Putting Brunstad Christian Church On Notice

How can a church claiming "Victory over sin" get into so much trouble?

 
May 22, 2018

I am confronting the top leadership of the sect in which I got married, raised a family, and spent 15 of the best years of my life. This is just the beginning.

The sect now calls itself Brunstad Christian Church (BCC) -- formerly and more widely known as "Smith's Friends" in English, "Smiths Venner" in Scandinavia, and in other parts of the world by translations of the "Norwegian Brothers".

I recently published information about BCC, some of it historical, some of it reported over the last several years in the European press, and some of it my personal account of what BCC did to my family in the early 1990s -- things which we are still suffering from and struggling with. You can read about it in my blog post: Kåre J. “Waldo” Smith, Where Are You? (Note: My personal blog is not connected in any way to Vårt Land or any other organization.)


I wrote the "Waldo" post on the occasion of a letter to BCC's top leader. I knew him well enough to talk with him when I was a member of the sect. He knew me well enough to expel and excommunicate me from it in early 1994. I wrote him back then, too. The full text of both letters are featured in the "Waldo" post, plus quite a few articles from the Dutch and Norwegian press, as well as insider information from current and former members.

BCC's top accountant, possibly the organization's third most powerful figure at the time, was arrested in March of 2016 in the Netherlands. Who knows how much incriminating evidence authorities have obtained from his testimony and his computers, including some 200,000 emails? In an email to BCC leaders, he wrote, "I had to go along with no less than swindling, tax evasion, and manipulation of the members and leadership of its various organizations," and, "Leave me in peace and I'll leave you in peace," according to this Dagens Næringsliv article. He was arrested a few weeks later.

The title of the "Waldo" post alludes to the fact that two of BCC's top leaders have left their beloved Norway and remain beyond the reach of the authorities that want to interview them.

If you think that BCC is a benign, normal Christian church, I encourage you to read my post about our experiences with it and its practices. Apart from my family's story, the information I present in the post is well-known among people in the sect and those familiar with it, most of it published in recognized European newspapers. I merely assembled and summarized that information. Authorities at local and national levels in Norway, the Netherlands and are now investigating the organization and its leaders.

If you or anyone you care about is involved with BCC, I urge you to educate yourself from sources that are more objective than people who sympathize and support the organization. Only then will you have the means to make an informed, unbiased, intelligent decision about it.

Millard J. Melnyk

Seattle, Washington, USA

millardjmelnyk@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/millard.j.melnyk

Are They a Pseudo-Christian Cult?

 Dear Brothers and Sisters,


 I am writing this blog with much concern about you. I personally don't have anything against any religious group. But as I see many families getting broken by religious groups which use bible verses like Luke 14:26, Matthew 10:33-37, I feel very miserable inside. When I see people who do not study the word in the right method -they break their wonderful relationship that God has given them- just because their leader said so, my heart cries out for them. If you are confused after reading this blog, I encourage your brother and sister, to pray to God, to show you the right way, to help you study the bible in the right way, and teach you what God wants to tell about your family and your loved ones, and ask God to tell him, what you should preach and practice...

Jehovah's witnesses teach that Jesus is not God,
Unity Pentecostals teach that Jesus alone is God, not the Father and Holy Spirit,
Mormons teach that we are worshiping three different Gods,
Can all their teachings be right? definitely no.
Any one of them could be right, or may be all the above mentioned groups could be wrong. What if you are one among them, who lost your family for a teaching which you do not know for sure is right or wrong? What if you are enticed by a teaching that broke your personnel relationship with God and with your loved ones?
At the side bar, you could see links to blogs and websites which would increase my concern for you.
What if you are in the wrong side?
Have you allowed the Holy Spirit to talk to you, without the pre-interpreted text of your leaders?
What if you made a mistake because you do not know how to read the bible in the right method?
And the worse part, what if you lose your soul by misinterpreting the bible and shut your mind to the right thinking?
Do you have a personnel relationship with God? or are you living in hope that your leaders interpretation is good enough for you to reach heaven?
Don't you want God to speak to you?
Don't you want your loved ones to be with you in heaven?
Don't you want to preach the right Gospel to a dying soul?
Why keep a teaching so secret, when the world around you is dying? Have not Jesus commanded that you should preach the Gospel to the ends of the world? then why keep your teachings a secret?
Once again my heart goes for you, the one who is reading this blog,
Please read the bible, learn the right methods to understand the scriptures by yourselves, learn what the bible says about family and relationships, have a personnel relationship with God.
If you think you are the only church that has separated itself from the sins of the world, given below is the general method of how more than 4000 Pseudo Christian cults work.


They also think that they are the only church that has separated itself from the sins of the world.



 If you have not heard about the different divisions in christian churches, here they are : There are basically two important divisions among the Christians.
1. Christian Churches
2.Pseudo (Fake) Christian Cults

Christian Churches though have many denominations, follow certain basic doctrines and behaviors, that builds up the church, encourages the believers to study the word of God by themselves and preach the gospel to the unreached.

Examples of Christian Churches : American Baptist Churches in the USA, the Episcopal Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Presbyterian Church (USA), the United Church of Christ, and the United Methodist Church. Other sources add the United Church of Christ, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Friends (Quakers)

Pseudo Christian Cults on the other hand try to make them set apart from the rest of the Christians, consider themselves above other Christians, teaches their own doctrine, encourage obedience to their own leaders more that the word of God, and teach their secret doctrines only to the selected few who attend their church regularly.

Examples of Pseudo Christian Cults : Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, Heavenly Gate, Unification Church, Seventh Day Adventist



The following table would give you a clear cut idea of a Church and a Pseudo-Christian Cult.

Teachings	Christian Churches	Pseudo Christian Cults
Family	They will try to reunite families. Though the family members of a believer do not accept their church’s doctrine, they would advice their believers to love them unconditionally and encourage them to bring their family members to the church if possible.	They would advice them to get separated from friends and family who does not accept their group’s doctrine
Basic Doctrine	Trinity, Repentance, Salvation, Living according to the salvation, Preaching the Gospel to everyone.	Not accepting the trinity, or teaching a different trinity gospel, Salvation through work and Secret teachings
Salvation:	Accepting the sacrifice of Jesus Christ through faith	Accepting the sacrifice of Jesus Christ through faith + (Something else)
Leaders	Formal theological degree or/and proper election	There is no such thing as formal theological degree or/and proper election
Name Usage	From the beginning of the Worship service till the end of it, you will be hearing the name of the triune God, God the father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit more often than any other name.	From the beginning of the Worship service till the end of it, you will be hearing their leader’s name more than the Name of God.
Sacred Books:	Holy Bible	Holy Bible + The books, magazines and letters written by their leaders
Bible Study	It would be encouraged to study the word of God by themselves and understand it with the direct help of God.	They would be taught that whatever their leaders’ have understood is the right way to study the word of God. Methods to study the word of God themselves will not be encouraged.

 
Now ask yourself this question, how many of the above things about the Brunstad Christian Church or Smith's Friends would match the "Christian Church" criteria and how many of the things about the "Pseudo Christian Cults" would match the Brunstad Christian Church or Smith's Friends


 Now if it happens for you to attend Brunstad Christian Church, ask these questions ;

Family : 

I accepted your doctrine, but my friends and family members did not accept your doctrine. Should I seperate myself from them?


Doctrine :

Are you preaching the same doctrine that other Christian Churches are preaching?


Salvation :

How does a person get saved?


Leaders :


On what basis are the leaders of this church gets elected or selected?


Name usage :

Count the number of times you hear the name of God vs the number of times you hear the name of Smiths, Bratley and other leaders, do you hear the name of God often?


Sacred :

How often do you see people reading the bible, is it more than the number of times they read the leader's books, magazines and letters?


Bible Study :

Have you been taught to study the bible methodoligically (Based on context, background, Historical background and geographical and cultural background, etc)  and understand it with the help of the Holy spirit (Not the leader's insight, leader's book, or leader's letters?



Compare the answers you got with the above table and decide it yourself, if ...
Brunstad Christian Church is a Christian Church or a Fake Christian Cult