Evening star., 1960-11-12
BY CASPER NAMES

During the year 1927 a young
student taking his MA. degree
in science at the University
Of Oslo attended a service at
one of the churches there.
The preacher that day was
the late Rev. Edgar Y. Mullins,
a Baptist pastor from Louis
vile, KY. After the worship was
over the student went up to
the visiting speaker and asked
about his seminary. At that
time DR.. Mullins was president
of the Southern Baptist Theo-
logical Seminary in Louisville,
and also head of the Baptist
World Alliance, a voluntary Or
ganization for promoting fell
lowship and cooperation
among BaptistS.
AS a result of this encounter
the Norwegian student decided
to forego his career in the SCI
enceS and to enter the ministry.
DIR. NOrdenhaug Impressed
Il was impressed by DR..
Mullins clear presentation of
the gospel and his grasp of its
inner meaning" DR.. Josef Nor
denhaug. elected general secre-
tary of the Baptist World Al
lance at the recent Baptist
World Congress at Rio de
Janeiro, explained this week.
He was responsible for my
coming to America to study at
the seminary at Louisville"
DR.. Nordenhaug, a quietly
self-poSSessed man with keen
grey eyes and white hair,
glanced around the room at
the portraits of leading world
Baptist figures. past and pres
ent. and said, "At that time I
had no thought of ever having
anything to do with the Bap-
tist World Alliance. Head
quarters of the alliance is in
the Baptist building, 1923 Six
teenth street NV.
Earned Degrees
DR.. Mullins died the year DR..
Nordenhaug came to study at
Louisville, in 1928. But the lat
ter continued his work, earning
THIN. and Ph.D degrees in New
Testament Greek.
In 1882 he returned to Nor
way, remaining there a year
before coming back to the
United States to serve as pas
tor of the Irene Cole Memorial
Baptist Church in Prestonburg,
Ky. He remained in our coun-
try until 1850, serving churches
in Virginia until 1948 and edit
ing a journal published by the
Foreign Mission Board the next
two years, before going to the
Baptist Theological Seminary
at Roschlikon, Switzerland, as
its president, He comes here
from that post.
Learned Woodworking
DR.. Nordenhaug has several
hobbies, chief among them
woodworking.
Il grew UP in Norway and |
my father was cabinet max |
er," he pointed out. II learned
that trade in the shop along
side him. I still enjoy doing
this work"
Out of this hobby came an
other, violin repairing.
Il like to go into a pawn
shop and pick up a violin that
needs repairs and to work it
over" DR.. Nordenhaug said.
"Once I picked up a nice violin
in New Orleans for $5. I glued
it together and it proved to be
a fine instrument"
He observed, ITO me it is a
fascinating thing to take a
broken instrument and remake
it so the tone that was there
perhaps a 100 years ago comes
back. I ask myself where does
the tone go when the violin is
broken and how does it come
back when the instrument is
repaired. I think there is a
theological parable to be made
from this thought"
In his younger days DR.. Nor
denhaug enjoyed bowling and
playing golf. While he quickly
admitted having broken 100
only a few times in the latter
sport, the Baptist leader said
he will probably take up the
game again after getting
settled in Washington.
DR.. and Mrs. Nordenhaug will
live at 4001 North Woodstock
street, Arlington, Va.
X X 4 4