THE WAUPACA REPUBLICAN

November 13, 1903

 

SILVER JUBILEE

The Danish Baptist Church Society Celebrated Their 25^th Anniversary

 

            On Sunday and Monday the Danish Baptist Society celebrated the 25^th anniversary of their Church in this city with appropriate services.

            It was just twenty-five years ago Nov. 9 that a little band of Danish worshipers in the Baptist faith, Mr. and Mrs. Rasmus Jorgensen, Mr. and Mrs. Soren P. Larsen, Mrs. Mary Johnsen who are still living members of the Society now, and proposed to have a church. Rev. L. Jacobsen being the first pastor and the church was in a little building, what is now part of the Lathrop house on State Street.

            Rev. C. Henningson a charter member of the society, once a farmer in Farmington, and now pastor of the Danish Baptist Church in Racine, preached the anniversary sermon Sunday morning at 10:30, “His subject was Daniel’s Faith in God.”

            Rev. Frank Peterson D.D. of Minneapolis, Secretary of the American Baptist Foreign Missionary Society of the Northwest preached a most excellent sermon at 3 p.m.

            In the evening Rev. E. L. Myrland of Eau Claire State Missionary for the Danish and Norwegian Baptist Churches gave an interesting address on the subject of “Spiritual Growth”.

            Monday was Jubilee Day.  There was a reception in the church in the forenoon and from 12 to 2 o’clock a dinner was served at the home of Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Knudsen to all the members and visiting clergy.  At 2 p.m. services commenced in the church with a praise and song service followed by the reading of the 122d and 133d Psalms by Rev. J. A. Fridell, followed by a history of the Society in Waupaca.  In his statement he said the records showed only four pastorates in twenty-five years as follows:  Rev. L. Jacobsen who served two and a half years, Rev. R. J. Petersen who served one year, Rev. C. L. Christensen two years, Rev. J. A. Fridell, the present pastor, eight years.

            The church was decorated with plants and flowers, Mottoes, etc.  The church choir furnished good singing and there were solos by Miss Lilian Knudsen and a duet by Miss Knudsen and Mrs. Anna Boyce of Grand Rapids a former organist of the church.

            Letters of congratulation were read from Rev. L. Jacobsen of Selma California; C. A. L. Christensen of Elkhorn Iowa; Rev. J. Petersen of Harland Iowa, now editor of the Watchman; Revs. N. Brink of Kankakee Illinois; and H. A. Roichenback, Council Bluffs Iowa who assisted in the work of the church here at different times, also forwarded encouraging letters.

            Greetings from the neighboring Churches were tendered by Rev. F. Arthur Hayward pastor of the English Baptist Church, Rev. Rynning of Danish Methodist church; H. P. Petersen, substituting Rev. G. W. White of the Methodist church and Rev. Christensen instead of Rev. Powell of the Saxeville Baptist church.  Rev. E. L. Myrland preached on the subject “Church as a center for Influence”.  The closing prayer was by Rev. C. Henningsen who also preached the evening sermon.

            Services were also held Tuesday and Wednesday evenings with Revs. Myrland and Henningsen assisting Rev. Fridell.  The revival services had to be postponed on account of Rev. Myrland being called away on an important mission elsewhere.

            The REPUBLICAN congratulates the Danish Baptists of Waupaca for their good work and influence in this community.

            It is regretted by many that they are to lose Rev. Fridell.  He has accepted a call to a pastorate of two churches in and near Spring Valley S. D.  His Farewell sermon will be a week from Sunday.  His successor has not yet been announced.