an evangelist. She had been inspired by Barrett to make this change to her life. The Methodist Church desired to distance itself from his
charismatic Charisma () is a personal quality of presence or charm that compels its subjects. Scholars in sociology, political science, psychology, and management reserve the term for a type of leadership seen as extraordinary; in these fields, the term "ch ...
direction and terminated his membership in 1909, after which he travelled to the UK once more, preaching in Sion College, London and then returning to Sunderland for what had become an annual Pentecost celebration known as the Whitsuntide Convention. He then visited Bournemouth and stayed with
Stanley Frodsham Stanley Howard Frodsham was a British pastor, editor, author and teacher and one of the founding figures of the Pentecostal movement in Europe. He was the editor of the Pentecostal Evangel and the author of 15 books. Life and Ministry Frodsham ...
, another early Pentecostal pioneer and writer.


The Norwegian Pentecostal movement takes shape

The gymnastics hall was often in use so it became necessary for Barratt to find other arrangements. Eventually, the meetings were held in smaller buildings. Most churches allowed him to use their space early on, and he held meetings at the Baptist Tabernacle church, Misjonsforbundets Betlehem, and several of Oslo's Methodist churches. The Free Evangelical Fellowship, led by pastor Erik Andersen Nordquelle, had their meetings in Oslo and allowed Barratt to use his pulpit; the two developed a close cooperation. It lasted for a while, but this was to change in 1910. When Barratt began to rent separate meeting facilities, the Free Evangelical church believed Barratt was holding his own competing meetings; this led to a split. Nordquelle led the Free Evangelical Fellowship and Barratt's meetings were to become the Norwegian Pentecostal movement. In 1916, he established a Pentecostal assembly at 38 in Oslo; today the church is located on and known as
Filadelfia Oslo Filadelfia Oslo or Filadelfia Church Oslo () is a Christian church associated with the Pentecostalism in Norway, Pentecostal movement in Norway. It is the largest Pentecostal congregation in Norway with 2,092 members in 2019. It conducts extensi ...
.


Spread of the movement and reactions

Barratt had not desired to start a new movement, but it was to be the result of his work. The new revival met strong opposition and its followers were seen as religious fanatics by other Christians. Satirical cartoons were featured in newspapers and rotten eggs were thrown at him as he went for walks. Despite the opposition, or as a result of media attention and gossip, the revival in Oslo quickly spread throughout Norway—several existing Norwegian parishes also joined the movement. Additionally, the movement attracted international attention. Lewi Pethrus from
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
,
Alexander Boddy Alexander Alfred Boddy (15 November 1854 – 10 September 1930) was an Anglican vicar and one of the founders of Pentecostalism in Britain. Early life Boddy was born into an ecclesiastical family: his father was a vicar, and his mother was a desce ...
from England and
Jonathan Paul Jonathan Anton Alexander Paul (1853–1931) was a German Pentecostal minister, writer, theologian, and Bible scholar and translator. Paul graduated from the Studium der Theologie in the University of Greifswald and pastored in Pomerania. He was mem ...
from Germany came to Oslo, and became convinced of the divine origin of the movement; they became leaders of the Pentecostal movement in their respective countries. Alexander Boddy visited Barratt early in 1907 and prevailed upon him to visit Sunderland. Barratt sailed from Norway in late August 1907, arriving at Newcastle in September. His preaching marked the beginning of the meetings at
All Saints' Church All Saints Church, or All Saints' Church or variations on the name may refer to: Albania *All Saints' Church, Himarë Australia *All Saints Church, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory * All Saints Anglican Church, Henley Brook, Western Austr ...
in Monkwearmouth, Sunderland, under the ministry of Boddy. On 13 September, Barratt wrote "the eyes of the religious millions of Great Britain are now fixed on Sunderland." Nevertheless his observation was not reflected in writings from the established church. Barratt returned to Norway on 18 October. Barratt continued to travel abroad, visiting Sweden, Finland, Poland, Estonia, Iceland and Denmark. In 1908, the first Pentecostal congregation in Norway () was founded in Skien by C. M. Seehuus, who also became the congregation's first pastor. Seehuus had broken from the Baptist church in Skien, which he had led.


Cooperation with the Smith brothers

In the early phases of the newsletter, Barratt received help from linguistically-talented dentist , younger brother of Johan Oscar Smith, founder of what is known today as
Brunstad Christian Church Brunstad Christian Church (BCC) is a worldwide evangelical non-denominational Christian church. Established in Norway early in the 20th century. It is represented by more than 220 churches in 54 countries. An overview of members per country shows ...
. They had all left the Methodist Church and cooperated informally for several years. Nevertheless, they faced disagreements as the Smith brothers could not accept Barratt's preaching that sin was removed through baptism in the Spirit. Barratt and the Smith brothers shared a liberal view on women compared to Christendom in Norway at the time, and they worked as willingly together with women as with men. One of these women was Gunda Willersrud who had founded a gathering in Ålesund, Norway, known as , 'the Gunda sect'. After having followed the new Pentecostal movement, she broke with Barratt in 1916, to the advantage of Johan Oscar Smith's parallel movement; later there was to be a split between Willersrud and Smith.


Baptism

Barratt was not baptised in water until 1913. He had not believed in the necessity of
believer's baptism Believer's baptism or adult baptism (occasionally called credobaptism, from the Latin word meaning "I believe") is the practice of baptizing those who are able to make a conscious profession of faith, as contrasted to the practice of baptizing ...
to join the Pentecostal church, but after thorough study of the Bible, he changed his mind and underwent baptism. Both he and his wife Laura were baptised on 15 September 1913 by Swedish pastor Lewi Pethrus at the Filadelfia Church in Stockholm, Sweden.


As a leader

Barratt was said to have had a slightly bowed and rocking gait, a mild, pleasant disposition, and a good sense of humor. He saw himself as a leader; the opposition, critique, and public ridicule he faced the first few years made him a humble leader. Musician was active in Filadelfia Oslo the last twelve years of Barratt's life. He remembered Barratt as a democratic leader—everyone was allowed to express an opinion and debates could be lively. Any issues regarding the church's leadership received thorough treatment.Ekorness, Karsten. 2006. ''Mitt møte med T.B.B.'' Korsets Seier, 3 February 2006. In Norwegian. Barratt was seen by many as the primary leader of the European Pentecostal movement. He was elected President of the Great European Pentecostal Conference in Stockholm in 1939 by a unanimous vote. He remained the pastor of Filadelfia Oslo until his death in 1940.


As a preacher

Barratt stood out as a preacher and held speeches across the Nordic countries. During his travels and visits to various congregations, he spoke often about his baptism in the Spirit. His meetings often received a strong response. When Barratt visited Mosjøen, Norway, in 1933, the hall was packed and a long line of people extended down the street; Barratt's visit made a strong impression. New Pentecostal assemblies were established at several of the locations he visited. Musician Karsten Ekorness described the services as having a liveliness; Barratt did not like formal rituals but allowed freedom to rule the service. He often had quite complete outlines for his sermons but also spoke freely without sticking to the outline. His sermons were thorough, well thought out, and delivered in a cultivated and distinct way.


Songwriter and musician

On Barratt's 75th birthday, Karsten Ekorness debuted as a soloist at Filadelfia Oslo with Barratt accompanying him on piano. Ekorness became a close partner regarding the church's music. The church choir was started by Barratt in 1932 and later taken over by Ekorness. Barratt was a prolific songwriter and had a large impact on the music of the Pentecostal movement. It is said that he would sit at the piano and play an improvised musical commentary to conversations and discussions. He often played piano while whistling melodies. He wrote lyrics for over one hundred songs and composed melodies for several of his lyrics. He also translated a number of songs into Norwegian. In 1911 he published the songbook. It was the Norwegian Pentecostal movement's first songbook and contained 110 songs written by Barratt, along with 130 of his translations into Norwegian. However, this was not his first songbook. Previously, he had published in 1887, which contained 96 of his own songs. His songs have been widely sung since and have been published in a number of songbooks. Barratt's last solo in church (at Filadelfia Oslo) was the first Sunday of 1940 and Ekorness accompanied him on piano. The lyrics were to be prophetic: "I am coming, I am coming, for my head is bowed, I hear voices calling me to the peace of heaven." He died several weeks later, on 29 January 1940 in Oslo and was buried there. Up to 20,000 people are said to have lined the streets for his funeral.


Mission work

Mission work has been important in the Pentecostal movement from the very beginning. Early on, Barratt established the Pentecostal Foreign Mission of Norway (, PYM) which sent
missionaries A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...
particularly to countries in Asia and Africa. Later, in 1929, he supported the organization's dissolution. From then on, missionaries were sent by individual congregations. The congregations were also responsible for their financial support. This created a close relationship between the missionary in the mission field and the congregation; Pentecostal churches have therefore sent a high number of missionaries compared to the number of church members. Today, missionaries are still sent by individual congregations but the umbrella organization PYM is responsible for coordination.


Barratt started the magazine in 1904, while he was still a pastor in the Methodist Church. When he broke with the Methodists, he kept the publication. Its name was changed in 1910 to , and it remains the primary mouthpiece for the Pentecostal movement in Norway. Barratt was an avid writer for the magazine.


Works

Barratt wrote a number of devotionals and articles in Christian publications, especially for , or , as it is known today. Additionally, he preached a large number of sermons and both wrote and translated songs.


Books

* 1887 – (songbook) * 1899 – * 1911 – (songbook) * 1919 – * 1926 – * 1927 – * 1927 – ''When the fire fell: An outline of my life'' * 1932 – * 1933 – * 1933 – * 1935 – * 1938 – * 1939 – * 1941 – (autobiography) * 1950 – * 1950 – * Unknown date – * Unknown date –


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barratt, Thomas Ball 1862 births 1940 deaths People from Cornwall English emigrants to Norway Norwegian Methodists Norwegian expatriates in the United States Burials at the Cemetery of Our Saviour Pentecostalism Norwegian Pentecostal pastors Converts to Pentecostal denominations from Methodism