Faith and community

The best feast ever in Salem – Our 50 year anniversary!

19. October 2017

Fifty years ago, some Salem friends gathered for a conference with brother Bratlie, who had travelled from Norway to meet new contacts on the westcoast of USA. This September, the anniversary was celebrated with a grand feast.

Text: Rosemary Love – Photo: BCC Salem / BCC Seattle

For the children and grandchildren of this small group of friends, who is now counting more than 400 persons, the anniversary started with a video about the first pioneers who in the 1840s left behind their former lives to travel to the West Coast of America. They faced tremendous hardships, and the journey was long and tough. It took great determination in the face of seemingly impossible odds. Many didn’t make it. Those who did reach their destination had to build homes soon after they arrived and plant crops before the winter set in. They were brave and worked hard because they were gripped of the reward. In this same pioneer spirit, the early friends who met Sigurd Bratlie in 1967 began their journey to build the church in Oregon.

/><br /> </strong><em>Kåre J. Smith was present, and thanked those that had been along from the start. Photo: BCC</em></p> <h4>The pioneers that went before us</h4> <p>The stories of the American pioneers reminded us of the forerunners we have in the church. In 1934 Johan O. Smith wrote to Elias Aslaksen: <em>“The churches round about the country are flourishing and bearing fruit. In Denmark, too, the seed is springing up and growing day and night. It has been sown in America. We can rejoice over all this. And what does the future hold? Our children and grandchildren will continue to sow the seed. The children in the church will continue to bear fruit and seed far into the future.”</em></p> <p>One of the first contacts in Salem was Monrad Grannes, who labored faithfully and tirelessly for many years in hope that God would raise up a church in North America. He would often say “Time is short! Use it well.” Grannes also understood the importance of participating in the international conferences at Brunstad, and encouraged his friends in Salem to go to Norway and spend time where members from many countries were gathered to hear the preaching of the same gospel.</p> <p>Many friends worked at length to put Salem’s story together through pictures. Pictures showed the first generation as well as the large influx in the 1980s, of those who were longing for a new life. On display was Monrad Grannes’ first wire recorder from 1950. He was early out in putting technology to use, and sent a counterpart to Norway so they would record meetings and conferences and send them back to him in the U.S.</p> <p><img decoding=

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The House Band provided music through the whole evening, and did a fantastic job. Photo: BCC

 

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