Trinity Lutheran church, 1420 South Sixth Street, Brainerd, traces its beginnings to the fall of 1885 when Bishop K. K. Bjorge of the Norwegian Synod, who served a parish in Lake Park, came to this area to conduct services occasionally for Norwegian settlers in Brainerd and Long Lake township.
The Swedish Evangelical Lutheran church on Eighth Street and the Bethlehem Lutheran church on South Seventh Street extended the hospitality of their churches for services, and later in 1886, the congregation used Blair Hall on Sixth Street and the school building on Sixth and Oak Street for services.
A decision was made to organize a new congregation to be known as the Norwegian- Danish Lutheran Church of Brainerd and Bishop Bjorge continued to serve the congregation until August of 1888. Pastor H. A. Nodshilder was called, committees named to do preparatory work and by 1889, a church building was completed on the corner of 10th and Oak Streets.
The charter membership in 1888 consisted of 16 families. Pastor J. R. Rorvik served the congregation from 1889 to 1892 with a parsonage erected adjacent to the church in 1890. Pastor T. J. Tonneson served from 1892 to the fall of 1893, and the church was without a pastor until May of 1894, when Pastor D. J. Growe of Red Wing accepted a call.
Pastor Growe, who was assistant to the Bishop of the Minnesota district of the Norwegian Synod at that time, served for 10 years. On July 3, 1903, the church building was struck by lightning and burned. In two weeks time a building committee was at work, and by Christmas Day the same year, services were held in the new church.
Pastors serving thereafter included: T. L. Rosholt, 1905-07; C. Hougstad, 1907-16 (addition and remodeling to parsonage during term); A. Sorenson, 1916- 19 (church remodeled and basement added); E. L. Rorem, 1919-21; Karl Stromme, 1921-22; O. L. Boistad, 1922-1947. On July 12, 1932, the official name, Trinity Lutheran church, was adopted.
In November of 1947, when Pastor Kermit Graves began his pastorate here, long range plans were begun for construction of a new church. The Betzold property of 11 acres on South Sixth Street was purchased in May of 1951; a parsonage was erected and the church construction followed with dedication held Oct. 19, 1958.
The Vaale Lutheran church a congregation eight miles southeast of Brainerd, merged with Trinity's congregation in 1952. The Trinity congregation now numbers in excess of 1,725 people. Its Sunday morning worship service has been broadcast each week since 1955.
Pastor Graves left in 1963, and Pastor R. C. Reinholtzen of the Nisswa Lutheran Church of the Cross assisted until April of 1964, when Pastor Chester Hoversten came.
Interns serving the church have included: Leonard Flachman, David Place, Jerty Stroud, John Bratten, during Pastor Graves' tenure; Arlo Fiock, assistant pastor; E. O. Barsness, visitation pastor, and Olaf Engh, visitation pastor at present.
Reproduced from the Centennial Edition of the Brainerd Daily Dispatch (1871-1971).
