The Brunstad Foundation and Brunstad Christian Church (BCC)
Brunstad Christian Church (BCC) originated in Norway and is a non-profit Christian organization and international community. BCC has about 8,800 members in Norway distributed among 19 local churches. In addition, there are affiliated assemblies in about 50 countries around the world. May 29, 2020 - Explore Irene Owens's board 'Brunstad' on Pinterest. See more ideas about Christian church, Forgiveness of sin, Grace abounds.
The Brunstad Foundation owns the property which was formerly called Nedre Brunstad Gård. Brunstad Christian Church originally purchased the place and developed the property thanks to great efforts from its members, both in the form of generous donations and voluntary labour.
Several different construction projects and extensions were carried out since the beginning in 1956. Towards the end of the 1990s, a process was started to plan for new and improved facilities.
During the process, it became clear that it was not appropriate for BCC to operate and manage a conference center. Approximately 1 NOK billion was invested in the major development in 2002-2005, and BCC saw the need to safeguard the values in a way that offered sound long-term management.
For this reason, in December 2002, the Brunstad Foundation was established. This brought about a clear distinction between the business oriented Brunstad Foundation and the religious community Brunstad Christian Church.
All Real Estate Is Transferred from BCC to the Brunstad Foundation
In 2006 BCC injected foundation capital and the entire remaining property at Brunstad was transferred from BCC to the Brunstad Foundation. Since this point of time, BCC has not owned anything on the site. BCC leases the conference center for its annual international conferences.
Many BCC members have also entered into long-term leases with the Brunstad Foundation or Oslofjord companies, and thus are interested parties in the place. bcc.nooslofjord.com
The Brunstad Foundation manages assets and properties, and the subsidiary limited companies have their own boards and are responsible for all aspects of their business activities.
General
Stichting Hippo Mundo Charity (HMC) supports humanitarian and Christian charitable initiatives and projects in second- and third-world countries.
HMC wants to help (groups of) people and stimulate them to get a dignified life with prospects and on a biblical foundation.
Strategy
HMC’s goal is the support of humanitarian and charitable activities in the broadest sense, for the benefit of mission and Christian service and helpfulness.
This goal is reached in part by:
- Granting financial support to Christian and humanitarian goals around the world in the form of gifts, subsidies and donations;
- Participating in legal persons, including especially legal persons with a Christian and/or humanitarian objective;
- Granting loans to legal persons with a Christian and/or humanitarian objective around the world.
Brunstad Christian Church Norway Lutheran Church
HMC has no profit motive. Income – like interest – will benefit humanitarian and charitable activities mentioned in the objectives. For participation, HMC has a long-term planning horizon. These participations are not made with the purpose to obtain benefits, but should they arise then this will eventually also benefit the intended purpose, particularly in the form of grant aid as mentioned in 1) and 3).
Activities
HMC supports organisations for the benefit of Christian and charitable activities in the broadest sense of the word. HMC’s management tests initiatives and support application against the foundation’s goals. Donations given, loans granted and participations are evaluated. HMC supports the following goals:
- Conferences and gatherings
HMC gives gifts and donations to (legal) persons all around the world who use it to organise Christian conferences and gatherings. The money from these donations is used to pay for, among other things, renting accommodations, audio-visual aids and other facility costs.
- Missionary work
HMC makes gifts and donations to international organisations for missionary work. These donations are intended to help pay for, among other things, travel costs, and to set up missionary projects with a humanitarian or charitable character.
- Supporting the development of meeting locations
HMC can wholly or partially give support through gifts, loans or participations for the purpose of building a meeting centre, church buildings and conference centres for Christian gatherings in target regions such as Africa, Asia, South-America and Eastern Europe. Generally speaking, these are multi-year projects.
- Social projects
Brunstad Christian Church Norway Christian
Brunstad Christian Church In Norway
On a limited scale, HMC can also support employment projects or projects that contribute to better living and working conditions for workers in the target regions mentioned above. Thus, with the help of donations several projects are supported that are dealing with increasing the resilience of children and young people through therapy by using horses. Considering the history of HMC it also participated in community projects with a view to providing employment and the development and promotion of Christian missionary work, mostly in developing countries. New investments are not currently provided
Brunstad Christian Church
Brunstad Christian Church (BCC) is a Christian community of faith that originated in Norway on May 17, 1898. The conversion of the Norwegian Johan O. Smith underlies it. BCC is a result of his life and activity. BCC currently has local congregations in 54 countries across all continents. BCC in the Netherlands has a dozen churches and is known as Christelijke Gemeente Nederland.
BCC is registered as a religious community and a public welfare organization under Norwegian law.
Hippo Mundo Charity Foundation has, as a Dutch public welfare institution, facilitated and supported the charitable and humanitarian activities of BCC in the past decade, among others in developing countries.
History
Brunstad Christian Church Norway Denmark
Hippo Mundo Charity Foundation (HMC) was founded on December 29, 2009 from the merger of the Dutch Christian Charity and Hippo Mundo Foundations. Together they continued under the name Hippo Mundo Charity Foundation. HMC therefore has its roots both in equestrian, mission and international Christian charitable and humanitarian activity. In countries with little religious freedom, the activities related to the equestrian formed the means to proclaim the Christian message in a particular region. In addition, the work made an important regional contribution to employment and the improvement of the living standards of the local population in the form of providing steady income and work experience.
Organisation
HMC chooses a supporting and facilitating position to achieve its target rather than perform the projects themselves. The organization is therefore limited. The foundation is run by the foundation’s board, which is supported by professionals with specialized knowledge and experience.
Board
The board is autonomous and can take decisions within the statutory provisions. The board decides by majority vote. The board members enjoy no remuneration for their work. They have the right to reimbursement of expenses incurred by them in the performance of their duties.
The board consists of:
Mr. J.H. Staal President
Mr. M. Barsukoff Secretary
Mr. F.J. Weggeman Treasurer
Accountability
For every initiative and/or project that HMC supports, a file is created in which the project will be documented and given account of. Depending on the nature and the size of the project, the file will be more concise or extensive. This is subject to the judgment of the management.
Raising and spending of funds
Brunstad Christian Church Norway Bergen
HMC raises its funds from gifts and donations, interest income and dividends. A large part of the start-up capital of the HMC foundation was acquired thanks to donations from some Norwegian entrepreneurs. Kåre J. Smith and Bernt Aksel Larsen, together with the Finn-Tack company, invested in two dilapidated properties with the aim that the profits would go to charity. It concerned a business center in St. Petersburg and a factory for the production of building elements for the housing and bungalow market. They wanted the proceeds from these objects to benefit Christian and humanitarian projects.
In order to realise its objectives, HMC deploys its capital by making donations, granting loans, or participating in the (legal persons of) supported causes.
Kaluskij Per. 3, St. Petersburg, remodeled business center