Maran Ata is a Norwegian free church Christian denomination or faith community (trossamfunn) founded by Charismatic minister Aage Samuelsen in 1958–1959.
The word Maran ata is Aramaic and means 'our Lord is coming', and is taken from the Apostle Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians in the New Testament in the Christian Bible, chapter 16, verse 22.
[3] After preacher Aage Samuelsen was forced out of the Norwegian Pentecostal movement in July 1957, he decided to found his own church, Maran Ata.
The media eventually revealed in 1966 that he had been drinking at a party in Copenhagen – "he was said to have drunk up the collection money" – leading to his expulsion from the church the following year.
[8] In addition to the most popular, classic Christian songs, there were also many lyrics written by the movement's own songwriters, primarily Samuelsen.
Maran Ata holds a national conference every year, which also serves as the church's supreme decision-making body.
And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name shall they cast out devils, and shall speak new tongues, and shall take up serpents in their hands; and if they drink deadly poison, it shall not hurt them.
In Puerto Rico their support includes Sarons Rose Misjon, which was founded by Sally Olsen in 1952 and is involved in aid work and evangelism among children and prisoners.
The work covers a number of countries, such as Kenya, India, Uganda, Ecuador, Congo, Tanzania, Rwanda, the Philippines and Ukraine.
[13] The active collection of money in the 1960s and 1970s made it possible for the Oslo congregation to become the owner of a building complex on Møllergata, the Maran Ata Temple.