Covenant News

Four ECC Congregations to Observe Centennials in 2004

CHICAGO, IL (January 9, 2004) - Berkeley Covenant Church, which celebrates 100 years of ministry on February 20-22, is one of four churches scheduled to celebrate centennials in the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) during 2004.

An informal social on Friday, a pancake breakfast and evening banquet on Saturday and a worship celebration on Sunday will be among the February weekend events at Berkeley Covenant. On March 7, Donn Engebretson, ECC executive vice president, will preach at the church, which was chartered on December 31, 1903.

According to Covenant Yearbook statistics, three others - Crossroads Evangelical Covenant Church in Forest Lake, Minnesota, Bethany Covenant Church in Richfield, Minnesota, and the Evangelical Covenant Church of Aurora, Nebraska - are celebrating 100 years of existence this year.

Crossroads, under pastor Marc Peterson, began highlighting its centennial on December 7 and will play videos each month during a worship service to give parishioners a better understanding of its long history. The church's big event will occur October 16-17, although complete details are still pending. More information can be found by calling the church's centennial committee chair, Lorraine Wellman, at 763-434-5768.

Bethany Covenant Church will celebrate its centennial May 1-2, said Pastor David Kelly. A Saturday evening Centennial banquet and a special service of worship on Sunday are part of the weekend events. Jim Fretheim, superintendent of the Northwest Conference, is the guest preacher. Bethany Covenant signed its original charter on April 29, 1904. The church, located in a Twin Cities suburb, has had smaller celebratory events in 2003 to remember its heritage, including a fall confirmation reunion, said centennial committee member Laurelle Pearson. The Bethany Covenant website - www.bethanycov.com - will provide updated information. Questions may be sent to: bethanycov@bethanycov.com.

The Aurora Covenant congregation will celebrate its centennial September 3-5, said Pastor Karl Larson. Palmberg is slated to preach at the morning worship service on September 5. More details will be forthcoming. Email Larson at klarson@hamilton.net or call the church at 402-694-6191 for more information.

Additional updates about ECC congregation centennial celebrations, as well as other significant church anniversaries, will be posted on www.covchurch.org. If there are other churches celebrating centennial events, please send information to Covenant Communications and notices will be posted.

To send information about church anniversaries, email Covenant Communications at newsdesk@covchurch.org or send via postal mail to: Covenant Communications, 5101 N. Francisco Avenue, Chicago IL 60625. To give information via phone, call 773-478-4676, extension 117.

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