Baptistic Theologies, 2009

y, we have the Lammers. 41 Ibid., p. 55. 42 Baptist Beginnings in Norway 113 Since Skien is the city where a Baptist church was established in 1860, along with a Baptist church in the city of Drammen, it is important that we look at the spiritual atmosphere in this region of Norway. At the same time as the State Church had been affected by Pietism, the Moravians, Zionittene and Hauge revivals throughout the country, a new movement broke out in Drammen which affected the Lutheran State Church from within. The revival did not originally only affect Drammen but also Skien and the surrounding areas. Diesen states: ‘It is important to remember that this Free Church movement started right after the Konventikelplakatten was established’ , 43 In the 1840s Lutheran pastor Gustav Adolph Lammers, senior pastor of Bamble diocese, experienced a conversion from a worldly life. As Lammers went to the pulpit in his new church in Skien, he was a changed man. Immediately waves of revival began to break out over the town of Skien and its surrounding areas. He had a huge effect upon his • 44 congregation. By contrast with the Haugian revival, the new Lammers revival reached into the theological realm. In the capital, Gisle Johnsen, Dean of Theology, became leader of the new movement. Lammers reacted to the practices of the State Church. 45 Lammers, who had been affected by the spirituality of the Moravians, was impressed by the case for believer’s baptism and came to baptistic convictions. Several groups associated with the Moravians and Hauge were involved in collective Bible study and Lammers made links with them. Several ‘Lammers’ churches were to be formed, but there were tensions over Lammers’ attitude to infant baptism. 46 43 Ibid. 44 Ibid., p. 62. In 1848 he was appointed senior pastor of the Lutheran church in Skien. This was the turning point of his life, when he personally decided on a new and different type of life. A new and wholehearted Christian life was beginning. A meeting with Johannes Grossner made a big change in his life, when he became aware of Spren Kirkegaard's writings. New research has revealed that Lammers studied Kirkegaard’s writings. Especially, Lammers was touched by a series of pamphlets under the common name 0yebIikket. Kirkegaard was very radical in his demand for a genuine truthful Christian life, not only an official State religion. 45 The obligatory repentance of sin, with absolution, which was given completely or in part before taking the sacrament of the Eucharist. Openly unbelieving people were able to participate at the altar with the saved. It was completely impossible to exercise church discipline in the State church. The way the church practiced infant baptism, made the church a pillow for the unsaved. In addition one could see different methods of the Lammers movement which led to the Free Church movement. Their use of newly built prayer chapels as their official