Baptistic Theologies, 2009

more people in a few weeks than in the four years of his work in Norway. At the end of the year the Skien church had thirty members. 66 There were several different phases in Rymker’s life and in the life of the Skien church. Rymker returned to Denmark in 1862. Before his 63 Frithjof Iversen, Norges Baptister 100 dr 1860-1960 [Baptists of Norway, 100 years, 1860 to 1960] (Oslo: Norsk Litteraturselskap, 1960), ET from Norwegian, p. 10. 64 Before 22 nd April, Rymker had received a letter from Wiberg, that ABPS had decided to stop supporting him and that F.O. Nilsson would replace him. He answers Wiberg and his letter shows his sorrow. He felt humiliated and wonders if this is God's will for him. He asks Wiberg to explain his firing and wonders if he would get paid until Nilsson arrives and if his return trip to Denmark for his family would be covered? At the same time his ordination papers arrive from Kpbner and other papers and references from Oncken or Wiberg. Eidberg, Detfolket som kalles Baptister. En underspkelse av Det Norske Baptistsamfunn bakgrunn, tilgivelse, historie og egenart til jubileet 1902, p. 91. 65 The first members of the Porsgrunn and Solum Baptist Church were: Carl Gundersen Kpngerpd, Abrham Pederen Klovholdt, Sigvald Andersen, Ingeborg Krisitne Oldsdatter, Anders Olsen, Kari Khristendatter, Mathilde Lovise Kristine Rymker, and Frederick Ludvig Rymker. Ibid., p. 83. 66 Iversen, Norges Baptister 100 ar 1860-1960, p. 12. 67 A question has been raised as to whether Skien Baptist Church can trace its origins back further than 1872. After some turbulent years, an organisational change took place in the church in 1872 but the church does go back to 1860. Was the change the reorganisation of the church, or did it dissolve, and was a brand new church constituted by previous members? Does the first church end in 1872? Olav Spyland, Porsgrunn, comments, in a note to Peder Eidberg, dated 6 th July 1996, concerning the situation in Skien during the 1870s: ‘When was the old Baptist Church in Porsgrunn or Solum with its changing names Baptist Beginnings in Norway 119 departure he visited many of the places in Norway he had previously visited. He looked back over his work in Norway and in his journal of January 1862 he stated that ‘he was very disappointed that he had failed to zro establish work in the surrounding area outside the city of Skien’. After a lengthy absence from the churches due to his travels Rymker found that his church in Larvik had reduced itself to one or two who attended Sunday meetings. Other meetings were cancelled because no-one came. In Skien and Porsgrunn it was a little better, but Rymker thought the time had come to discontinue his work in Norway. 69 In the weeks that followed Rymker wrote to his supporters in the USA, England, Sweden, and Denmark about his decision. He sold his house in Larvik and travelled with his family back to Denmark where he died on 23 ld