Our Savior’s Lutheran is soon to celebrate a major milestone—140 years as a church congregation!
Taking place Saturday, August 9 and Sunday, August 10 at 147 East Fourth Avenue, the 140 anniversary will include church tours, two church services, a special program, outdoor fellowship, and lunch. Tours will be available during an open house on Saturday, August 9 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Come Sunday morning, the schedule includes a worship service at 9:00 a.m., special program with church history at 10:00 a.m., a second worship service at 11:00 a.m., outdoor fellowship (also at 11:00 a.m), followed with lunch at 12:00 p.m. Noon lunch will include meatballs, ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, coleslaw, cheese curds, and jello. The day will also have many Norwegian treats.
Currently housed on Stanley’s Fourth Avenue, the congregation has a long back story.
Organized Oct. 1, 1885 as Our Saviors Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Congregation by Rev. P. A. Dietrickson on the South Side, the church belonged to the Norse Synod. The church was later joined in town by a north side Norwegian language congregation organized May 16, 1892, located on the present church site after many Norwegians moved from Porter’s Mills with the Northwestern Lumber Company.
Meeting in separate buildings for a time, the two congregations later merged as one in the late 1910s, the present brick building built in 1907 after a 1906 fire and paid for by 1913. The Southside church building was purchased by the Brethren around the time of merger.
Building a young people’s hall alongside the church and occasionally flying the Norwegian flag under the American one for special functions, Our Savior’s Lutheran preached in Norwegian before switching entirely to English, building a three story educational building in 1959.
Led by pastor Ken Schmidt, the congregation aligned with the ELCA added a front addition to its Fourth Avenue building in the late 1980s, the old entryway still visible from inside the church.
Sending many congregation members into Lutheran missions and the pastorate, Our Savior’s Lutheran on Fourth Avenue welcomes all to its 140 year anniversary August 9 and 10 on Fourth Avenue.
“Please spread the word and join us as we celebrate God’s faithfulness!” the church says.