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Nebraska Church to Celebrate 125 Years of Ministry
OAKLAND, NE (March 20, 2002) - Salem Evangelical Covenant Church will celebrate 125 years of ministry during its anniversary weekend April 20-21.
Rick Mylander, associate superintendent of the Midwest Conference, will be the guest speaker, said pastor Mike Gillett.
On April 20, the church will hold a banquet at the Veteran's Building in Oakland. Mylander will speak at the dinner and previous pastors will bring greetings. On April 21, Mylander will preach at the Sunday morning service, which will include special music and participation by former pastors. A noon potluck lunch will follow Sunday school classes. An informal historical look at the church, "Remembering God's Goodness: Taking the Next Step," will complete the day's festivities.
Salem Covenant Church has an average worship attendance of around 120, according to church member Maynard Erickson, who is heading the anniversary committee. The church was founded May 11, 1876, in Oakland, according to the church's 100th anniversary booklet. Its first building was erected a month later.
The congregation's first pastor was John Peterson of Des Moines, Iowa. Peterson had conducted a revival in the area that led to the founding of Salem Covenant. He also preached in numerous other churches in the area. Peterson finished his ministry in Oakland in 1902. Before he left, the
congregation had begun confirmation classes for its youth. The first confirmation class graduated in 1899 with eight students.
Oakland is a community of more than 1,200, located some 70 miles northwest of Omaha. Oakland is named after John Oak and his wife, Inger Askwig Oak, who were among the two dozen original settlers of the area.
In 1866, Oak assisted five other families as they settled into the area and those families became the founding pioneers of Oakland. Lutheran, Baptist and Covenant groups were among those that started churches in the first decade of the town's existence. Oakland was home to two Covenant congregations in the late 1800s. First Covenant Church in Oakland was founded in 1886, but has since closed.
For more information about Salem's anniversary celebration plans or its ministries, call the church staff at 402-685-6111 or Erickson at 402-685-5826. Information is also available by visiting the church website at www.Huntel.net/SalemCovenant.
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