Sustainability in the Ministry of Alma Halse: An Exploratory Literary Study Featuring a Pioneer within the Norwegian Pentecostal Church

Abstract

Scholarly research on the ministry of early Pentecostal women in Norway is scarce. However, historical sources from the first half of the 20th century bear witness to several prominent women ministers who spread the gospel all over Norway. Alma Halse (1907–1969) was one such evangelist who pioneered a vast amount of social work in the north of Norway. What leads a woman to take on leadership with huge financial and physical risks during a turbulent war? Through her resilient leadership, Alma Halse answered the needs and challenges of her day. What qualities from Alma Halse’s ministry might shed light on today’s urge for sustainable leadership that stands the test of time? How can the accounts of her life help us respond to the arising challenge of equipping leaders with adequate skills for attaining wise and sustainable leadership? The aim of this paper is to explore written and recorded accounts of Alma Halse’s ministry alongside more current leadership literature to address the questions raised above. This paper argues that the virtues she exposed, nurtured by her faith and devotion to God, manifested the essence of wise and sustainable leadership. The paper confers with autobiographies, books, newspaper articles and a television interview with Alma Halse as well as leadership literature that explores the facets of such leadership. Pentecostal spirituality and issues of gender equality also add insight to the study of Alma Halse.