About my Church

Swedish immigrants in search of the religious freedom and opportunity in the United States settled in Nobles County, Minnesota. Most of these settlers were Lutherans but a few were Baptists. Those who were Baptists sought spiritual edification and communion with one another and began to meet for devotion and prayer at people’s homes and cottages. On Sunday’s they would observe the Sabbath through the singing of hymn, scripture readings, prayers and personal testimonies. During such gatherings the question arose as to whether or not, though few (seven in all) they should organize themselves into a church. They sought the need to form a community in the prairie which they saw not only as an opportunity to till the soil for harvest of grain but also as a mission field for the gospel seed to be planted for the harvest for the Master. On May 14, 1873, these seven met at the home of Mr. and Mrs. A.O. Lofsted to formally organize themselves into a church. Frank Peterson was elected to be Chairman and A.O. Lofsted was elected to be Secretary of the church they called The Swedish Baptist Church of Worthington.  They would end the service by joining hands in a circle and singing “Blest Be the Tie That Binds”. By July 5, 1873, their numbers grew to twelve members.    

The First Pastor, Frank Peterson, D.D.

            Dr. Frank Peterson’s first visit to Worthington Minnesota was in March of 1872. He went by way of railroad and stagecoach to Jackson Minnesota, where the government land office was located, to get his preemption papers. After receiving his paperwork, he set off by foot the thirty-mile journey to Worthington through deep snow. It proved to be a strenuous day’s job taking the whole day to make the journey. Upon arrival at Worthington, he sought shelter at the local hotel but to his dismay there was no room for him in the Inn. Fortunately for Dr. Peterson he was able to find someone in town who could take him within two miles of some family he had living in the area. It was dark when the man dropped him off at the closest point he would come to the family member’s home. He could not even see the place to which he was going and had to follow a Western star to try to locate the home. After trudging along for some time he saw a light off to his left, if he had been much further on one side or the other he might not have seen the light. After arriving at the home, he was welcomed in to a fine meal while he reminisced with them. That night a snowstorm had settled in and snow had drifted over the door making it difficult to dig their way out. In many ways, it was by the grace of God that he was able to survive this journey.

            Dr. Peterson’s second visit to the area was in October of 1872. This time he came by way of the St. Paul and Sioux City railroad. The train reached Worthington at nightfall. He was hoping to go to his brother-in-laws home which was in between Worthington and Bigelow near the railroad tracks. After consulting with the conductor of the train, the conductor claimed to know about where that was and told him he could get off the train while it was still moving by that area. Remembering his bad experience with the hotel in his last visit he decided to take this route. The conductor and Dr. Peterson stood in the rear platform of the train until they saw a shape off in the distance that the conductor thought was the cabin of the brother-in-law. Dr. Peterson jumped off the train waved to the conductor that he was all right and set off on his journey. However, upon reaching the shady object it turned out to be a haystack. He then went off to try to find the owner of the haystack. After an hour of vain searching, Dr. Peterson went back to the railway and followed it until he reached the station of Bigelow, which was dark and showed no evidence of being open. The only recourse was to return to Worthington nine miles away. When he was about halfway, an animal about the size of a dog walked ahead of him but he could not tell what animal it was. He threw a stone at it and it stopped and looked at him but after a moment continued walking. The two of them reached a bridge that was quite high and long. It was here where the animal and him parted company. The animal went down the embankment and he crossed the bridge. Had a train came his only hope would have been to drop off the bridge into the unknown depth beneath, likely to lead to a broken limb or the loss of life. He arrived in Worthington around 3:30 a.m. after walking some fifteen miles that night. During the journey he was determined that if he ever got away from the cold nights that he would not want to return. Nevertheless, God had other plans in store for Dr. Peterson. Frank Peterson would be the first pastor of the newly formed Swedish Baptist Church of Worthington and be called to lead this church while in it’s infancy through some very tough times.

The Tribulations

            January 7, 1873 started out to be a beautiful day but ended amidst tragedy. Young Frank Blixt was a married man and had a three-year-old son. On that day, he went to the lake to go fishing, leaving his wife and child at home, while he was out fishing a fierce blizzard came up. Mr. Blixt was able to set up a make shift shelter out on the lake to protect himself and did not dare start for home in such a storm. His wife, however, ventured out in search of her husband leaving her child at home. With the frigid temperatures and whiteout conditions, her strength quickly failed her as she died in the storm. Little did she know that she passed within feet of the shelter that her husband had set up for himself. Two days later when Mr. Blixt had arrived home the door was blown open and his son was crying and shuttering.  Mrs. Blixt’s corpse was not found until spring when the snow had melted. Seventy people in the community died during this storm and several more had close calls as they were caught in the storm but able to find shelter in time.

A Grasshopper Invasion also plagued the community in the years of 1873 to 1878. Clouds of grasshoppers filled the skies, devouring the crops out in the field. For many people it reminded them of the plague in Egypt under Moses. At first, they could take comfort in the passage in Job “the Lord gave; and the Lord hath taken away” but after five years of no income, times were getting tough. Some were forced to leave the country because of the epidemic. When Thanksgiving came around the people had very little to be thankful for, all that they had was gone. Nevertheless, Dr. Peterson was able to select a verse to brighten up their spirits for his sermon. “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls; yet I will rejoice in the Lord” (KJV, Habakkuk 3:17-18). This text described their conditions and this message awakened a gratitude in them. The Governor of the state of Minnesota was concerned about the deteriorating conditions caused by the grasshoppers set aside April 26, 1877 as a day of prayer and fasting for deliverance from the grasshoppers. By June, the grasshoppers had left. It was only by the grace of God that these early settlers were able to make it through the struggles of life on the prairie.

However, something must also be said about this generation’s longsuffering that allowed future generations to prosper and glean the fruits of their labor. It was because of their hard-work and endurance that this church was able to survive in spite of the trials and tribulations the environment brought about. However, to a great extent we also owe a lot to Dr. Peterson who not only provided the spiritual guidance and stability to endure these tough times he also acted as school teacher for the children in the community. Using his brother’s kitchen as a classroom and without the benefit of textbooks, teachers or funding, Dr. Peterson used what he could to teach the children. For instance, to teach the students about zoology he would use skeletons of birds and other animals in the area, teaching the students the names of the bones and having them reassemble animal bones. The children he taught would become leading citizens in the community. Dr. Peterson was clearly a God send for the church and community. While he had plenty of opportunities to get out with his education, he chose to endure the struggles with the congregation. We can learn a lot from this mans selflessness and courage and to him we owe a debt of gratitude.

Doctrines of the Church

            The church has affiliated itself with what at that time was the Swedish Baptist General Conference who changed their name to the Baptist General Conference in 1945 before finally coming to its current name Converge Worldwide in 2008, each name change due to changing demographics and belief systems. However, one defining characteristic that separated this group of Swedish immigrants from the others was the belief in believer’s baptism. Many of the Scandinavian Lutherans who came over thought of the Baptists as heretics because they denied Christening (“baptism”) to their infants. Nevertheless, one of the unique doctrines of the church is that it believes that in order to receive baptism one must first believe in the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Without getting into all of the theological reasons for this, it did lead to some tensions and was part of the reason that they felt the need to form their own church.

            There is also a very pious Christianity within the denomination and within the church as people strive to live out their faith. While it has lessoned some, its presence can still be felt around certain topics and issues. Overall, there is the feeling that the church must lead by example if it is to be a light onto the nations through living a devout life. While the grace of God has freed us from our sins, this does not give us a license to continue living sinful lives as Romans 6 and other verses makes clear.

            Another key element of the church is evangelism. The church currently supports many long-term missionaries around the world, some local bible camps, schools and other charitable causes and does some short-term ministry work in Northern Minnesota Indian reservations and in our sister church in Culiacan Mexico. Trying to get the good news out and sharing Christ’s love with others is a key component of the church’s role in the world.

Overview of Church History

Dr. Peterson started his ministry in 1873 when the church was first established. He led thirty-five people to the Lord during a revival in 1875. In that year Dr. Peterson sold a piece of land so that the first church building could be built. It was a twenty-foot by thirty-foot structure that was dedicated at the Christmas Joletta (early morning) service in 1875. In 1878, the Sunday school program was established for the children. It looked like the future of the church was bright. However, Dr. Peterson received a call to pastor a church in Minneapolis to which the first time (when the church was still in its infancy) he had declined but this time accepted. Following Dr. Peterson’s departure in 1881, there was an intermediate period in which one of their own, Henry Olson, served as the pastor while they tried to seek God’s leading in selecting a pastor. From 1884 to 1886 Rev. L.E. Peterson served as pastor during which the parsonage was built. From 1888 to 1890 Rev. Andrew Schultz served during which time the church began mission work in Lake Sarah in Murray County Minnesota and a church plant in the area. The church was also growing and an addition to the church was finished in 1889 paid for by a mortgage taken out by Charles Saxon on his farm. Following Rev. Schultz, John Holstrom served from 1891 to 1895. Rev. H.P. Sundberg served from 1896 to 1900. Rev. Fred Palmborg served from 1901 to 1905.

Rev. C.E. Oberg served from 1906 to 1908. In 1907, the Second Church was dedicated using some of the lumber from the church edifice. Following Rev. Oberg, Rev. Avid Edstam served for a year then Rev. Emanual Bjorkquist served for four years and provided a historical sketch of the church in the Swedish language for the church’s fortieth anniversary. At the time of the fortieth anniversary, the church numbered 125. Following Rev. Bjorkquist’s service, the old parsonage was sold and a new one built. In 1914, Rev. Carl Anderson served until 1920. Rev. Nels Nelson then served on an interim basis during which time a stable was constructed. In 1921, Rev. Carl Dahleen served the church at which time the church numbered 165. During his service individual communion cups were introduced.  We also began to see some diversification in how the service was conducted. Services were previously conducted in Swedish only but by 1921, we begin to see both Swedish and English services particularly for the children who may know some conversational Swedish but did not have enough grasp of the language to understand a sermon. This generation would make the change to an entirely English service in 1928. In 1927, the church put gravel on the church lane for the automobiles. Car owners financed the gravel by paying two dollars towards the cost. Rev. Dahleen served until 1925 when Rev. Albert Dahlby relieved him and served until 1928. Rev. John Nordell served from 1929 until 1930 at which time the church membership stood at 175. Following Rev. Nordell, Nels Nelson returned until shortly before he passed away in 1933.

Rev. Ben Carlton took over in 1934 and served until 1941 at which time he had to resign after suffering two strokes in 1940. In 1935, the church had diversified. Many members of the church were generations removed from the original pioneers who made the journey from Sweden and no longer spoke Swedish. The decision was made that the name Swedish Baptist Church no longer represented the congregation.  A variety of names was proposed but the one that was accepted was Indian Lake Baptist Church. The name came from one of the area lakes and the local township name. With the new name, we have a turning of the page in the church going from a predominantly Swedish church ministering to the needs of Swedish speaking people to an American, English speaking church. This allowed the church to broaden and expand outside the Scandinavian community. Other major accomplishments included, the church purchasing a share in the REA, meaning that it would no longer be reliant on the farm type lighting system that was outdated and unreliable. Other improvements included insulating and heating the church.

Rev. Walfred Johnson served from 1942 to 1950. During this time a Baldwin Organ was placed in the church. Also, twenty-five young men from the church went off to fight in World War II  and the United States and the Christian flag were bought for the church. Rev. Ray Ashmun served from 1950 to 1956. In 1954, a new building was constructed with many volunteer laborers. Rev. Durry Miller served from 1957 to 1966. In 1966, John Carlson a student was called to preach and officially became the pastor from 1967 to 1969. Walfred Johnson then served as an interim from 1969 to 1970 when Rev. Carl Holmberg took over until 1978. During which time a new Allen organ was purchased. Rev. Wesley Swedberg then served as an interim until 1979 when he would step aside and become a faithful and devout member of the congregation. Rev. Leon Anderson served from 1979 to 1991. Harold Anderson then served as interim until Rev. Dr. Terry Johnston took over in 1992 and served until 2006. During which time an addition to the church building occurred paid for in large part by a donation from Jenny Anderson.  Our cross-cultural ministries in the community were started shortly thereafter. Rev. Doug Roth then took over as an interim in 2006 but was later called for the full pastorate and served until 2011. During this time the church grew rapidly with the addition of the Burmese (Karen) and Sudanese refugees. The Karen now have their own service in the Karen language following the English service. We have also seen the addition of power-point to our worship service during this time period, now headed by Reggie Robinson.

While perhaps, this is rather broad and general account of 137 years of church history, putting it in this format does show God’s working through the growth of the church (both the building and the congregation), the dedication of its members and contributions of its pastors. God’s continual blessing and leading in this church can really only be seen from this broader perspective, however, incomplete it might be at showing all of the details that went into the church and the rises and declines that occurred over that period. I have relied heavily up until this point on the church’s historical documents particularly the historical narratives told in the numerous anniversary celebration pamphlets told by different historical committees that have served. I am especially grateful to the history provided by Dr. Peterson about the early foundations of the church and his journeys and struggles in the area. While I have already hinted at things that have happened during my lifetime I feel it is worth noting in a little more detail what has happened during my lifetime in the church.

The Last Twenty Years

            The problem with the new building established in 1954 was all of the stairs for an aging population. The rural church’s congregation was getting older and started needing wheel chairs and other assistance to move around. The choice was either to put in an elevator or to put on an addition. In 1996, a gymnasium addition (now called Heritage Hall) with handicap accessibility through ramps to the sanctuary was dedicated. This offered the youth a place to play ball, the congregation to have fellowship time in between services and on special occasions and allowed for an elderly congregation to get to the sanctuary for Sunday worship.

This added space attracted young people from other ethnicities. Particularly when it was first constructed, many Hispanics from our community took part in our Sunday Night Adventure Club program and other outreaches. As the church grew and expanded with people from a variety of backgrounds and upbringings, some of the regular church attendees had only been Christened and not Baptized and were therefore ineligible for church membership. Therefore, they had no say in the affairs of the church nor could they be on any of the boards and committees unless they were baptized. Controversy loomed for a few years as church members tried to decide what to do with these people. Ultimately, it was decided that they could become partial members or associate members of the church with certain privileges and restrictions attached to those who chose this option. However, this was a key challenge to one of the key and unique doctrines of the church, which was in believers’ baptism. Not that baptism is a means to salvation but instead is an act of following Jesus example and instruction for our lives.

A few years afterwards, refugees from Sudan would participate in our church services. Shortly afterwards over a hundred people from the Karen community (refugees from Burma) would join the church. The Karen would have their own church service following the English service in their own language. They called themselves Indian Lake Karen Baptist and were made up of predominantly younger people with several children. The Lord has brought the world to our door to minister to their needs. Our cross-cultural ministry has been greatly expanded to meet the needs of a diversifying congregation. What started out as a Swedish church has greatly expanded to include multiple nationalities, worshipping together as a body of believers. With the addition of the Karen, the church began to regain some of its youthfulness, and in many ways began a new page in the Indian Lake Baptist Church with the addition of the Karen service.

            One hundred and thirty seven years have passed from the writing of this paper to the founding of the church. Over which time we have went from a Swedish service to an English service to now having a Karen service. We went from a Swedish congregation to a congregation with multiple ethnicities present. Over the same period, twenty-four pastors have served the church counting the Karen pastor. Our current English Pastor is Doug Roth who has faithfully served the congregation for four years. Under his leadership, much of this expansion within the different ethnic groups has taken place, not by his doing but by the Holy Spirit. It was under his leadership that our mission statement was formed and to which we hope to live up to “Teaching God’s Word, Sharing Christ’s Love, Reaching Our World, All for His Glory”.  

            With this mission and the leading of the Holy Spirit, the church has sought to reach out beyond the church walls into our community, country and world through its various ministries. In a time when church’s are dying and old country church’s are long and far between, God has continued to use Indian Lake Baptist Church and has helped it to thrive. God has brought the world to our door and Indian Lake Baptist has stepped up to the challenge ministering to their needs. While we seek God’s leading with great anticipation at what God might have in store for this church. At the same time let us not forget our forbearers who have made all of this possible through their faith and dedication to our blessed savior. To our mutual Lord and Savior be all glory, honor and praise as we seek His leading and submit to His will. Amen.