History of Bethel Church
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Email: bethelvinje@gmail.com
Original bETHEL Church
CHURCH ORGANIZATION
Bethel Lutheran Church was organized in 1878 by Pastor P.G. Otsby. In 1878 Pastor Otsby accepted the call to serve the Lime Creek and Lake Mills, Iowa, Lutheran congregations, plus organizing the Bethel Lutheran Church in Vinji, Iowa (now spelled as Vinje on most maps).
Read more at: https://www.albertleatribune.com/2003/04/looking-back-pioneer-pastor-served-many-congregations/(Source: Emmons Lutheran Church History)
On October 9th, 1878, he met with about a dozen families in a schoolhouse near the present site of Bethel Church and organized the congregation. The original name of the congregation was Twin Lake, but later changed to Bethel. Church services were held in the nearby schoolhouse until the church was built in 1893. (Source: Lake Mills Graphic, Wednesday, June 18th, 1969)
ORIGINAL CHURCH
Construction of the original church began in 1878 (Source: Darris Peterson, Council Member).
A basement was built under the church in 1923 and several remodeling jobs were completed. These projects included a new balcony and new floors in the nave which was completed just two weeks before the church was destroyed. (Source: Lake Mills Graphic, Wednesday, June 18th, 1969)
Current bETHEL Church
CURRENT CHURCH
In 1950, the construction of the new church began. Davey and Moen Contractors of Mason City, Iowa, began work on September 15, 1950, on the $35,000 basement contract. Cornerstone laying ceremonies were held on October 2, 1950. The basement was completed in February of 1951 and served as the house of worship for the next four years. In 1953 the church decided to complete the structure. In 1954 the congregation voted to borrow the needed funds and complete the church buiilding. Davey and Moen Contractors were given the contract for $59,000. Total cost of the new church was $110,000. (Source: Lake Mills Graphic, Wednesday, June 18th, 1969)
The new church was dedicated in 1955. (Source: Darris Peterson, Council Member)
Original church Builders
The original church structure was erected by two men - Anders Gullickson and David Olson. (Source: Lake Mills Graphic, Wednesday, June 18th, 1969)
Posted on May 27, 2013, by Vinjette
"Anders and his family moved to Vinje, Winnebago, Iowa in 1895, where Guri died. There is no record of her death or where she is buried as they were burned when the Vinje Church burned. It is believed that she is buried in Bethel Lutheran Cemetery in an unmarked grave. Anders was now a widower with 6 young children and no easy way to take care of them. They were placed with various family members and people in the community and Anders struggled to make a living. Anders Guleikson Sundvesflyne and David Olson were commissioned to build the Bethel Lutheran Church at Vinje, Iowa. They did not have any plans or specifications and with only a verbal contract they were given the outside dimensions and a promise of $300 when completed. David Olson recalls that it took one year to build the church and earned about 50 cents a day. They had to board themselves, slept in the churchyard, and made their own meals there. He further stated Anders was very clever and drew the designs for the decorations and ornaments which he then cut out of 50 cent keyhole saw. Together they made all the inside fixtures, including the pulpit, altar, baptismal font, and all the trimmings."
Anders Guleikson Sundvesflyne
Anders was born October 7, 1843 at Sundve, Vossestrand, Hordaland, Norway and was baptized at the Vinje Church on November 5, 1843. On April 24, 1873 he was married at Vinje to Guri Olsdatter Draugsvoll and left most likely the same year for America. Anders and Guri had their first child in America.
David Olson
Interior of the Old Church
Sunday School and Parents around 1900
DESTROYED BY FIRE IN JUNE 1949
On June 1, 1949, the original church was hit by lightning and burned to the ground. Many of the church records were destroyed in the fire. (Source: Darris Peterson, Council Member).
SEVENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY & CONFIRMATION REUNION
(Source: Iowa Gen Web Project)
"The Seventy-Fifth anniversary of the Bethel Lutheran Church at Vinje will be celebrated Sunday, August 28, along with dedication ceremonies for the new $110,000 church and a reunion of all the confirmation classes during the 75 years of its ministry. The beautiful church building was completed this summer. The old church burned in 1949. Following this, the basement of the new church was constructed and church functions have been held there until the church proper could be completed.
~Rake Register, August 25, 1955"
New Church Dedication Day ~ 1955
Bethel Choir ~ New Church Dedication Day 1955
Mrs. Harvey (Mary Lou) Neel and Mrs. Ned Johnson (formerly Marie Peterson), Class of 1906, signing the guest book at the Confirmation Reunion on New Church Dedication Day.
Members of the confirmation Class of 1925
Pictured from left to right: Clara Handeland Okland, Hazel Bergstad O'Rourke, Milton Sime, Grace Ohm, Aagot Willert.
Members of the confirmation Class of 1926 look at a replica of the church they were confirmed in. The church burned in 1949. Pictured: Orville Handeland, Ernest Handeland, Harry Holstad
The oldest confirmands present at the Confirmation Reunion:
Seated ~ Olinda Rudd (1914), Dan Cleven (1913), Peter Sevley (1910), Edna Degnepauld (1906), Marie Peterson (1906), Gust Amudson (1902), Carl Larson (1901)
A special centennial cake was served for the Confirmation Reunion on Dedication Day. Mrs. Harold Engebretson and Mrs. Gaylor Engebretson are show serving cake to Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Wogen. Mrs. Harold Engebretson made the cake.
100 YEAR CELEBRATION
Bethel celebrated their 100 year anniversary in October 1978.
Pastor Ralph Forde
Pastor Neal S. Johnson
Pastor Martin Thompson
Pastor M.T. Gilbertson
Pastor Soren Urberg
Pastor Lewis Bakke
Pastor David Monge
Pastor David & Lynn Monge (singing)
Pastor Gilbertson and Hilma Olien
Mrs. Merrill Gilbertson at the Centennial
VINJE-BETHEL COMMUNITY
Source: Lake Mills Graphic, Wednesday, July 27, 1990
Lake Mills Graphic, Page6, 1990-06-27.pdf125 YEAR CELEBRATION
Source: Lake Mills Graphic, Wednesday, July 23, 2003
Lake Mills Graphic, Page2, 2003-07-23 125 Year Celebration.pdfEmmons-lime creek-bethel Parish
1878 - 1919
Pastor Ostby served the Emmons, Lime Creek, and Bethel congregations faithfully until poor health forced his retirement in 1915. Revered R. M. Fjelstad served the parish until 1919.
North Prairie-immanuel- Bethel Parish
1919 - 1950
In July 1919 Rev. S. J. Freithem accepted a call to the Scarville parish and Bethel joined the two congregations, Immanuel and North Prairie. For many of the twenty-eight years that Freitheim served as minister, Bethel was the largest congregation in the parish.
Bethel-Trinity Parish
1963 - 2013
In January 1963 Bethel and Trinity Lutheran Church (rural Kiester) started making plans to form a new parish. In June of that year the new parish extended a call to Rev. Soren S. Urberg, who later accepted. On September 3, 1963, Rev Urberg was instilled as the new minister, and the new parish was formed. In 1964 a new parsonage was built in Kiester, Minnesota, to house the minister. (Source: Lake Mills Graphic, Wednesday, June 18th, 1969)
In 2012 Pastor Chris Fiske resigned and left the parish without a minister. From 2012 to 2013 both church councils had many meetings to discuss the future of Bethel-Trinity Lutheran Parish. At that time the parish was served by Interim Minister, Norm Bauer, to help with the transition to finding a new minister. Both churches realized that in order to keep the doors open, it wasn't financially possible to hire a full-time minister and share the financial obligations equally. (Source: Carrie Hanson, Bethel Council Secretary)
Bethel and Trinity had many joint council and congregational meetings to discuss different scenarios. However, the demographics for each church were going in different directions. In May 2013, Trinity voted to sever the almost 50-year parish agreement, and on January 5, 2014, Bethel Lutheran Church became independent. (Source: Carrie Hanson, Bethel Council Secretary)
Letter from Trinity Council to Bethel's Council Severing the Almost 50-Year Parish Agreement (Source: Carrie Hanson, Bethel Council Secretary)
Unanimous Vote to Leave ELCA
12/11/2015 (Source: Exposing the ELCA)
Dan Skogen, Former ELCA seminary student and former ELCA member who is fed up with the ELCA's consistent mockery of God's Word.
Bethel Lutheran Church is a rural congregation a few miles west of Scarville, Iowa. It is in an area of North Iowa that the locals know as Vinje. A place that is too small to be considered a town but everyone treats it like one anyway. Vinje is a quaint little place (see here) comprised of Bethel Lutheran Church, a cemetery, a few houses and well-frequented restaurant/bar where people gather to shoot the breeze and play summer league volleyball.
On September 29, 2015, Bethel Lutheran Church made this announcement on Facebook:
“The vote on Sunday passed unanimously (as it did the first time in January too) to sever Bethel Lutheran Church's association with the ELCA. This decision is based on multiple reasons including financial and scriptural just to name a few. Bethel also voted on Sunday to affiliate with the LCMC which is Lutheran Congregations In Mission For Christ. We will continue to seek another parish to work with on funding a full-time minister position, and keep moving forward! Onward and upward with the support of the congregation members, their friends and family, and the community! Blessings to all! Oh - and don't forget - church on Sunday at 10 am. Certainly Pastor will have an inspiring sermon. He always does :)”
Bethel Lutheran Church joins the growing list of 57+ LCMC churches in Iowa. I praise God for the faithful and God-honoring decision the people of Bethel made. Please join me in prayer for the congregation as they seek to proclaim Christ in Vinje and beyond.
The Bethel Constitution was updated on January 2017 after Bethel left the ELCA and joined LCMC. All wording was changed to have local control for all important decisions that would need to be made for our congregation. The constitution was presented to the congregation at the January 2017 Annual Meeting.