Lewi Pethrus
Lewi Pethrus (11 March 1884 - 4 September 1974) was a Swedish Pentecostal minister who played a decisive role in the formation and development of the Pentecostal movement not only in his own country but futher-a-field through his missionary activity and through the writing of books. His early days of conversion, preparation and ministry were spent in the Baptist Church, but in 1902 he had an experience of being filled with the Holy Spirit and of speaking in tongues which he would later acknowledge as his baptism in the Holy Spirit. When he first heard reports of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Oslo Norway under the ministry of T.B. Barratt he went to see. He immediately accepted this revival as of God.
From 1911 to 1958, he pastored the Philadelphia Church in Stockholm whose membership eventually grew to more than 6,000, and which was regarded as the biggest Pentecostal Church in the world at the time. He was also acknowledged as the leading influence amongst Swedish Pentecostals until his death in 1974. From the beginning of his involvement with this revival most of the great pentecostal preachers and leaders ministered in his church including many of the British and Irish pioneers mentioned on this site like Smith Wigglesworth, Robert A. Brown, Stephen and George Jeffreys.
He was an outstanding character, loved by all, who was both a spiritual and national influence until his death. Under his leadership in unity with T.B. Barratt, Sweden and Norway sent forth more missionaries per head of Pentecostal believers than any other countries in the world. His clear sighted view of the local church, church government and missionary enterprise holds an example for us all.
