Some fifty persons in Christiania had begun the observance of the Sabbath, and the Sabbath meetings were often attended by more than a hundred persons. June 7, 1879, a Seventh-day Adventist church was organized, with thirty-eight members. I was elected elder, but before acting in this capacity I had to appear before the authorities, and under oath present a declaration of our faith. The church was then acknowledged as a Christian church, and I was permitted to officiate as elder, that is, to baptize, and administer the Lord’s supper. Those who administer these ordinances without such acknowledgment from the authorities are liable to be fined. HSFM 65.5
These were very stirring times. We were attacked by the priests, and this caused us to rejoice; for the truth always shines more clearly when it meets with opposition. About eighteen hundred persons attended our meeting in a large hall in Klingenberg. HSFM 65.6