Just Off The Center Street Bridge
Turning south onto 3rd Avenue NE from Highway 11, in Roseau, Minnesota, and approaching its intersection at Center Street, I am still drawn to a location south of Center Street, high above the Roseau River, where, back in the late 1960s and early 1970s, stood a Baptist Church.
My aunt, Irene (Palm) Davidson (1917-2008) lived on Center Street, about five and a half blocks east of the church, near the old Eastside Grocery, and one summer’s evening back in the late 1960s when my folks and I were ‘uphome’ visiting from Iowa, Irene took my mother and I to that church because they were sponsoring a Swedish Songfest. Irene thought my mother, her older sister, would enjoy all its old time music and Swedish hymn lyrics that she didn’t hear in Iowa near enough.
It was interesting to me if only because it was part of my heritage and Mom was so enthralled by it. It seemed like an exhibit at the Iowa State Fair, because the church had such an old rural feel to it with its worn narrow pews, wood floor and stained glass windows; as I recall the building wasn’t very big either.
According to the Roseau County Heritage book, published in 1995 by the Roseau County Historical Society: “The history of the First Baptist Church dates back to the early 1900s. It was on July 13, 1912 that nine individuals met with Rev. Magnus Larson, Executive Secretary of the Minnesota Baptist Conference, to organize the Swedish Baptist Church of Roseau. The church voted to affiliate with the Minneapolis Baptist Church Conference and the Baptist General Conference.
They had no church building of their own so meetings were held in the Presbyterian Church. The first resident pastor was Rev. C.V. Nordling, who arrived in 1916 and served during the construction of the church building in 1916 and 1917. In 1936 an addition was built onto the church and in 1938 a building was purchased and remodeled for a parsonage. Under the Ministry of Missionary Pastor A.O. Lundeen, work was extended to outlying areas and the Palmville, Stafford, and Sprague Baptist churches were organized.
As the congregation grew and different national origins attended the church, it became desirable to change the name from Swedish Baptist to first Baptist Church. This was done in 1958.
On April 20,1960, the church became self-supporting.
After a couple spring floods that filled the basement, land was purchased for the construction of a new church. However, this did not become a reality until 1968 when the building was started. It was completed in 1969. On May 25, 1969, the new church was occupied. Rev. O.M. Lee was the pastor. A dedication service was held August 24, 1969.
Turning south onto 3rd Avenue NE from Highway 11, in Roseau, Minnesota, and approaching its intersection at Center Street, I am still drawn to a location south of Center Street, high above the Roseau River, where, back in the late 1960s and early 1970s, stood a Baptist Church.
My aunt, Irene (Palm) Davidson (1917-2008) lived on Center Street, about five and a half blocks east of the church, near the old Eastside Grocery, and one summer’s evening back in the late 1960s when my folks and I were ‘uphome’ visiting from Iowa, Irene took my mother and I to that church because they were sponsoring a Swedish Songfest. Irene thought my mother, her older sister, would enjoy all its old time music and Swedish hymn lyrics that she didn’t hear in Iowa near enough.
It was interesting to me if only because it was part of my heritage and Mom was so enthralled by it. It seemed like an exhibit at the Iowa State Fair, because the church had such an old rural feel to it with its worn narrow pews, wood floor and stained glass windows; as I recall the building wasn’t very big either.
According to the Roseau County Heritage book, published in 1995 by the Roseau County Historical Society: “The history of the First Baptist Church dates back to the early 1900s. It was on July 13, 1912 that nine individuals met with Rev. Magnus Larson, Executive Secretary of the Minnesota Baptist Conference, to organize the Swedish Baptist Church of Roseau. The church voted to affiliate with the Minneapolis Baptist Church Conference and the Baptist General Conference.
They had no church building of their own so meetings were held in the Presbyterian Church. The first resident pastor was Rev. C.V. Nordling, who arrived in 1916 and served during the construction of the church building in 1916 and 1917. In 1936 an addition was built onto the church and in 1938 a building was purchased and remodeled for a parsonage. Under the Ministry of Missionary Pastor A.O. Lundeen, work was extended to outlying areas and the Palmville, Stafford, and Sprague Baptist churches were organized.
As the congregation grew and different national origins attended the church, it became desirable to change the name from Swedish Baptist to first Baptist Church. This was done in 1958.
On April 20,1960, the church became self-supporting.
After a couple spring floods that filled the basement, land was purchased for the construction of a new church. However, this did not become a reality until 1968 when the building was started. It was completed in 1969. On May 25, 1969, the new church was occupied. Rev. O.M. Lee was the pastor. A dedication service was held August 24, 1969.
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