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- Norwegian Lutherans to Celebrate Founding
of First Church at Bergen
-
- Bergen - Bergen, Wis., four miles south of Clinton,
where the first Norwegian
- Lutheran minister settled when he came from his native country
to spread the gospel, is this week celebrating the 80th anniversary
of the establishment of the local church, now known as the Jefferson
Prairie Evangelical Lutheran church.
- A program of a week's duration will culminate Sunday and
will attract the attention of
- hundreds of Lutherans from southern Wisconsin and northern
Illinois, as well as many ministers. Bergen has a large place
in the hearts of Norwegian Lutherans, for in addition to being
the place where the Rev. Elling EIELSEN, first Norwegian
Lutheran minister in North America, came when he landed, it is
also the birthplace of the first synod in America, the EIELSEN
synod, and the Augustana synod, the latter being today one of
the largest in this country.
-
- Dedication of Monument
- Another important event in Bergen will be held during the
coming year when the
- dedication is held for the monument
that will mark the place where the Augustana synod was born in
1860. This is the appropriate manner in which the synod voted
at its meeting in June at DeKalb, Ill., to keep green the memory
of the place where it had its inception.
- The Jefferson Prairie Evangelical Lutheran church, stands
today as the outgrowth of
- three Lutheran churches that have served its members in the
vicinity of Bergen in the 80 years that have elapsed since the
first Lutheran congregation was formed by the Rev. Mr. EIELSEN.
- It is part of the Norwegian Lutheran church of America, as
it has been since the
- consolidation in 1917 of the United Church, the Norwegian
synod and the Hauge synod.
-
- Came to U.S. in 1839
- To know the story of the Jefferson Prairie church is to learn
the evolutionary course
- the Lutheran church has followed since the Rev. Mr. EIELSEN
came to Wisconsin.
- Elling EIELSEN came to the United States in 1839,
from Norway and was ordained
- Oct. 3, 1843, by the Rev. F. A. HOFFMAN. It is told
of EIELSEN that he walked from Chicago to New York to
get printed three books, "The Explanation of the Catechism,"
"The Truth Unto Godliness" and "The Augsburg Confession."
- He came to Jefferson Prairie and held his church services
at a meeting house. Here he
- served from 1843 to 1872. On April 13 and 14, 1846, he organized
the first synod in America, called the Evangelical Lutheran church
in America, commonly known as the EIELSEN synod. This
synod still lives today but has but five pastors.
-
- Dwelling Still Stands
- The little dwelling used by EIELSEN both for a residence
and cottage-meetings still
- stands two miles [rest to follow soon]
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