Original article
In 1886, Missionary Ole J. Norby, a native of Norway, arrived in Mandan and discovered many Scandinavians of the Lutheran faith. He saw the need to establish a church. On April 18, 1886, a group of pioneers gathered at the rural home of Mr. and Mrs. Hans Benson six miles west of Mandan near Marmot to organize a Lutheran church congregation.
Five years after its founding, the first church, a small wooden structure was built in the Syndicate area, southwest Mandan. In 1961, the congregation celebrated its 75th anniversary of its founding with the dedication its third church building located at the corner of 9th Street and 4th Avenue NW. The first part of the current church was completed and opened for use in 1957 and replaced the 44-year-old wood structure at Eighth Avenue and First St NW.
Pastor Reverand Carsten F. Brien led the celebration and served the congregation since in 1949. Three members were honored during the dedication, Mrs. A.C. Hermanson of Mandan, Oscar Carlson of the Stone community, and Mrs. Nancy (Carl) Hendrickson of the Heart River area. Carlson and Hendrickson were baptized on the day the church was established on April 18, 1886 as the Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Church. In 1996, the congregation dedicated a major addition to the church building with a special service, followed by a meal. The nearly $1 million addition began as a renovation of the original 1957 building but expanded to include 4,300 sq ft of additional space, bringing the complex to a total of 26,422 sq ft. http://www.firstlutheranofmandan.org/index_files/Page994.htm
Copy-edited article
In 1886, missionary Ole J. Norby, a native of Norway, arrived in Mandan and found many Scandinavian Lutherans. Recognizing the need for a church, a group of pioneers gathered on April 18, 1886, at the rural home of Mr. and Mrs. Hans Benson, six miles west of Mandan near Marmot, to organize a Lutheran congregation.
Five years after the congregation was founded, its first church—a small wooden structure—was built in the Syndicate area of southwest Mandan. The first section of the current church, at Ninth Street and Fourth Avenue NW, was completed and opened in 1957. It replaced a 44-year-old wooden building at Eighth Avenue and First Street NW.
In 1961, the congregation celebrated the 75th anniversary of its founding by dedicating its third church building. The Reverend Carsten F. Brien, who had served the congregation since 1949, led the celebration. Three members were honored during the dedication: Mrs. A. C. Hermanson of Mandan, Oscar Carlson of the Stone community, and Mrs. Nancy (Carl) Hendrickson of the Heart River area. Carlson and Hendrickson had been baptized on April 18, 1886, the day the Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Church was established.
In 1996, the congregation dedicated a major addition with a special service followed by a meal. The nearly $1 million project began as a renovation of the original 1957 building but expanded to include 4,300 square feet of new space, bringing the complex to 26,422 square feet.