When Pastor Lincoln came to
Many organizations were formed
to raise funds.
Finally, the indebtedness was
reduced to $27,000.00 on the church, which was valued at $127,000.00.
Pastor Lincoln was regarded as
well educated. He was considered to be a protege of
Carl Swensson (son of Jonas Swensson,
the first Lutheran pastor in
Pastor Lincoln, a powerful and
popular speaker, was much in demand for speaking engagements outside of the pulpit.
On one occasion he spoke at the Chautauqua Institution on "Jamestown
Day." This was an annual event when a steamboat of Swedes from
Sunday School
had been a standard part of the church program and was made up of people of all
ages. At different times, the "language issue" came up because the
younger generation preferred activities conducted in English. However, the
native born Swedes always felt that Swedish should be the language of religion.
Therefore, all services were conducted in Swedish with the exception of an
English speaking primary Sunday School department
established in 1900.
In 1902, a study class for
Sunday School teachers was begun and in 1903, an
intermediate department was added.
In 1909, a stereopticon was
purchased for the Sunday School to use - the beginning
of multi-media instruction.
When the language issue came up
again, English services were begun on Sunday evenings.
The Sunday School
classes were held in the baseemnt of the church in
one large room. It is noted that in 1912, small chairs were provided for the
smaller children with short legs, so that they would not have "sleeping
feet."
In 1914, a group of members
insisted on establishing an English speaking Lutheran congregation. The church
extended a call to a Rev. E.E. Ryden to minister the
newly formed
By 1916, First Lutheran had
1900 members and the church nave was renovated with the enlargement of the
altar, the addition of more pipes to the organ, and the establishment of an
English divison of the Sunday School.
In 1917, during World War I,
Pastor Lincoln was called by Herber Hoover to be a
Commissioner of the United States Food Administration. He went overseas to
evaluate the needs of war torn
Pastor Daniel Nystrom had been called to meet the needs of the
English-speaking members. The following year, Pastor Lincoln resigned as senior
pastor to become a lecturer for the government Food Administration. Pastor Nystrom became senior pastor on September 15, 1918. There
were no services held the following month due to the influenza epidemic, during
which many members died.
Sister Elfrieda
Sandberg, a trained deaconess, came as a parish worker in 1919. English
services were held at 10:10 followed by Swedish services at 11:15.
Church collections were changed
from a dues assessment method to a free will offering using double-sectioned
envelopes (one section for expenses, the other for benevolence). The annual
church income increased by $2200.00. In 1921, a lingering debt of $30,000.00
was removed in thirty days.
Philemon J. Smith, a
theological student, came and worked with the youth through 1925. He
subsequently became a Lutheran pastor.
The boiler room was renovated
in 1924 at a cost of $7,500.00. A cement floor was installed, removing the fire
hazard of the old wooden floor.
In 1927, Miss Anna E. Peterson,
a graduate of the Lutheran Bible Institute (LBI), arrived as parish secretary.
Pastor Nystrom
resigned in 1930 to become Literature Secretary of the
Pastor P.A. Edquist
served as interim pastor until Dr. Samuel M. Miller was installed as senior
pastor on May 24, 1931. During 1931, First Lutheran celebrated its 75th
Anniversary and the Augustana Synod held its
convention it
Pastor Miller, a 1916 graduate
of Augustana Seminary, was called to be the pastor of
Doctor Miller declined living
in the parsonage, and instead built a home in
Doctor Miller stressed Bible
study and through his teachings, many of the youth in the church became
ministers or other religious workers. He was very musical and had a pleasing
voice. He wrote a number of hymns, including his most well-known - Jesus Only.
In 1935, he made it known that
if an opportunity arose to establish an Eastern branch of LBI, he would remain
in
Rev. S. Hjalmar
Swanson came in August 1935 to serve as interim pastor. He and his family lived
at
In 1936 the building that would
become known as the Willard Chapel was acquired from the Board of Education.
This empty school building was remodeled into a Chapel and Sunday School to accomodate the many members that lived in the Swede Hill
area of
Pastor Swanson was remembered
as a warm person and very neighborly. He resigned in 1939 to become Executive
Director of Foreign Missions of the Augustana Synod.
Rev. Constant Johnson followed
Pastor Swanson, moving into the parsonage in September 1939.
In December 1940, the newly
renovated nave was dedicated. There were some discontented members when they
saw that the inscription on the altar had been changed from "Heliga, Heliga, Heliga" to "Holy, Holy, Holy."
This was an indication that the church members were no longer exclusively of
Swedish heritage.
The war years, 1941-1945, were
marked with the rationing of food (butter, in short supply, was saved to bake
cookies for the men overseas). There were scrap drives, Victory Bond Campaigns,
and various patriotic events in which the First Lutheran Church Band played a
major role.
Following the war, a new slate
roof replaced the original, which leaked so badly that a temporary roof in the
attic had to be placed over the organ loft to protect the expensive instrument
below.
Pastor Johnson resigned in 1948
to accept a call to
Pastor C.E. Benson, who had
been a state prison chaplin,
served as interim pastor until the arrival of Dr. Paul A. Westerberg in
February 1950. Pastor Benson was also President of the National Prison Chaplins Association.