“It’s amazing how much stuff has been done,” said Interim Pastor Paul Meierding. “New things appear all the time. One day, I came in and suddenly there was a beautiful bookcase with my books on it.” Groskreutz added, “It’s clean around here all the time, but you know how it is when you have company coming over.”
With all the details taken care of, the guests filed in the pews at 10 a.m. Sunday morning. Filled to the brim, the walls echoed the voice of the Southern Minnesota Synod’s Bishop, Harold Usgaard.
“The theme for the morning was, ‘the same yesterday, today and forever,’ which comes from Hebrews 13:8,” Groskreutz said. “Melissa Williams, wife of Pastor Scott Williams of St. Peter Lutheran, directed the anniversary choir. And Tim Siewart, NRHEG band director, also graciously helped us out with the trumpet.”
A dinner quickly followed the service, and at 2 p.m., the afternoon program began. Once the speaker’s completed their short greetings, the cornerstone’s contents were soon revealed.
“When we first drilled it out, this copper box fell out. There was stuff already in it from the 100th and 125th and now we added certain things for this.” Groskreutz said. “We also rededicated the church. We thanked God for his faithfulness in the last 150 years, and prayed for his guidance in the future.”
Inside the Sunday school rooms, everyone stepped into “Le Sueur River’s” past, as many artifacts were displayed. A bench, two oil lanterns, an 1877 wooden marker from one of the windows, hymn books, scrap books, and many other things highlighted the past.
“What this church tried to do was celebrate and really appreciate what’s gone before us,” Meierding said. “Some of the farm families here have ancestors going all the way back to very beginning. Their great-great-great grandparents homesteaded this land. Those kinds of roots are rare.”
Le Sueur River Church’s also has an unusual thing with numbers. Their first resident pastor, O. A. Mellby, served for 42 years. His successor, L.G. Engelstad, had a stay for 33 years. Then, more recently, Charles Espe topped off the unusual 113 year stretch, with 38 years.
“That says something about the congregation,” Meierding said. “They’ve been very supportive and respectful of their pastors.”
He’s also been very impressed with how many children mosey on up to the front for the children’s sermons. There are 42 children enrolled in Sunday school during the year, which is a very good sign.
“That’s really good for a rural church like this,” Meierding said. “I hope this continues to be a church of people of all ages. I also hope this church remains centered with God’s Word, and not with just maintenance.”
Hopes aside, Meierding’s interim stay has been a great one so far. The pastoral search in process, he just feels blessed being a part of this church’s celebration in history.
“These kinds of gatherings are good times for people to come back here and see people they haven’t for many years,” Meierding said. “Milestones like this are just always a great, exciting time.”
Le Sueur River’s 151st year will not only include a clergy change, but a musical one. Their current pipe organ will be taken out early next year and be completely rebuilt, as an air leak causes some notes to be unplayable.
“Part of our anniversary offering went to this cause,” Meierding said. “When it’s refurbished, it will have twice as many pipes as it does, and just be much more versatile in sound.” Groskreutz said, “It’s been fixed, but never really anything substantial. What we can play on it now is very limited.”
Groskreutz, a substitute organist, can’t wait to play the hymns on the updated instrument. And just like him, Meierding continues to revel in the church’s rich history.
“The first pastor, Mellby, served in multiple churches, so back in 1861, Le Sueur River only worshipped once every four weeks,” Meierding said. “Now you can get around in five or ten minutes, but with horses, that posed a bit of a problem. It’s a completely different way of life now.”
