(The following is just a part of what has been taken from the booklet of 125th Anniversary.)

Beginning with a little history…. In the spring of 1870, the first Norwegian settlers came to reside on the prairie north of Lake Emily. It was not long until it became known as Greenland. Some still refer to the area as Greenland. 

These new settlers were nearly all emigrants from Norway. Some had stopped in Wisconsin or Iowa to work as farm laborers. They were brought up in the Lutheran faith in their former home land.  As soon as a need was felt for a church, they moved forward to establish a church. 

They openly acknowledged a trust in the words of their Heavenly Father expressed in the words of H.H. de Leuw. “…For I need eyes that see and hands that feel, and a mind that seeks to keep on building, I need someone to guard that part of me I lend to him, to guide him toward

His final goal.  Yes! I will create man and he, alone of all my works, shall have a soul.” 

The first Norwegian Lutheran minister to reside in Pope County was Pastor P.S. Reque.  He accepted a call from White Bear congregation and several other congregations in People County in the year 1869.  After his summons, Rev. P.S. Reque served this settlement in Greenland and the settlers held their first divine services in March 1872 at the home of Lars Sylvester (the Reuben & Betty Ann VanLuik farm site). Immediately after this first service a proposed constitution was read by Rev. Reque.  By unanimous vote this matter was to be taken up at a later meeting of the congregation with the understanding they were to adopt the proposed constitution. It resolved that the name of the congregation would be the Evangelical Lutheran Immanuel Congregation. 

Pastor P.S. Reque was officially called to serve the congregation temporarily.  It was agreed to hold eight divine services each year.  The pastor’s salary was to be $60.00 per year.  In the Spring of 1880, Work began on Immanuel’s first church building. Soon the congregation outgrew this building, and a second church building was completed in 1896.

The second church building was struck by lightning on July 13, 1918, and burned to the ground within an hour. Work began on a new building that same year and is the present edifice we are worshiping in today.

The congregation’s first 

members were:  

Lars Sylvester, Thos. E. Thompson, Hans Johnshoy, A.L. Brevig, Cornelius A. Berg and family, Lars Brevig and family, Mons L. Urness and family, Nils Urness and family, Bernt E. Wold and family, Hovel Syverson and family, Hans Samuelson and family, Jakob Otteson and family, Otto Otteson and family, Chr. O. Sandvik and family, Syver Thompson, Gjert Pederson and family, Ever E. Barsness, Elden Engebretson and family, Engebret Mikkelson, Nils Mikkelson and Ole Engebretson (Bakken).

As the congregation grew in numbers it became evident that a building to worship together was becoming a necessity. Therefore, on November 28, 1873, at a congregational meeting, a site for a church and cemetery was laid out.  It was located on the north edge of the Lars Sylvester homestead with Lars giving two acres of land for this purpose. Directly north of the church and cemetery site, Theo O. Wold donated two acres of land for a so called “hitching ground.”  

From the church:

If anyone has any memories from Immanuel Lutheran Church, it would be greatly appreciated if you could write them down and send them to Immanuel1872@hcinet.net or Immanuel Lutheran Church, P.O. Box 33, Starbuck, MN  56381

Celebration Worship Service is set for Sunday, Sept. 11

Immanuel will be celebrating their anniversary with a Holy Communion Worship Service on September 11 at 11 a.m. Galen Sylvester and Pastor David Grant will be part of the worship service.