Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1907-07-03
Erected on the Site Of the Church
Which Was Recently Struck
by Lightning and Burned.


Last Sunday was a great day for
the Nordland congregation in the
township of Irving, when their fine
new church edifce was dedicated
to the worship of God. A large
concourse Of people from far and
near witnessed the impressive ex-
ercises. Nine pastors of the Lu-
theran Free Church were present
and participated in the dedicatory
rites, which were simple but very
impressive.
After the singing of two hymns
and opening prayer, Rev. M. M.
Midthun, the late pastor of the
church, made a few heartfelt re-
marks. He spoke Of the feelings of
deep gloom that had come over
himself and the members of the
congregation when heap of black
ashes was all that was left to-
them on the site of their church
building after the visitation of de-
structive lightning on the night Of
July %, 1904. He also spoke of the
willing work that had erected a
more splendid edifice on the site
of the old. The end and true pur-
pose of all church work, however,
should be the salvation of souls, and
unless this was accomplished and
promoted the building were in
vain: Esz ss -.
The ded dication exercises then
proceeded with the singing Of hymn
No. 589, the congregation singing
one verse at the time and each one
of the ministers present alternating
with appropriate texts from the
Scriptures. Rev. E. E. Gynild as
past president of the Lutheran Free
Church of America had been dele
gated to perform the dedication
proper, which was followed by the
singing of hymn No. 500. Rev. Gy-
mild preached the dedication ser
mon, using the regular text for
the day, and used for his subject
"Peter as a Rock upon which Christ
Built His Church. 1t was a
powerful discourse which held the
closest attention and must have
moved everyone Of the large audi
ence. At the close of the services
an offering was taken up for the
travelling expenses of the visiting
ministers and for the benefit of
the Bethesda Orphanage at Eagle
Lake. The offering netted the Or
phans' Home fifty-one dollars. At
ter dinner, which was served in the
basement to all visitors, communion
services were held and there were
short addresses by each one of the
visiting. clergymen. The meetings
had begun on Friday before, were
continued on Saturday and were
closed by the dedication and ser
vices on Sunday. The pastors pres
ent were Revs.. E. E. Gynild of
Eagle Lake, j. M Michaelson OF
Montevideo, M. B. Michaelson OF
Willmar, A. ]. Vigestad of Ben.
son, A. Olson of Starbuck, M. M,
Midthun of New London, c. E,
Nordberg, the present pastor of the
Nordland church, and o. E. Boen
a missionary from Honan, China
Ewho is being supported by the sLu
theran Free Church in his work.
The new church edifice is a mag
nificent building, patterned anc
planned very similarly to the Luth
eran Free church at Willmar
The church has cost the congrega
|tion about seven thousand dollars
in cash besides the donations o:
material and labor which, if pait
for, would have brot the cost up t
| fully eight thousand Practical.
all the work on the building ha
been done by members Of tn!
\ church. The chancel, the setting
& --1-7 Z 5:jj ss