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Samhold and United Lutheran Churches - Then and Now |
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Samhold Lutheran Church, a member congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, traces its roots back to the year 1899 AD. The Rev. Ole Kolstoe’s missionary efforts in the area around Gonvick inspired pioneers to organize a congregation. According to records, a worship service was held at the home of Ole Malmo on August 20, 1899 with the baptism of Edwin Bjerke, child of Mr. and Mrs. Even Bjerke. At around the same time, the missionary efforts of the Rev. J. O. Saeter of Fosston led to the formation of another congregation in the area: Borgund Lutheran Church. These two congregations continued as separate organizations until the year 1917, at which point the union of three Lutheran church bodies (the Hauge Synod, the United Church, and the Norwegian Synod) caused the two congregations to merge. The Norwegian word “Samhold” was retained as the name of the unified congregation. As of the year 2008, 262 people are baptized members at Samhold Lutheran Church, which continues to exist as a strong community of faith.United Lutheran Church, also a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, also traces its roots back to the year 1899. Prior to 1946, two congregations in the rural Gonvick area (near Berner) existed independently: Saron Lutheran Church and Bethany Lutheran Church. On May 13, 1946, a joint meeting was held between the two congregations where it was decided to unify the two congregations. The name of the new congregation was “United Lutheran Church.” The buildings of the two churches both continued to be used. Worship services were exchanged between the two church buildings until the Saron Lutheran Church building was destroyed by fire in 1949. At that point, some members of United Lutheran who attended Saron became members of Samhold Lutheran Church in Gonvick, whereas the rest remained members of United Lutheran Church in Berner. As of 2008, 120 people are baptized members of United Lutheran Church. This brief overview of the history of the parish cannot possibly encompass all of the significant events that have taken place in the lives of those who have belonged to it over the years. Even though both congregations trace their origins back to the year 1899, the parish is, in reality, much older since it is a part of the one, holy, catholic (universal), and apostolic Church of Jesus Christ on earth, which goes all the way back to the day of Pentecost (ca. 30 AD). Thanks be to God for his faithfulness, steadfast love, and forgiveness through Jesus Christ, which extends to us even as we live in the twenty-first century!
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