Rev. Lars O. Opsata held the first public service of this congregation in the home of Syvert Dokken on August 4, 1898. At this service it was decided that another meeting should be held a week later in Sather’s photograph gallery, with the objective of organizing a Norwegian Lutheran congregation. There were nine present at this meeting and the following officers were elected: Secretary, Syvert Dokken; Treasurer, A. E. Sather; and three Trustees, T. N. Rode, A. O. Aubolee and William Blakker.
The next business meeting was held on Sept 20, 1898 and a committee was elected to secure a church site. This committee received a contract for two lots on the corner of Minnesota Avenue and 8th Street on the condition that they erect a church within two years time.
The church was not built within that two years, and property records show that Lots 1, 2, 3 of Block 3 in First Addition were purchased by G. Goodman on Feb 2, 1900 for the Scandinavian Lutheran Church for $75 each, for a total of $225
The original congregation consisted of seven families. The First Lutheran Church was organized on November 14, 1900 with Reverend John Willman as pastor. He was also pastor at Bear Creek. For the first years, the congregation met in private homes and in the old courthouse, which was then located at 4th and Beltrami. For example, this was an early notice: Norwegian Lutheran service will be held in the old school house, near city hall, next Sunday at 10:30 a. m., conducted by Rev. J. Willman. (Nov 15, 1900)
The Norwegian Lutherans met last week and perfected a permanent organization. They will meet Dec. 21, to incorporate and lay plats for the erection of a church building on the lot assigned them by the townsite company, southwest of the school house.(Dec 1900) This is confusing because the Goodmans had purchased the lots on behalf of the church, but the newspaper continues to refer to them as lots donated by the Townsite Company.
At the annual meeting of January 29, 1901, a committee was appointed to work out a plan for a church building and also to make arrangements for financing the cost of construction.
Work has begun on the Lutheran church building on the corner of Minnesota avenue and Eighth Street in October 1901. The Bemidji Pioneer reported: “John Johnson has the contract, and promises to have the building completed by Thanksgiving. The structure at present will be 28×40 feet, and an addition will be added when needed. The Lutheran society is not very strong here, and their effort in going ahead to build a good home is all the more praise worthy. We hope our people who take pride in the moral advancement of Bemidji will assist generously this society in their big undertaking.” (Oct 31, 1901)
During the years of Rev. Opsata’s pastorate, the report shows a total of 11 services and he officiated at two marriages and one funeral during the three years. Meanwhile, Rev. Opsata homesteaded a piece of property and filed on his claim in 1902.
Repairing Church. The Norwegian Lutheran church building at the corner of Eighth street and Minnesota avenue is being remodeled and repaired. The structure will be raised two feet and a new foundation will be placed under it. An addition 16×16 feet is to be built at the rear, considerably increasing the size of the building. Thos. Johnson has taken a contract for the work. (June 5, 1905)
Rev. Pederson disposed of his residence at 922 America Avenue and is now erecting a new building near the Scandinavian Lutheran church at the corner of Minnesota Avenue and Eighth street which will be used as a parsonage. (Aug 7, 1905)
A party of twenty of the ladies of the Norwegian Lutheran congregation called on Mrs. Osmond Johnson in a body yesterday afternoon. Rev. and Mrs. Johnson have just moved into their new parsonage, 801 Minnesota Avenue. A social afternoon and a fine lunch passed the afternoon very pleasantly. (July 8, 1920)
Following Rev. Opsata, other early pastors were J. A. Elison, John Willman, Nicolai Holm, Edward M. Pederson, T. S. Kolste, Osmund Johnson, J. L. Jerdee, with Joseph C. Jerdee, Assistant, A. E. Hanson, besides two students, J. Redal and Karl Stromme.
Rev. A. E. Hanson had attended one year at the Luther Theological Seminary in St. Paul when he joined the United States Navy at the outbreak of World War I, and after spending six months at the Great Lakes station and one month in New York, he was assigned to the U.S.S. Huntington, where he was stationed for twelve months. His ship made six round trips to Europe acting as a transport for the United States troops. In the fall of 1919 he was mustered out of service and returned to St. Paul and his work in the seminary, from which he graduated in 1921. After engaging in church work in several other locations, Rev. Hanson came to Bemidji in the fall of 1927.
The First Lutheran Church was still located at 723 Minnesota Ave., but in the summer of 1928, the basement of the present first Lutheran Church was completed and services were begun in the new location at 900 Bemidji avenue. The basement was used for worship until 1939, when the main church was built.
The church building at 723 Minnesota was sold in 1929 to the Bemidji Gospel Tabernacle.
First Lutheran celebrated its 50th Anniversary on Aug 18, 1950. The Rev. Leif E. Evans, pastor since 1941, presided at the all day celebration. The church had 500 members, and printed a 32-page anniversary booklet. Rev. Evans lived at 1107 Lake Blvd.
First Lutheran added a new $85,000 Sunday school building in 1954, just east of the church building. The new building had two stories and was built to house a chapel, recreational facilities, classrooms, and a pastor’s study.
Information was gathered from the vertical files of the Beltrami County History Center and from the Bemidji Pioneer (1900-1904), and Bemidji Daily Pioneer (1904-1954).