EVANGELICAL United Methodist church, C Street and Fourth Avenue N.E., began services here as United Brethren as early as 1880 with visiting pastors. The preaching appointment of Brainerd was established in 1888. The present church was built in 1950.

The Evangelical United Methodist church, located on the corner of C Street and Fourth Avenue N. E., traces its beginnings to 1880, when the Rev. F. C. Schmidt, pastor of the Evangelical church in St. Cloud, came here to conduct preaching services.

From 1881 to 1888, Brainerd was served from Wadena by the following ministers: The Rev. Robert Johnson, the Rev. Joseph Kienholtz and the Rev. L. Passer. During Rev. Passer's term of service, a church in northeast Brainerd was purchased from the Methodist denomination. Services had been held in private homes, a school and in a hotel bar room.

In the spring of 1888, the preaching appointment of Brainerd was organized and established as a mission field of the Minnesota conference of the Evangelical church. The Rev. L. F. Sydow was the first resident pastor. Also that year, Mrs. H. Luebke became the first church member.

The Rev. A. H. Utzinger served the church from the spring of 1889 until 1892. A parsonage was built at a cost of $900 in 1889. Also, during his pastorate, 17 persons were received as charter members.

Since 1892, 18 pastors have served the church. The present pastor is the Rev. Donald Mielke.

Preaching places were started from the Brainerd appointment in the following rural areas: Daggett Brook, Crow Wing, Oak Lawn, Mil Lacs lake, Bay Lake and Dykeman. In some of these places, the work was only of a temporary nature; in other instances, work continued over a long period of years.

The names of some of the people identified with the early history of the Brainerd church are: Strickler, Senti, Otto, Schilb, George Miller, Arnold, Luebke, Metzger, Augustin, Zander and Smith. Early records give special mention of the work done by Mrs. J. Strickler and George Miller. In 1948, Jake and Ralph Strickler gave the church an electric Hammond organ in memory of their mother.

The present parsonage was built in 1940, while W. R. Thomas was pastor. Also, during the 40's, plans to remodel and enlarge the church were formed. By 1950, the members had collected $30,500, and under the leadership of the Rev. E. J. Utzinger, the present church was built during the summer of 1950 at a cost of $62,000. The church was dedicated in 1950, with Bishop Praetorius of St. Paul as guest speaker. On December 7, 1957, all debts were paid and members enjoyed a mortgage burning ceremony.

The Union of the Evangelical United Brethren and the Methodist church was completed at Dallas, Tex.,in April, 1968. Sunday, June 2, 1968, a uniting service was held at the church here.

Four young men from this church have entered the Christian ministry: Rev. Kenneth Clawson, Rev. Herbert Cook, Rev. Harold Utzinger and Rev. Howard Krueger.

Reproduced from the Centennial Edition of the Brainerd Daily Dispatch (1871-1971).