Home
New Richland (MN) Church Celebrates 125 Years
NEW RICHLAND, MN (August 30, 2002) - About 180 people attended events last Sunday
as Vista Evangelical Covenant Church celebrated its 125th anniversary with
a special morning worship service, a noon meal and an afternoon program.
The theme for the 125th anniversary event was "Celebrating 125 Years of
God's Grace." Previous pastors from the church, Carold Anderson and Charles
Johnson, were among those participating in the Sunday morning service. They
and pastor Kris Stewart, a daughter of the church, spoke from Hebrews 3:1-3
in encouraging the congregation to fix their eyes on Jesus as they have in
the past.
There were personal touches from many who had been part of the church or
who are current attenders. Dagmar Bruhn, David Eaton, Alpha Anderson and
Ginny Roesler were among those giving testimony to the church's ministry.
Parishioner Virginia Swenson created a cross of nails using nails taken
from the previous building and welding them together with a linen
background and a wood frame.
A sign from the church steeple of the original church (constructed in 1878)
was also featured in the church narthex, along with a restored window from
the original building (the current church building was constructed in
1963). The youth group at the church hosted the lunch and monies were
raised for the denomination's high school conference, CHIC2K3, said
anniversary event committee member Frances Nelson.
Vista Evangelical Covenant Church is located just outside of New Richland,
a town of 1,100 about 80 miles south of the Twin Cities. According to
Covenant records, the church began in November 1876 as a small group met to
discuss becoming an independent church. The church officially began
services in March 1877. Although it had no resident pastor until 1886, the
church constructed its first building in 1878.
The congregation became an incorporated church February 6, 1885, with 32
charter members, although it didn't join the denomination until 1945. The
first full-time pastor was N.P. Walgren, who began his ministry at the
church in 1886. The current congregation has an average worship attendance
of more than 100 under pastor Dick Williams.
For more information on Vista Evangelical Covenant Church and its
ministries, call church staff at 507-465-8365.
Copyright © 2008 The Evangelical Covenant Church. |
