About
First Evangelical Lutheran Church is a member church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. The ELCA has over 6,000 congregations nationwide, which make up our total membership of 5 million.
We first organized as a church in May of 1876. At that time there was no church building so the congregation met in a member’s home. The congregation was made up of primarily Swedish immigrants. The original name of the church was the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church. This congregation’s first service in their own building was in the spring of 1883. The members built the wood frame church, donating all of the labor, and the pastor, who was a carpenter, did much of the work. In 1910 construction was started on the present church. The first service was held in March of 1911. At that time all services were held in Swedish.
A pipe organ was installed in 1917
The church celebrated its 50th anniversary in May of 1926. In 1927 the name of the church was changed to First Evangelical Lutheran Church. By 1927, morning services alternated between Swedish and English.
1941 saw the addition of a parish hall and church offices. This same year release time weekly church school began. In 1972 the church’s centennial was celebrated. The centennial hall addition was completed in 1973. The We Care Day Care Center began operating in the church basement in 1976.
As you can see First Lutheran has a long and rich history. Our Christian values are rooted deep within us.
We are enriched by our heritage. We look forward to a bright future as followers of Jesus.
