Gathering around sanctification at international conferences several times a year creates unity in the church community.
The BCC Federation has around 25,000 fellow believers worldwide. The head office and the church’s daily operations are located in Norway, in Moss municipality. The central organization and organizations for most of the focus areas are established here. Mission and broadcasting organizations are established in the USA.
About BCC
- Origins from 1898
- First form of organization in the 1930s, and established bylaws for the Norwegian activities in 1993. Was constituted as an international federation in 2021
- Our faith and message is based on the Bible
- Is the only Norwegian church with an international presence
- Has extensive work for children and youth, and a high proportion of young members
- Finances are mainly based on voluntary donations, and BCC has no paid preachers
- The main focus areas cover: missionary work, media, events, music, youth programs and fund
Our objectives
- Promote the Christian faith among all people, as expressed in our basis of faith, and teach them to keep all of Jesus’ commandments
- Further the framework conditions for Christianity and its standing in society
- Provide children and young people with a positive and healthy Christian environment, and create good framework conditions for children and young people’s personal, spiritual, and social development
Our values
Love
Love is central to Christianity. Jesus said: “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.” Extending charity, care and generosity towards individuals, each with their own various conditions and life situations, is therefore to love Jesus with the same love with which He loved us. When the love of Him becomes an inner driving force, this goodness will be felt by all people.
Respect
As a religious community, BCC fully respects the right of each individual to make personal choices in accordance with the rights established by society, for example with regard to religious and political freedoms, sexual orientation and family life.
Believers should be characterized by attitudes and conduct which are compatible with having respect and esteem for all people, whatever their beliefs or whichever beliefs or worldview they have.
Righteousness
As a Christian, it should be a matter of course to be righteous in financial matters and to follow the laws of the land. This is the starting point for a deeper righteousness, where one acknowledges one’s position as a selfish person, and that through the cross of Christ one can deny evil thoughts and deeds. In this way goodness can grow within us, serving to the best for ourselves, those near to us, and to society.
Faithfulness
Faithfulness is manifested through our relationship with God, but is also reflected in our interpersonal relationships and commitments. As believers, we always seek to have these in harmony with God’s word. Determination and perseverance in the faith are highly valued in BCC, because it leads people into a life of growth and development.
Conferences on sanctitication
The preaching is so central that almost 50 per cent of the BCC Federation’s annual budget is allocated to BCC Event.
The start of the conferences can be traced back to a letter from 1909 that Johan Oscar Smith wrote to his brother Aksel:
“We have had enough conferences and conventions. If we are going to have more of that kind of thing, it would have to be a conference on sanctification where we discussed the importance of spreading an understanding of what needs to happen after one has received the power of the resurrection — namely, fellowship with Christ in His sufferings.”
For more than a hundred years, the church has gathered around this message, which leads to a life of sanctification. In 2024, sanctification was the theme of the youth club’s Bible studies and Easter camp.
Church life
Children and young people are the future
The desire of individuals to live as a disciple of Jesus leads to unity in church life. The preaching of the message of the Bible forms the basis for BCC to be a vibrant church, as it has been since the beginning.
More than 60% of the participants at BCC’s conferences are under 30 years of age. This age group has been prioritized for decades. Young people participate in Bible instruction, engage in activities adapted to their age and interests, and have good experiences and friendships they can enjoy later in life.
A church of active participants
Although BCC has an orderly organizational structure with elected representatives for formal positions, church life and edification in the faith continue to be as free and unorganized as they were in the beginning.
All local churches in BCC are participating churches. At meetings and conferences in our faith community there is a great deal of member participation. This is inspired by Paul’s words to the Corinthians.“How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.”(1 Corinthians 14:26)
In the meetings individuals can participate with what is on their heart, be it a message, testimony, prayer or song. The church has no paid preachers, and there are no scheduled lists of speakers in the meetings. When the members come together, there is great freedom to contribute, both in terms of the content of the meetings, and in practical tasks in church life. The purpose is that everything shall contribute towards building up faith in Jesus Christ, because it is that which brings us together.
From the relatively large proportion of young people in BCC, many grow up to take over voluntary tasks and contribute as support workers and to the edification in the faith.
We see that preaching the message of the Bible leads to development in the church for young and old, within the liberty given by the word of God. This creates both unity and power, which we see will continue to build the church for the future.
About our name
“BCC” comes from of Brunstad Christian Church, which is derived from a place called Brunstad in Sandefjord municipality, Norway. This place has been an international gathering place for the church since 1956. The conferences here are still an important arena for fellowship in the faith, even though the church is no longer the owner.
In recent times, the conference facility at Oslofjord has undergone extensive development, and it is here that BCC Event organizes annual conferences, youth camps, family days and activities for children and young people here.
“Smith’s Friends”
In Norway and elsewhere, BCC has previously been referred to as “Smith’s Friends,” but this has never been the church’s official name.
