The church organized in 1878 and joined the Missouri Lutheran
Church Synod in 1917. (A German Synod). In 1928 the Congregation
began one English service each month. By 1940 it was one German
service per month. The last German service was in 1956.
Their
125th anniversary was in 2003; as of 2002 they had 200 members.
The present [in 2002] pastor is Leland Bendix.
The first Church was in a 20 by 30 ft. log building (1879). The
present structure was built in 1899, and the parsonage was built
1915 at the cost of $2700. The Church added a basement and
redecorated 1939.
There was
a bad flu epidemic in 1919 in the area and many of their people
died, including Pastor Streuferts' wife.
The Christian Day School was built in 1902 and the resident pastor
taught the school until 1920 when ministerial students did the
teaching. The school closed in 1971.
Everyone was to have 2 years in parochial school. There were 8
children in the 1940 confirmation class and 4 are still living as of
2002.
Herold Neumann attended the Bethlehem Lutheran Church when he was
young. In the winter they often went to church in a sleigh. They
used a blanket over their knees to keep warm.
Rev. Wm. Kanning started the first radio station in the area
(1937). Pastor Kanning received an Army and Navy Commission 1941.
The Missouri Lutheran Church has a radio program known as The
Lutheran Hour at 12:30 Sundays on the New Ulm station.
The church
has a unique 1902 pipe organ. It was pumped by hand and the faster
the helper pumped the better they thought the organist was. It
was refurbished in 2005 and they had a concert to rededicate it.
Many organists were asked back to play at the concert.
The Land of Lakes ice cream company made a TV commercial on the
property as it is on a beautiful hill and very picturesque.
Acting Secretary
Annandale History Club
Barb Ostlund
The following appeared in the Annandale
Advocate on May 28, 2003:
Bethlehem Lutheran
celebrates 125 years
Bethlehem Lutheran Church of Middleville Township in rural Annandale is
celebrating its 125th anniversary
with special services throughout the year.
The main celebration will be held the weekend of July 12 and 13. On
Saturday, July 12, there will be games, food, fellowship and
entertainment. The
2 p.m. service on Sunday, July 13, under the tents will include guest
speaker Rev. Dr. Dale Meyer, professor at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis,
and former Lutheran Hour speaker.
At a meeting on April 7, 1878, at the town of Albion ,
the German Evangelical Lutheran Bethlehem Congregation Unaltered
Augsburg Confession was formed. The
document was signed by chairman Carl (Charles) Lorenz and secretary
Albert Schultz and witnessed by justice of the peace Charles Buckman and
Fred Uecker. It
was at the meeting of April 7 that the documents for incorporation
were drawn up and signed by the duly elected officers. All
but three of the charter members signed the document.
The document was delivered to the representative of the state of Minnesota and
was sealed on April 11, 1878. It
was filed for record on May 30, 1878. Upon the arrival of Pastor F.
Kolbe in 1879, the congregation resolved to build its first church
building, a log structure 20 by 30 feet. In
1899 the present church was built and a basement was put under it in
1937-38.
A Vogelpohl Spath pipe organ was purchased and installed in 1902.
It wasn't until 1917 that the congregation
joined the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.
The newest Bethlehem Lutheran Church history
book will be made available at the July celebration.
