A Congregation Takes Root

The story of Glenwood Lutheran Church began in 1880, when Glenwood was still a young community of approximately 800 residents. Many of the area’s early settlers were of Scandinavian descent, bringing with them a strong Lutheran faith and a desire to pass that faith on to future generations.

 

The congregation’s first recorded meeting was held on May 5, 1880, with ten members present. On May 24, a larger organizational meeting took place at the Pope County courthouse. A constitution was adopted, officers were elected, and plans began for securing both a church building and a cemetery. The Rev. Magnus M. Koefod, who had already been ministering to Lutheran communities in the surrounding area, became Glenwood Lutheran’s first pastor.

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The First Church

By January 1881, the newly formed congregation had raised $750 toward the construction of its first church. M. A. Wollan donated the building site, and members of the congregation supplied the stone needed for construction. That summer, a modest wood-frame church measuring 45 by 30 feet was built near Central Square, on land later occupied by Glenwood High School.

 

For more than 35 years, this first sanctuary became the spiritual home of the congregation. Here, generations gathered for worship, received the sacraments, learned the Christian faith, celebrated marriages, and mourned loved ones.

In 1887, Knud Torguson donated land adjoining the Glenwood City Cemetery for a Lutheran burial ground. Additional land was later acquired, forming what became Glenwood Lutheran Cemetery.

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A Growing Congregation

The Rev. Magnus Koefod served until 1888 and was succeeded by his brother, the Rev. H. O. Koefod. At that time, Glenwood Lutheran shared a pastor with Fron Lutheran Church in Starbuck. As the community and congregation grew, the parish was divided in 1898, allowing Glenwood Lutheran to call the Rev. G. T. Lee as its own pastor.

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During Pastor Lee’s 16 years of ministry, Glenwood Lutheran experienced considerable growth. By 1909, the congregation reported 527 members. The original church could no longer comfortably serve the growing congregation, and plans began for a larger sanctuary.

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Building the Present Church

Following Pastor Lee’s departure in 1914, the Rev. H. P. Ausan helped lead the congregation through one of the most ambitious chapters in its history. The present brick church was constructed in 1916 at a cost of $30,549.14.

 

The building was made possible through the dedication of the entire congregation. The old church was sold, individual members contributed generously, and church organizations—including the Ladies’ Aid, Dorcas Society, Gleaners, and Vaarblomsten—played an essential role in raising funds and reducing the congregation’s debt.

 

The new church was formally dedicated on August 29, 1920. Special gifts included a Kilgen pipe organ given by Delia Wollan in memory of her husband, Holger W. Wollan. The young girls’ society provided the baptismal font, while the choir furnished the pulpit and altar. The remaining church debt was paid in full in May 1930.

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Faith, Music, and Education

The Rev. John Linnevold served Glenwood Lutheran for 27 years, from 1917 until 1944. During his long pastorate, the congregation continued to grow while strengthening its commitments to worship, Christian education, Bible study, missions, charity, and music.

 

Music became an especially meaningful part of congregational life. Pastor and Mrs. Linnevold helped develop accomplished adult and junior choirs that presented concerts and major sacred works. In April 1930, the choir performed Handel’s Messiah as the church’s new stained-glass windows were dedicated.

 

The education of children and young people was equally important. Sunday school, confirmation instruction, youth organizations, and connections with Lutheran schools and colleges became central parts of the congregation’s ministry.

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Serving Through Times of Change

The congregation remained active through the difficult years of World War II. According to the church’s anniversary history, 186 young men and women from Glenwood Lutheran served in the armed forces. Eight lost their lives: Thomas Anderson, Raymond Bentrud, Harold Branae, Alfred Hagen, Theodore Hagen, Sigurd Kvilhaug, Carlyle Larson, and Melton Rustad. Eight memorial windows were later placed in the church narthex in their honor.

 

The church also looked beyond its own walls. Members regularly supported missions, Christian education, Lutheran welfare efforts, and charitable work. In 1951, the congregation helped welcome Xenia Skripsts and her three children—Larissa, Viktor, and Zoya—from a displaced-persons camp in Germany, providing the Latvian family with a home, clothing, furnishings, and support as they began a new life in Glenwood.

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Renewing a Sacred Space

Beginning in 1946, the sanctuary underwent an extensive renovation. The work included repairs to the exterior, a new roof, updated wiring and heating, remodeled worship and choir spaces, new lighting and carpeting, additional stained-glass windows, and improvements to the pipe organ. The renovated sanctuary was rededicated on June 29, 1947.

 

Continued growth soon created a need for additional space. Construction of a new parish and Christian education building began in 1951, supported in part by volunteer labor from members of the congregation. The building was dedicated in September 1952, providing classrooms, a chapel, gathering areas, and room for expanded ministry. For the first time, the church could offer two Sunday worship services while Sunday school classes met in dedicated classrooms.

 

The church building continued to evolve in later decades. In 1978, a lower narthex was added and the main narthex was expanded, creating additional space for welcome, fellowship, and ministry.

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Continuing the Story

Today, Glenwood Lutheran Church is a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Southwest Minnesota Synod. More than 145 years after its founding, the congregation continues the work begun by a small group of faithful neighbors in 1880.

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Buildings, programs, and generations have changed, but the church’s purpose remains rooted in the same enduring commitments: gathering in worship, growing in faith, welcoming others, caring for neighbors, and serving in Christ’s name.

The story of Glenwood Lutheran Church is not simply a record of the past. It is a living story—shaped by generations of faithful people and still being written today.