History of First Lutheran Church, Brookings, Brookings Co., SD This information about the First Lutheran Church of Brookings, SD was compiled by George Norby 109 7th St. Brookings, SD e-mail:joseph@brookings.net This file is copyrighted, 1997 by George Norby and uploaded with his kind permission. The organizational meeting of the Medary congregation was held July 9, 1879 at the home of Martin Trygstad, Section 9 Township 109, Range 50. Because of distance and difficulty in travel, churches were established as First Lutheran Church of Volga, Lake Campbell Lutheran Church and Blom (now Sinai) were organized and trace their history to the Medary congregation. In 1880 meetings were held by the Medary congregation and persons of Brookings to determine that the Medary congregation be divided into two congregations. The people living west of the Sioux River known as Lake Campbell Lutheran Congregation and those east of the Sioux River forming the First Lutheran Congregation of Brookings. The Brookings congregation continued to be affiliated with the Volga, Sinai and Lake Campbell congregations until 1886 when the congregation incorporated as the First Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brookings. The Olds & Fishback Hall near the corner of Main Avenue and Fourth Street was the first place of worship for the new congregation. Later the services were held in the school at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Fourth Street. A small Norwegian Baptist Church was also used for services. S. F. Henry donated a lot at the corner of Main Avenue and Seventh Street for a church. The building was built at a cost of $2,500 and was dedicated in the fall of 1886. This church was replaced by a brick structure in 1908-09. This building was expanded in 1937 as the congregation grew. (This building was torn down in 1992.) A new church was built at Main Avenue and Eighth Street in 1956. In 1890 the First Lutheran Congregation became affiliated with the United Norwegian Church of America with George Rude being the first delegate to the convention of the church body in June of that year. All worship services were in the Norwegian language until 1900. In December of 1900 it was decided to have Sunday evening worship service in English. Then in 1933 all services were in English. In 1917 three national churches - The Norwegian Synod, the Hauge Synod and the United Norwegian Lutheran Church merged and became the Norwegian Lutheran Church of America with the First Lutheran Church of Brookings being a member. In 1946 the name Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America was changed to the Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELC) and the First Lutheran Church amended its local constitution to reflect the change. In 1960 the American Lutheran Church was formed and the First Lutheran Church was part of the merger. A further merger brought about the formation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in 1988. First Lutheran Church is one of the 12,000 congregations that make up the ELCA. Many pastors, parish workers, youth workers, music directors, secretaries, education directors, business administrators and custodians have served the First Lutheran Congregation over the years. Rev. A. E. Hanson became Bishop of the Northern Minnesota District of the ELC. The Rev. E. O. Gilbertson became Bishop of South Dakota District of the ELC and ALC and the Rev. Archie Madsen became Bishop of the Central District of the ALC. Fifteen members of the First Lutheran Congregation of Brookings have become ordained Lutheran pastors. In 1994 Rev. Thevdt went to Seoul, South Korea for three years to minster in the Lutheran Church. He returned to Brookings from Seoul, Korea on August 15 1997. On April 23, 1995 Rev. Scott Geister-Jones accepted a call to Gethsemane Lutheran Church at Dassel, MN. Address: 703 Main Ave. 1886 - 1956 337 8th St. 1956 - present Pastors: Last Name First Name Years Ruste E. O. (Rev.) 1880 to Fall 1888 Borge M. O. (Rev.) 1884 to 1888 Rondestvedt S. O. (Rev.) 2/17/1889 to 1899 Skaret G. O. (Rev.) 10/1894 to 11/1899 Norman F. G. (Rev.) 1899 to 1904 Green J. M. (Rev.) 1904 to 5/1910 Fosness H. E. (Rev.) 10/1910 to 6/1915 Benson B. A. (Rev.) 10/10/1915 to 6/1936 Dybvig Philip S. (Rev.) 7/12/1936 to 1939 Rogness Burnis (Intern) 1938 Hanson Arthur E. (Rev.) 10/1939 to 9/1948 Onerheim L. D. (Rev.), Assistant 1946 Preus David (Intern) 1946 Gilbertson Everett O. (Rev.) 1948 to 1958 Preus David, Assistant Pastor 1950 to 1951 Peterson A. Richard (Intern) 1953 Maland Robert (Intern) 1952 Johnshoy Ralph (Intern) 1951 Severson Donald (Intern) 1954 Peterson A. Richard (Associate) 1955 to 1957 Qaulben James (Intern) 1957 Madsen Archie (Rev.) 1958 to 1964 Nelson John F. (Rev.), Assistant 1959 to 1962 Knudson Thomas (Rev.) 1959 to 1961 Hilmoe Selmer J. (Rev.) 1963 to 8/31/1969 Doering A. P. (Rev.) 1964 to 4/1965 Lokken James A. (Rev.), Assistant 1964 to 7/1/1966 Gilbertson Edward A. (Rev.) 1/31/1965 to 12/31/1970 Sevig Alfred H. (Rev.), Assistant 12/11/1966 to 10/13/1976 Halvorson John V. (Rev.) 6/20/1971 to 1/28/1976 Golf Loyal E. (Rev.), Presiding 7/25/1976 to 1/24/1981 Haertl Daniel T. (Rev.), Youth Education 1/30/1977 to 9/1/1980 Bagaason Carroll (Rev.), Assistant 4/24/1977 to 8/11/1991 - retired Thvedt James E. (Rev.), Presiding 5/24/1981 to 11/1/1993 - resigned Gilbertson E. O. (Dr.), Interin Pastor 2/15/1981 to 5/24/1981 Anderson Russel H. (Rev.), Associate 4/24/1983 to 8/31/1990 Jones Robert S. (Rev.), Associate 1/31/1988 to 9/30/1989 Geister-Jones Scott (Rev.), Associate 9/16/1990 to 4/23/1995 Berkeland Marvin (Rev.), Assistant 9/16/1990 to 10/1/1992 - retired Moe John M. (Rev.), Associate 10/11/1993 to present Gilthvedt Gary (Rev.), Interin Pastor 4/25/1994 to 9/3/1995 Gjovik Aanen D. (Rev.), Senior Pastor 6/10/1996 to present