Whalan Lutheran Church Celebrates 150 Years

You are invited to come and rejoice with the congregation of the Whalan Lutheran Church in Whalan, Minn., as they celebrate the sesquicentennial of the church on July 21, 2024.

Church service will begin at 10:30 a.m. followed by lunch in the church hall.  As an added bonus Brad Boice will entertain the crowd at 2 p.m.  Commemorative items will also be available for purchase to mark this very special occasion.

This is the perfect opportunity for past and present members of the congregation, friends, family, neighbors and everyone else to come together at the church.

There is a long and interesting history associated with the Whalan Lutheran Church which was organized on August 16, 1874, at a meeting at the Whalan School House, according to church records.

Reverend Kristian Magelsson, who led the meeting, became the first pastor at Whalan Lutheran Church. He would serve the church three separate times over the next 20 years.

The membership of the church began with 12 families and quickly gained another nine families to add to the congregation.

In the beginning, church services were held in the school house. In 1894 the present church was built.  The cost was $1,500, with much of the labor being donated.

In its September 21, 1894, issue the Lanesboro Journal reported on the dedication of the Whalan Lutheran Church held on September 16, 1894, stating “On Sunday last the church was dedicated and the event was the most notable in the history of Whalan, as the place never entertained so many people before at one time.  The Ladies Society, that had worked so long and patiently to erect the church, served a free dinner in which all the people in Whalan assisted liberally, and it is said that about 1,000 persons were entertained, and that the dinner was abundant and excellent.”

Early services held at Whalan Lutheran Church were spoken in Norwegian, but over time the transition was made to English.

Many pastors have served the congregation at Whalan Lutheran Church over the years.  The current pastor is Patricia Hinkie. According to Hinkie, the congregation size stands at approximately 110 people today.

In the early 1890s, Thomas Steenson began a Sunday school program at Whalan Lutheran Church and later, summer Bible school was added.  The Whalan Luther League was established in 1908, which provided a sense of fellowship to the youth members of the church.

The Ladies Sewing Society of the church was organized in 1886, in which the women paid dues (starting at 50 cents each per year), worked on projects and then sold the projects to raise money. Even though the amounts were not large, they added up over time, and in July 1894 the Ladies Sewing Society donated $402.14 to the church building fund, and in September of the same year they donated another $33.65 to the fund, which really helped to make the construction of the church possible.

There have been a number of improvements made to the church since it was first built.  In 1947 the interior church walls were refinished with plaster, and art glass windows were installed.  These windows are still spectacular to this day and are a joy to look at and appreciate.

There were major improvements made in 1970, including the construction of the narthex that was built onto the front of the church, which increased seating capacity.  A basement, with bathroom facilities and lounge were also added at this time.

In 1980, a room was added on to the back of the church where families are able to gather and worship before a funeral.

Improvements have continued to be made as necessary, which has helped to preserve this quaint house of worship.

The Whalan Lutheran Cemetery Association was formed in 1984 to provide management and funds for the perpetual care of the cemetery. The first officers were Gene Johnson, Norman Larson, Arden Pederson and Val Olson.

After being members of the American Lutheran Church (ALC) there was a change in 1988 when the church joined the Evangelical Church.

Although there have been many changes since the church was organized, the sentiment of why the building stands is the same as the day it was built.

Join the congregation of Whalan Lutheran Church and the city of Whalan for a day of celebration on July 21.  The address of the church is 903 Oak Street in Whalan.