| The history of Faith Lutheran Church is intimately bound to that of its parent churches, Ellington Prairie Lutheran and Miller Lutheran. The older congregation was Ellington Prairie, organized on February 6, 1878. Miller Lutheran received most of its charter members from Ellington Prairie when it organized on June 27, 1921. A brief history of these parent congregations is in order.
Ellington Prairie was organized on February 6, 1878. The church, a wood frame structure, was built on its site 31/2 miles East of Miller and 1 mile South in 1886. Ellington Prairie Cemetery, a two acre plot, was purchased in that same year. Church records prior to 1893 are not available, so the earliest history when Rev. J.M. Dahl (1878-1893) was pastor is unknown.
Congregational records begin in 1893, just before Rev. J.D. Svalestuen (1894-1903) served this congregation together with Fertile. Pastor Svalestuen was succeeded by Rev. H.L. Urness (1903-05), Rev. L.W.Boe (1905-07), Rev. E.T. Rogne (1907-11), Rev.R.O. Hjelmeland (1911-17), Rev. C.C.A. Jensen (1917-18), Rev. J.A. Sovde (1918-20) and Rev. R.O. Hjelmeland (1921-22). All these pastors lived elsewhere and came to the congregation to conduct confirmation classes monthly and worship services on an irregular schedule.
Under the leadership of these pastors and the dedicated men and women of God at Ellington Prairie, the congregation steadily grew.Some of these members moved to farms close to Miller and, because roads were not good, wanted to form a new congregation in Miller. The pastors of Ellington Prairie used the schoolhouse in Miller for services and confirmation classes for these families. |
