History of Betel

It is not easy to set a starting date for the Free Evangelical Congregation "Betel" in Volda. There was a lot of spiritual movement in the district at the end of the year 1800. Many "met God" in a special way in those years.

The split in the Christian community came with the "Nadtverdstriden" (the communion dispute). The fact that people gathered in homes and "broke bread" was not tolerated by the priest August Wenaas.

The first meeting we know of was in the home of Ole G. Clausen in Ørsta. Four of the deacons were gathered there. Three of them were from Volda, more precisely from Kilsfjorden. The three were: Sjur R. Straume (also called "Straums-Sjure"), Knut A. Bjørkedal (who was from "Heimste-Dalen" in Høydal. Now married in Morisgarden in Bjørkedalen and lived there. Everyday called "Morits-Knute"). The third person signed himself Ole M. Kile, but was from Afidersgarden at Helset in Bjørkedal. He was married to Kile and lived in a place called "Teigane" and was therefore called "Teg-Ola". (I have heard him testify in a meeting at Straumshamn in 1932).

These three took a boat and rowed from Kilsfjorden to Volda ("Øyralandet"). From there they walked the mile to Ørsta. This was just before Christmas in 1891.

There were several sacrament meetings. Then in the home of Knut A. Bjørkedal. A. Wenaas liked this so much that he reported them to the sheriff and there was a trial. It was held on 15.03.1892 in Bjørkedalan. It was not punishable and the attorney general concluded: "The charges should be dropped". The first person to tell me about this was Knut A. Bjørkedall's nephew, Martinus H. Høidal.

Now people began to resign from the Norwegian Church. The first person to resign was Hans S. Halkjelsvik. It was in 1894, but there were more. In 1895 7 more, and in 1896 14 more, and it gradually increased. By 1902 154 had resigned.

But not everyone joined what was later called the "Betel Assembly". To begin with, it was called the "Partiet". These had their meetings in the houses on the farms and it was called: "stovemøte".

(After the sacrament dispute, churches and houses of worship were closed to the "Party", so in 1893 five new houses of worship were built in Volda parish. Of these, only one remains and is in use today (2004). It is located in Sætre, Lauvstad.

The first meeting house "Betel" was built in 1911 and inaugurated on November 5th of that year. It stood until a new "Betel" was built in 1973, inaugurated on December 30th of the same year.

The Free Evangelical Congregation in Betel has also experienced a time of struggle and division. This happened in the 1920s, when "Pentecost" ended. It was the representatives from the villages who saved the house for the DFEF. The Pentecostal church "Eben Eser" was built in 1926.

In the 1920s, Sunday school was started in Betel, with many children. The children who The people who lived in the neighborhood also joined in. The Christmas parties were full.

In 1931, there was a revival in the Bethel Congregation. That year it was 20 years since the congregation was built. They wanted to mark this and a 20th anniversary party was held in November.

They called Johannes Hedin, who at that time was the leader of the congregation "Skostræde 17", in Bergen, to be the celebrant. He brought with him three young people from Bergen. They were musicians.

Two of them were Trygve Gjøsund and Olav Tuenes. When this plan was told to Johanne Ytrestøyl, she said: "Then there will be a revival!". It happened that autumn. The house was full of people and there were people out in the hallway and across the road. The revival lasted through the winter into the spring of 1932.

It was not only in the Bethel Congregation that there was a revival, but also in the villages of Sunnmøre. I can mention that that summer 6 young people were baptized in the sea in Høydal. The number of people baptized in Betel, Volda, is unknown.

In the 1930s, there was some activity in Betel and in 1936 there was a party again to mark the 25th anniversary of the house.

Mathias Støve served as elder, but he was never "instated". He was respected, both in Volda and throughout the country. He had some trips and spoke in other congregations within the DFEF. In 1933 he built a house on Skjervavegen and settled here. While he was away, elder brother Kristian Høydal led the congregation. Kristian died at a young age in a work accident in 1944. He did not live to be 45 years old. It was a great loss for the congregation. Soon after, two other elder brothers were instated. They were Johannes Nes, son-in-law of Støve, and Sigvald Høibakke, who was brother-in-law of Kristian Høydal. The two elders before were Sivert Langvatn and Alfred Kvernebakk. Høibakke traveled to America once in the 1950s.

Out in the villages there were also elders who belonged to the Bethel congregation, but now I don't know who they were. There is nothing written about them. Occasionally there were meetings in the villages. In Austefjord there were often meetings on Easter weekend. In Høydalen there were meetings for a whole week. Like in the winter after Christmas 1934, when Hans I. Ersrud was here. Three boys were seeking salvation then. At Lauvstad there were meetings occasionally. At Easter 1932 there was a meeting. Then the Lodge was rented for the meeting. It also happened that there was a meeting at Folkestad, - like one of the Easter days in 1940. From Høydalen we then rowed to Mek and walked the rest. The one who was the guest speaker then was from Sweden, but originally from Russia. I think his name was Olivegren. He was a good man and preacher. During the war years, both Daniel Nilsen and M.K. Kleppe were in Volda for long periods, but not at the same time.

Around 1950, there was someone who stepped forward and spoke strongly about healing through prayer and he prayed for the sick. He was from Volda and his name was Håkon Driveklepp. His family was in the Salvation Army. Håkon was apparently baptized during a Pentecostal meeting in Hamar in 1950. In Volda, he was given a place at Bethel. Støve welcomed him. Driveklepp also traveled to other places in the country. For a time, he traveled with Andreas Omland from Sørlandet. But things got a little rough and Omland withdrew. In the meeting, Driveklepp could "thunder" against both preachers, intellectuals and elders. At that time it was painful for Støve to be present at the meeting, but he did not object. Then Driveklepp returned to the Norwegian Church. Eventually he quit as a preacher and became a school teacher in Jæren.

Around 1950 Tore Fremmerlid returned from America. There was something he wanted to talk to Støve about. They were reconciled and he spoke at many meetings in Bethel since. Fremmerlid originally belonged to "Eben Eser", but there were some who thought he was not preaching correctly. Then he withdrew from there and stayed in Bethel. Some of those in "Pinsen" followed him and they stayed with him there for a while. At that time Hans Rusten tried his hand at a small brother choir. Støve was there and a 2-3 from "Pinsen". There were 8-9 in the choir. It did not last that many years. Fremmerlid returned to America. He tried for a while to get construction work in Volda, but there was little to do here. In November 1951 there was a 40th anniversary celebration for Bethel. The speaker was Daniel Nilsen from Bergen.

Arthur Andås and his family moved to Volda in 1954 and joined the Bethel congregation. Arthur was "keen" on arranging camps for children and the first children's camp was in Austefjorden in the summer/autumn of 1954. The first years were in primitive forms. The youth center was rented to have meetings in. The food was cooked and served in the school basement. The kitchen staff slept in the second floor of "Gamleskulen".

Where to sleep was a bit of a problem. The children slept in several places, often with some adults. Some slept on the floor in the youth center basement, others in the "Winsrygghuset", some in the barns on the farms. The camps became popular and there could be up to 80 people who attended. The first year, Liv Ranlo and Finn Kleppe were the teachers at the camp. "Aunt Liv" was also a regular at the camps. Arthur Andås was the "driving force". Some from the congregation were helpers. Those who tended the kitchen were so varied, but some returned year after year. On Sundays there was a meeting, where both visitors and the villagers attended. During one camp it was only rainy weather and the water flowed into the house, so those who were in the basement had to move to the hall at the Youth Center. It then became clear that a camp house was needed. It was built in 1960.

Where the Town Hall in Volda now stands, there were once several barracks that had once been "German barracks". One of these was bought, demolished and rebuilt in Austefjorden, where the Sundal River flows into the sea. Two men were hired to do this work. They were Roald Nilsen, (preacher), who had come to Volda at that time, and Leif Kiperberg. Otherwise, there was a lot of volunteer work. The house was placed on piles. The piles were put up by John Aasebø and Elias Rusten. This camp house has been a great joy and blessing in the district. On the first floor there was a meeting hall and kitchen, on the second floor there were living quarters.

As mentioned, Roald Nilsen came to Volda in 1960. He was both a preacher and a self-employed man, - so he was hired by both. He moved here with his family, - wife and two children that year. In 1963 to 64 he built a house for himself at Engeset, but he became ill and died before the house was completely finished. He died on 7 Sep. 1965, only 43 years old. It was a great loss for the Bethel congregation.

1961 was the fiftieth anniversary of Bethel. Albert Robinson was the speaker. He said: "Anything that is 50 years old is antique". In 1961, Roald Nilsen bought the minutes of the annual meeting. Before that time, nothing was written from such meetings. Since that year, we have had minutes.

Missionaries

There have been several missionaries sent out from the Bethel congregation. Mathias and Martha Støve traveled to Africa in 1912. They were there for six and a half years. Mathias contracted malaria and had to interrupt. In 1933, Støve built himself a house on Skjervavegen in Volda. An elderly man from Høydalen offered him a certain amount of money if Støve would settle in Volda. This was how it was, and in 1947 he became editor of the magazine "Det Gode Budskap," while also leading the Bethel congregation. Støve died on March 20, 1969, aged 79.

The next missionary to leave Bethel was Lilly Engeset. She went to Swaziland in South Africa in 1958. There she built an orphanage, together with Borgny Viblemo. Lilly returned home to Volda in 1972 due to failing health. Here she has been active in the congregation, but has also made short trips to Swaziland again.

Other missionaries can be mentioned. Per and Eldbjørg Håskjold went to Greenland in 1964, and stayed there for a few years. Aage and Reidunn Håskjold traveled to Argentina in 1967. Due to failing health, they did not stay there for many years. They have since settled in Aseral, where they are active in the congregation.

Hans and Edith Reite traveled to Japan in April 1977. They were there for many years, but now they live in Volda.

Harald Elvegård from Lauvstad (Volda) belonged to the Bethel congregation and was also a missionary in Japan for many years. He married and moved to Mosterhamn and traveled to Japan from there.

Gunnar Andås was a missionary in Japan from 1973 to 1974. Betty and Gunnar traveled to Hong Kong in 1983 and stayed there until 1986. There they worked with Bible distribution.

In 1995, Kathrine Svendsen traveled to a missionary assignment in Asia.

Svend Svendsen traveled to Sri Lanka on August 4, 2003. There he works at the mission printing house.

In the fall of 1966, there was a farewell party for Lilly Engeset, who was to be taken to Swaziland for her second term there. Who was to host the party? None of the three elder brothers wanted to take it on. M. Støve had just come out of the hospital and sat down in the hall. It turned out that Hans Rusten was to host. Edvin Andreassen was in Volda at the time and he was the party speaker. While Edvin and Hans were sitting together on the platform, it became clear to Hans that the platform was "his place". After Støve died in 1969, Arthur Andås and Hans Rusten served as elder brothers, but they were installed before October 5, 1975. The other elder brothers were old and had little initiative. Yngvar Pettersen was the one who "conducted" the installation. Hans had the correspondence with the preachers.

1970

That year Billy Graham had a series of meetings in Europe, entitled EURO TV 70. The meeting was broadcast on TV over large parts of Europe. Some cities in Norway also had video transmission. In Volda you only got the sound. It was a Christian community and it was a big event. From Bethel, both Arthur and Hans were on the main committee. There was a strong pull in the people that spring. The youth at the high school were also eager for cooperation and two of them went to pastor Martin Haga and thought that a cooperation committee should be formed in Volda. Haga agreed, but he personally did not want to be involved. On the other hand, the assistant pastor Eivind Taranrød wanted to. There was a formation meeting, but Tararød did not want to be chairman of the VKS. (Volda Christian Cooperation Committee.)

It ended with Hans Rusten becoming the first chairman of "VKS", even though he felt little capable of such a thing. He had no experience.

It happened more in the fall of 1970.

The "Gospel Tent" came to Volda in August, and on the 27th was the first meeting and the last tent meeting was on September 13th. At that time the tent was full. The speakers were: Arne Gundersen, Egil Solheim and Arvid Rygh. People sought salvation and some were baptized in water. There was a tent meeting here in 1971 as well. Then John Skograand was one of the speakers.

It was not until October 1968 that Arne and Egil had a series of meetings here. While they were here, a brothers' meeting was held at Sivert Langvatn's. Støve was present. Then it was decided that they should start collecting funds to build a new Bethel. A proposal was made for Støve to be the collector, but Hans took the assignment.

The old Bethel had been deregulated by the municipality and had to be moved. The municipality wanted to move the old house and put it on a wall further away. There was a court case about the issue. Then the city clerk came up with the proposal: It would cost the municipality to move the old house, they should add that to the construction cost of the new Bethel. This was approved and so it was.

Operations manager John Aasebø had contracted for a plot of land from S.H. Halkjelsvik. He gave this promise to Bethel and the plot was where Bethel now stands. (John Aasebø died in 1969). The municipality bought the plot for Bethel. Ing. Johannes Nes designed the house (in collaboration with his wife Ernmy.) A building committee was elected. Those who were present were:

Hans Rusten chairman Sverre Kiperberg vice chairman Emmy Nes Rakel Nilsen Johannes Rusten Ragnvald L. Engeset Johannes Nes.

Female deputy Kjellfrid Langvatn Male deputy Arthur Andås Haldor Aasebø.

The first committee meeting was at H. Rusten's on 10.11.1971. The excavation work on the site began on April 7, 1972. Contractor Aksel Vaage had worked on digging, pouring the basement wall, basement floor and the concrete slab under the hall. There was also a lot of volunteer work. Mason Rasmus Egset from Ørsta had the masonry work over the concrete slab, together with his people. "Supervisor" was Johannes Berg Rusten (during the construction). Deputy Ragnvald L. Engeset. Very many of those who did volunteer work were pensioners. It was a favorable time for the construction. The oldest was Elias Rusten from Høydal, who was over 80 years old.

The house was taken into use at Christmas 1973 and dedicated on December 30 of that year. Albert Robinson was the speaker. The New Bethel was full, both during the party and on the day of the dedication. Many were invited. Not long after, the Bethel congregation was debt-free.

The first wedding in Bethel was the diamond wedding (60) of Elise and Eliaas Rusten on April 16, 1974. Staalstrøm was present. They also had their first wedding in "Old Bethel" in 1914, a wedding at the registrar's office. Johannes Hedin speaks. On September 28, 1974, we attached letters and crosses to the front wall of Bethel.

Saturday, June 22, 1974, Kjellrunn (née Dahl) and Tor Kragnes was ordained (blessed) in Bethel. As the first in that house. Ragnvald L. Engeset was treasurer of the Bethel congregation for over 50 years. He was then in his late 80s. Rakel Nilsen took over the treasury at the annual meeting on March 2, 1973. (1974)

In April 1975, the dormitory in Bethel was put into use.

On September 5, 1982, Kjell Ohldieck was installed as elder in the congregation, and remained there until January 1986. On August 22, 1993, Kjell Arve Tolås was installed as elder. He was here for about 6 years and left in July 1999. During his tenure, several members of the council of elders were installed.

The new ones were: Per Håskjold, Eggesbønes Haldor Aasebø, Skodje Tore Svendsen, Volda Kjell U. Gjertsen, Volda. These were installed by laying on of hands in Bethel on April 24, 1994.

In 1994, 6 people were baptized in water. Of the Bethel congregation, 5 died that year, - all over 80 years old. On April 10, 1995, a student at DH, Ole Hjalmar Stamnes and his wife Aslaug Kyte were blessed in Bethel, after first having been with the county clerk.

On Thursday, June 1, 1995, the "Gospel Tent" was erected at Herøybrua. Friday was the first meeting. During Pentecost weekend there were many meetings and glorious weather. Good turnout. The speakers were: Arne Gundersen and Egil Solheim, Ole Kristian Iglebækk, Kjell Arve Tolås. The tent meeting lasted until June 25. In February 1996, most of the entire board of elders traveled to a conference at SBI, Solvoll.

In 1997, a new steel baptismal font was made. Kjell Klokk was responsible for that work. Since then, there have been 6 baptisms there that year. On December 7, 1997, two new members were appointed to the board of elders. The two were: Gunnar Andås, Volda, and Jan Magne Vartdal, Vartdal. In recent years, the Bethel congregation has had good support from the people of Vartdal.

In 1998, an African was here and spoke several times. He is from Kenya and his name is Cliff Msioki, a good man. He was here later. June 13, 1998, another wedding at Bethel. Maria and Tor Sætre. A man from the Faroe Islands often attended the meeting that summer. He is a doctor and had a temporary position at the hospital in Volda. He also spoke at the meeting.

Of the Bethel people, 6 died that year.

Servants were appointed to the congregation on March 19, 1999. The first ones were Tor Sætre, Edith Reite and Irene Bergene Vartdal.

In 1999, K.A. Tolås left as overseer here. There was a farewell party for him on July 4. His wife Ruth Kesia was here with him those days.

On May 28, 2000, Kjell Arve spoke at Bethel again.

The day before, he was at the wedding of Trond and Gunn Vartdal and spoke there.

In Nov.-Dec. 2000, Terje Kingsrød was here and had meetings, both for children and others.

In 2001, there were 5 boys who attended the "ten Bible school". Tore Svendsen taught. 4 of the boys were baptized on November 4. Trond Vartdal was ordained as an elder brother on December 9. He is doing a good job, especially at Hareid.

On January 27, 2002, the Lekardal couple came to Volda. On February 3, they were ordained and blessed. They are in Volda as of 2004.

The preacher who is from the Bethel congregation is Olav Dahl from Folkestad. He began traveling in January 1969.

Helge Johnny Nupen, also from Folkestad, traveled as a preacher in 1987.

They have both been elders in various DFEF congregations for periods.

There are also other young people from Bethel who have preached on certain occasions.

Five National Conventions in Volda 1955 - 1963 - 1974 - 1982 - 1998

In 1955, the "Sion" prayer house was rented for meetings. The house is not big, - it was packed. For dinner you went to a café. Bread was served in Gamle Betel, - preferably in the evening. The travelers preferably had breakfast where they were staying. Most of them were accommodated privately. The prayer house had a statute that said that there could be no meeting there when there was a sermon in the church. So there was a question of meeting on Sunday? Pastor Lars Tjensvoll knew how to do it. He advertised a sermon in one of the villages in Volda parish. I remember that Daniel Nilsen publicly praised Tjensvoll for that.

In 1963 the Community Centre was rented for the meeting. Food was the first time in Betel. There was also a café in the "Blåsalen" in the "Samvirkebygget". This year, too, there was private accommodation.

The culture in Volda was then like this: If there was a big crowd in the village, people opened their homes and welcomed guests. It was the same whether it was gymnastic parts, singing parts or something else.

The next National Meeting was in 1974. Then the meeting was held in the hall at the Youth School. Now a number of student dormitories had been built here that could be rented. Otherwise, most preachers and missionaries were accommodated privately. Most people took the food at "Porse".

At the National Assembly in 1982, the Sports Building at the Teachers' School was rented. Food was available in the cafes and at "Porse" (the hotel).

The National Assembly 1998 rented one and the Sports Building. The negotiation meeting was at the hotel, where food was bought. At that time there was food to buy at Lærskulen. The kiosk was also there.

Volda, 28 July 2004.

Hans Sivert Rusten