320.963.3592
7809 County Road 35 W
Middleville Township
Annandale, Minnesota
1976 - 1995
Pastor Allen Mack was installed on December 5, 1976. Pastor Mack conducted a number of Bible classes during the week both in English and German. In preparation for centennial celebration the church floor and pews were refinished. Donald Woolhouse put new north steps in. Our first cookbook, "Recipes from Bethlehem," was produced with Pastor Mack doing much of the printing and binding.
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The 100th Anniversary (Centennial) of Bethlehem was celebrated on Sunday, August 13, 1978. Rev. David Likeness (Washington, Illinois) was the guest speaker for the morning worship service. This was followed by a centennial dinner, reminiscing program, and German hymn sing. An evening service at 8:00 p.m. featured guest speaker, Rev. James Shears (Powell, Tennessee).
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Pastor Mack and Laura left in January of 1979 for Jackson, MN; we were served in our vacancy by Pastor John Temple.
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Pastor Allen Mack
In October 1979 Pastor Orville Horn answered a call to serve Bethlehem. A small tornado touched down by the church on September 3, 1980, breaking off twelve trees and uprooting one. Major improvements were made to the church and properties. In 1981 the room behind the organ was added and the kitchen remodeled to a much larger facility. New carpeting was installed in the Altar area. The church foundation was painted and a flagpole erected in the cemetery. Also another cookbook, "Country Favorites From Bethlehem," was published in 1983. Pastor Horn and his family left in August 1983 for a parish in Burkburnett, Texas.
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Pastor Jeffrey Miller served our vacancy until April 1984 when Pastor John Allstaedt and Tina arrived from the seminary.
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Pastor Orville Horn
Pastor John Allstaedt
Pastor Gerhardt Michael served as vacancy pastor until Rev. Norman Discher (Elmore, MN) answered our call and was installed in March on 1989.
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Continued improvements included: new carpet in the parsonage office and new kitchen flooring (1989),
In July 1985, lots of work commenced with a new addition (the lower Narthex), painting of the floor in the basement, purchasing of room dividers, installing a new furnace, reshingling and painting of the parsonage, installing a new speaker system, and placing new steel siding on the church.
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Bethlehem joined the Annandale Church Softball League on 1986, and continued playing until 1999. Those were years of great fun and fellowship.
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In August of 1988 Pastor Allstaedt and his family left when he accepted a call to Wisconsin.
a chair lift installed in the church (1990), church interior
painted and pulpit and lectern varnished by Kenneth Erickson and his sons (1991), church balcony carpeted (1992), telephone installed in the church kitchen (1993), a new furnace and steel siding at the parsonage, new shingles on the church, and a security system installed (1994).
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Pastor Discher retired in August of 1994. We were again honored to have Pastor Michael fill the pulpit vacancy.
Pastor Norman Discher