Denmark – First Missions

NOTE: The Faroe Islands are a Danish possession.  Sometimes they have been listed separately, and other times included in Denmark lists. In 1925-26, Peter and Krisoffer Kristiansen (Norwegian) pioneered the Faroe Islands. (Danish territory in the North Sea). There is a separate webpage for the Faroe Islands.

DENMARK – DANMARK

When did the workers first arrive?  circa 1920

Who were the first brother workers?  Georg Hemdal and Peter Svinth pioneered the work in Denmark.

Peter Svinth went to London in October, 1917. He heard Edward Cooney preaching on a street corner and professed soon after. Reportedly, Peter was born into a fairly well-to-do farming family in Denmark. As a young man, he went to England to study in an agriculture school. He made contact with some of the friends and workers at the time, and continued his studies until he completed them. He was in the work by 1920. Peter Svinth went back to preach the gospel to his countrymen, and it was he who pioneered the gospel to Denmark in 1920. He died in 1982, age 90, and his grave is in Denmark. Peter Svinth is shown as No. 80 on the 1921 Staffordshire photo. Peter is shown on the 1936 Denmark workers list. He is also one of the authors of a section of the Princess Victoria Account compiled byJohn Pattison.

In 1925-26, Peter and Krisoffer Kristiansen (Norwegian) pioneered the Faroe Islands. (Danish territory in the North Sea).

By 1924-25, the earliest Workers List located to date, there were four pairs of workers in Denmark. They were:

Peter Hanson & Georg Hemdal (both Swedish)
Peter Svinth ( Denmark) & Harry Erickson ( Wisconsin)
Ida Akland ( Alberta) & Jacolina Hanson ( Denmark)
Clara Nelson ( Wisconsin) & Tyra Olson ( Sweden)

Rasmus Prip was born 1896 in Denmark, professed 1921 (in Saskatchewan?) and went in the work 1923 in Saskatchewan; then to California in 1926.  He is on the Denmark list by 1929, but it is not known exactly when in the 1927-29 period that he went to Denmark.  He worked in all the Scandinavian countries except Finland, spending several years also in Iceland, and was listed in 1964-1967 in Greenland without a companion, possibly the only worker to ever spend time in Greenland. Rasmus was said to have been in Greenland at the time of the German occupation of Denmark during WW2. He was able to get to Faroe Islands, Iceland and back to Greenland, but not back to Denmark during this time, so he spent his time in those (at that time) Danish dependencies for the whole war. He died January 19, 1988 in Denmark.

Who were the first sister workers? Unknown

Who was the first to profess? Unknown

When & Where was the first meeting? Unknown

When & Where was the first convention? Unknown

Where is the convention currently held?  Sønder Omme
Convention formerly held in Skaersigvej (in 1996)

Who have the Overseers been? NOTE: The following list was compiled by using the brother workers name shown at top of the Workers List. However, this is not always indicative of who the Overseer is.

Peter Hanson 1924
August Gustafson 1929-31
William Weir 1932
Harry Erickson 1936
Peter Svinth 1951 and thereafter until his death in 1982
Rasmus Prip 1982 until his death in 1988
Johan Jorgenson 1988-present. In the last few years, Johan Jorgenson has not been well, and Erik Lund has assumed the responsibility, but does not appear at the top of the list. (Year 2010)  

TTT Editor’s Note: In the absence of a written account, the above information has been compiled by the TTT Editor from various sources. Corrections or additions are most welcome; as well as other historical accounts for this country Email TTT