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Russell (PA) Church Celebrates 125th Anniversary

RUSSELL, PA (August 19, 2002) - Scandia Evangelical Covenant Church culminated the weekend celebration of its 125th anniversary on Sunday as Great Lakes Conference Supt. Richard Lucco spoke during the morning service attended by about 180 people.

Pastor James Swanson said that more than 225 participated in the weekend's events. The church kicked off the celebratory weekend with an overnight youth event last Friday. On Saturday, the congregation commemorated its history in a worship hymn sing. Later that day a local bluegrass band, "Country Conversion," performed at a concert at a local pavilion located behind the church.

On Sunday, parishioner Dr. Julie Lindblom Boozer presented a formal history of the congregation following a continental breakfast, and a retired Methodist pastor, Dr. Donald G. Forsberg, also spoke about the church's legacy. Both Boozer and Forsberg are descendants of original church leaders. Lucco then preached at the morning worship service and the church hosted a chicken barbecue luncheon.

"We had about 15 folks that were direct descendants of the founding fathers and mothers of this church," said Swanson. "And I'm very thankful that the church is still here today as a healthy church. The Lord is blessing us and new families continue to come. I want the leadership to leave that legacy to their children. I'm glad the folks from the past could see that. And we anticipate that we'll continue to tell about God's blessings at our 150th anniversary.

"We had many people pitching in on this and no one felt burned out and that's also encouraging," Swanson continued. "We're trying to be the church together and this weekend we did that. I can't thank our people here enough."

Scandia Evangelical Covenant Church is located in Russell, a town of 400 located in northwest Pennsylvania. The congregation has an average worship attendance of approximately 100 and has aided the local community by assisting the volunteer fire department and keeping an historical museum and community center open in town.

The church grew out of the Augustana Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church - the congregation withdrew from the Augustana Synod on October 15, 1877. The congregation, originally known as the Evangelical Lutheran Lebanon Church, changed its name to the Swedish Lebanon Church in 1884. It became the Swedish Christian Church of Quaker Hill in 1885. It eventually joined the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) in 1939.

During the early years, a key leader in the congregation's life was Gust E. Hagberg. His family became an integral part of the church's history. Two Hagberg children decided to follow a call into full-time ministry: Levi R. Hagberg (who helped develop a ministry to Mexican migrant workers in southern Texas) and his nephew, Charles R. Hagberg. Levi's brother, Victor N. Hagberg, was Sunday school superintendent for more than two decades. Later, Levi's son, Franklin, served as the church's pastor during the 1970s and 1980s.

Scandia Evangelical Covenant Church will continue its 125th celebration on October 13 as Donn Engebretson, ECC executive vice president, preaches at the Sunday morning worship service.

For more information about the church, call Swanson at 814-757-8052.

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