Covenant News

New Richland (MN) Church Celebrates 125 Years

NEW RICHLAND, MN (August 30, 2002) - About 180 people attended events last Sunday as Vista Evangelical Covenant Church celebrated its 125th anniversary with a special morning worship service, a noon meal and an afternoon program.

The theme for the 125th anniversary event was "Celebrating 125 Years of God's Grace." Previous pastors from the church, Carold Anderson and Charles Johnson, were among those participating in the Sunday morning service. They and pastor Kris Stewart, a daughter of the church, spoke from Hebrews 3:1-3 in encouraging the congregation to fix their eyes on Jesus as they have in the past.

There were personal touches from many who had been part of the church or who are current attenders. Dagmar Bruhn, David Eaton, Alpha Anderson and Ginny Roesler were among those giving testimony to the church's ministry. Parishioner Virginia Swenson created a cross of nails using nails taken from the previous building and welding them together with a linen background and a wood frame.

A sign from the church steeple of the original church (constructed in 1878) was also featured in the church narthex, along with a restored window from the original building (the current church building was constructed in 1963). The youth group at the church hosted the lunch and monies were raised for the denomination's high school conference, CHIC2K3, said anniversary event committee member Frances Nelson.

Vista Evangelical Covenant Church is located just outside of New Richland, a town of 1,100 about 80 miles south of the Twin Cities. According to Covenant records, the church began in November 1876 as a small group met to discuss becoming an independent church. The church officially began services in March 1877. Although it had no resident pastor until 1886, the church constructed its first building in 1878.

The congregation became an incorporated church February 6, 1885, with 32 charter members, although it didn't join the denomination until 1945. The first full-time pastor was N.P. Walgren, who began his ministry at the church in 1886. The current congregation has an average worship attendance of more than 100 under pastor Dick Williams.

For more information on Vista Evangelical Covenant Church and its ministries, call church staff at 507-465-8365.

Printable version of this page.