Written by Rev. Dale Hulme, current Pastor of St. Olaf
St. Olaf Lutheran Church will be celebrating its 150th anniversary on Sunday, October 20. The public is invited to join in this happy occasion. How does a church even get to be that old, especially in Minnesota where statehood was not conferred until 1858? Well, it was founded in the early days of Minneapolis and has been in existence ever since. Not that it’s been the same all the time, though.
Founded by Norwegian immigrants in 1876, St. Olaf has traveled through four different ideological phases, all represented by different Lutheran church bodies, the latest of which is the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). People just assume we are related to St. Olaf College. Well, we are now, but we traveled a different path to the ELCA.
Our closest college relative is our founding college, Augsburg University. The President of Augsburg usually preaches at our anniversary events and this anniversary will be no different. Just hearing President Pribbenow preach is worth the price of admission! Others confuse us with the downtown St. Olaf. No, that’s a Catholic church.
As with most countries of Europe, Norway was Catholic at first, but became totally Lutheran in the Reformation. Nevertheless, the Lutherans hung on to their patron saint. But, he’s not a typical saint! He was a Viking! On a trip to Norway in 1986, my wife, Sue Quist, and I found several people who got a good laugh out of the notion that Olaf could be a saint. In this age of institutional name-changing, the name “Olaf,” seems to be in no danger of being challenged as was the name of our local high school. Is it because he lived so long ago or because of our affection for our home state football team? And now, Walt Disney has transformed him into this loveable little creature that is the subject of many a children’s party. Our reasons for questioning its name, however, have to do with the diversity of the neighborhood. While it is nice to have an ethnic heritage, it is better in America to be inclusive.
As most readers know, North Minneapolis is a diverse community and in the late ‘80s, non-Norwegians began to check St. Olaf out. They found a welcome there. The “Lutheran Free” non-judgmentalism served the church well for integration purposes. When it came time in 2000 to decide whether St. Olaf would hang out a welcome sign for gay and lesbian people, the words of one elderly woman reflected the philosophy of the members: “Now, see here. We don’t judge anyone. We have to hang out a welcome sign so they know we’re not judging them!” As the Pastor of St. Olaf, I find that attitude refreshing. I must find it so. I’ve been here 26 years!
During the Liberian civil war, Liberian refugees especially found welcome here, as many were Lutheran in Liberia and recognized the hymns we were piping over to the rooms in our nursing home. The St. Olaf Residence nursing home provided critical employment to these new immigrants as well. In 1997, the pace of inclusion was accelerated when the congregation decided to make whatever changes were necessary to incorporate the worship practices of the surrounding neighborhood and to focus its service on the immediate neighborhood. The commitment remains in effect.
We hated saying goodbye to our nursing home and assisted living facility, but in 2015, it became a casualty of the increasing corporatization of the nursing home industry. We were able to steer the transfer of ownership to an organization of our choice and FreedomWorks, a post-incarceration ministry, now owns and occupies the former nursing home. Our future is tied to the hip with FreedomWorks –literally. The complex on the 2900 block of Emerson-Fremont occupies an entire city block. A well-known and respected North Minneapolis nonprofit, Appetite for Change, farms the “north 40.”
There’s so much more to the story of St. Olaf. Did I mention it is on the National Register of Historic Places? The artistic and acoustic experience of the sanctuary is also worth the price of admission. Admission to the October 20 event is free, with a “history walk” at 9 a.m., celebratory worship at 10:30 a.m., and a lunch, catered by Northside caterer, “We Cater To You,” at noon. However, reservations are required for the lunch (612-529-7726) and donations are appreciated. You can donate on the website: stolaflutheran.org.