Lyndale Lutheran Church

Journey back to the 1870s. Swedish immigrants began settling in the area around Lyndale Lutheran Church. Among them were Peter Berg and John P. Gabrielson. They joined other settlers like the Kissingers and the Coffins, creating a diverse community. Lyndale Lutheran Church wasn’t here yet. But the seeds of its creation were being sown. Traveling preachers occasionally visited, holding services in homes and the local schoolhouse. A dedicated woman, Mrs. P. M. Johnson, saw the need for a permanent spiritual home. She frequently walked three miles to the Gotalund Swedish Lutheran Church near Maple Plain. Her goal was to convince the pastor to come to Lyndale. Her efforts paid off. Services began in the schoolhouse. On a cold January day in 1898, Lyndale Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church was officially organized in the home of John Gabrielson. Ninety-seven members, including children, formed the core of the new congregation. Reverend P.E. Berg, from Watertown, became the first pastor, earning a modest $75 a year. Services were held every other Sunday afternoon, a precious time for the community to gather in faith. The congregation quickly set to work building their own church. They borrowed $400, a considerable sum at the time. The men and boys of the congregation provided the labor, a testament to their dedication. By May 1899, their hard work bore fruit. The Lyndale Lutheran Church we see today was completed and dedicated. The community continued to grow. The Ladies Aid was organized in 1898 and the Luther League in 1909. Today, Lyndale Lutheran Church stands as a testament to the faith and perseverance of those early settlers. It represents a continuous thread of community and worship, woven through over 125 years of history.