One of the most prolific Assemblies of God church planters in the Upper Midwest, Blanche Elizabeth Brittain (1890–1952) sowed gospel seeds that endure to this day.

Her pioneering work in areas that did not previously have a Pentecostal presence earned Brittain the nickname “Sod Buster.” Some also referred to her as “Cloud Burster” because of the spiritual outpourings accompanying her preaching.

Tragedy and Rejection

Brittain’s indomitable drive and influential ministry emerged from a crucible of suffering.

Orphaned as a small child, Brittain was adopted by a devout Methodist couple, Andrew and Nancy Darner.

Brittain also lost her adoptive parents early in life. Andrew died when Brittain was 7, and Nancy’s death followed 11 years later.

Facing an uncertain future, 18-year-old Brittain took a job at Bethany Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska.

During 1912, Brittain relocated to Des Moines, Iowa, studying stenography at a business college. A Pentecostal revival that year in Iowa changed the trajectory of her life.

Brittain embraced the revival and yielded to a ministry call. She received Assemblies of God ministerial credentials in 1915.

After moving to Sapulpa, Oklahoma, in 1916, Brittain helped found the Pentecostal Rescue Home. The interdenominational ministry provided refuge for former prostitutes, unmarried pregnant women, and other “indigent persons and waifs.”

In Sapulpa, Blanche met Bryan Brittain. The two wed in August 1917.

Bryan had a history of trouble with the law. He may have converted to Christianity briefly, but it soon became obvious Bryan had not changed his ways.

Giving his wife an ultimatum, Bryan warned that he would leave Blanche if she did not abandon her faith. Blanche chose to follow Christ, and the two separated.

For the rest of Bryan’s life, newspapers across Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas reported on his drug addiction, crimes, trials, and jailbreaks. (He died in 1934, after accepting Christ on his deathbed.)

New Beginnings

In 1920, Brittain moved to northwest North Dakota to start afresh. She settled in the mining boomtown of Noonan, home to several hundred men and only a few women.

Two year earlier, another female evangelist, Ettie Reckley, had led a revival and started one of the earliest Assemblies of God congregations in the state. Yet it remained a challenging ministry landscape for women.

A female attendee of Brittain’s meetings in Noonan during the 1920s later recalled her addressing a hall of rowdy miners who had come for the novelty of seeing a woman preach.

Brittain’s story 
also serves as a 
reminder that God 
can redeem even 
the most difficult
circumstances for
His glory.

The men heckled Brittain throughout her sermon. Brittain held her own, offering clever retorts and biblical admonitions. She ultimately earned the respect of the miners, some of whom ended up kneeling at a makeshift altar during the service’s conclusion.

Brittain held meetings across the Upper Midwest, including the Dakotas, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Wisconsin, and Canada.

Former AG general superintendent and North Dakota native G. Raymond Carlson remarked, “Blanche Brittain is synonymous with the Assemblies of God in North Dakota.”

A church planter and evangelist, Brittain was always looking for opportunities to spread the Pentecostal message. She sought out unevangelized communities, often preaching on street corners and in tents, storefronts, and homes.

Brittain established more than 40 churches and missions — most of them in small towns and rural areas. Some became strong congregations. Others struggled because of their remote locations.

Courageous Leader

Despite the many challenges she faced, a strong sense of calling and courage marked Brittain’s ministry.

“She didn’t fear anything,” said Lloyd Jorgenson, a former North Dakota District superintendent who held evangelistic campaigns with Brittain. “She just went into places and put up a tent, got an old building, and would begin her meetings.”

Advertisements in local newspapers during the 1930s compared Brittain to the famed evangelist Billy Sunday. One account described Brittain as “a fiery, forceful, and well-informed speaker” with a message “that the only remedy for world conditions is a move back to the Bible and God.”

According to Jorgenson, the Holy Spirit’s presence in Brittain’s life was evident in her ministry.

“A transformation (happened) every time she preached, that special unction and anointing” Jorgenson said. “And that was something very special that everybody remarked about her and could see.”

Carlson recalled, “When she preached, tears would flow, and sinners would get under conviction. Quite a passion for the lost. She would just grab hold of you, and you would get under tremendous conviction.”

Brittain’s services invariably culminated with an altar call. Even in small communities, dozens of people typically responded to receive salvation, healing, or the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

As a female preacher, Brittain faced criticism from people who objected to women in ministry. Most opposition arose from cultural prejudice rather than careful theological reflection.

Brittain thought quickly on her feet, responding to taunts with disarming aplomb and pointing curious onlookers to Jesus.

Recognizing the value of teamwork in ministry, Brittain usually traveled with one or more women who provided musical accompaniment.

Mildred Westerlund, a pianist and soprano, was Brittain’s longest-serving ministry companion, accompanying her from 1929–39.

While Brittain primarily planted churches during the 1920s and ’30s, she shifted into the role of evangelist by the 1940s.

In 1945, Brittain married Osmund Urdahl, a farmer from Goodrich, Minnesota, who became a partner in her ministry.

Brittain remained active in evangelistic endeavors until her death from a heart attack on Jan. 30, 1952.

First Assembly of God in Fargo, North Dakota, hosted Brittain’s funeral. Many prominent AG ministers from the region appeared on the program.

A lengthy eulogy in the North Dakota District Echoes honored Brittain’s remarkable legacy:

We pay tribute to North Dakota’s Sod-Buster, who opened more new fields to the Full Gospel in North Dakota than any other worker. Young people saved under her ministry are now outstanding ministers and missionaries, workers for the Lord. Flourishing churches hold high the banner. Uncompromising in her stand for the Full Gospel, she capably defended the Faith.

Brittain is one of many faithful women who have filled important roles in the Assemblies of God throughout its history. Her story also serves as a reminder that God can redeem even the most difficult circumstances for His glory.

Christ himself was “rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him” (1 Peter 2:4).

Brittain experienced the pain of loss, rejection, and discrimination. Despite these challenges, she yielded her life to God and boldly declared His message (1 Peter 2:9).

This article appears in the Summer 2025 issue of Influence magazine.