The Lutheran Minnesota Conference was one of the 13 conferences of the Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Synod. Formed by Swedish immigrants in the 1800s, it originally encompassed Minnesota, parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Canada, and Wisconsin. Its size was substantially reduced years later when Alexandria, Fargo, and Red River Districts became the Red River Valley Conference in 1912, and the Alberta District and Canada Mission field became the Canada Conference in 1913.The Beginnings and Progress of Minnesota Conference of the Lutheran Augustana Synod of America. Minneapolis, Minn.: The Lund Press, Inc., 1929 With the creation of the Lutheran Church in America (LCA) in 1962, it became known as the Minnesota Synod.
Organizers of the Minnesota Conference were Rev. Peter Carlson, Rev. Eric Norelius, Rev. Peter Beckman, Rev. Johan Peter Carlson Boren and laymen Daniel Nelson, Hakan Svedberg, Frans C. Bjorklund, and Ole Paulson were present at the first meeting of the Minnesota Conference held October 7–9, 1858 at Chisago Lake. At the end of 1961, the Minnesota Conference had the most baptized members of any conference in the Augustana Synod with 182,374 baptized members and 300 congregations.
In 1862 members of the Minnesota Conference founded Minnesota Elementary School in Red Wing, which was renamed St. Ansgar’s Academy and moved to East Union in 1865. The institution relocated to Saint Peter in 1876 and was officially recognized as Gustavus Adolphus College. Other educational institutions erected by the Minnesota Conference include Minnesota College, founded in 1904, Lutheran Bible Institute, founded in 1919, and North Star College and Northwestern College, which both became part of the Red River Conference.
Districts Apple River District, Big Stone District, Chisago District, Cokato District, Goodhue District, Iron Range District, Lake Superior District, Mille Lacs District, Minneapolis District, Montevideo District, St. Croix District, St. James District, St. Paul District, St. Peter District, Sioux Falls District, Willmar District
Presidents The following served as president of the Minnesota Conference:Lund, Emil. Minnesota-Konferensens av Augustana-Synoden och dess Församlingars Historia. Vol. 1. Rock Island, Ill.: Augustana Book Concern, [1926?]. pp. 205 1858: Johan Peter Carlson Boren 1859: Peter Anderson Cederstam, Peter Carlson, Johan Peter Carlson Boren 1860: Peter Anderson Cederstam, Eric Norelius 1861: Johan Peter Carlson Boren, L. H. Noren, Eric Norelius 1862: Peter Anderson Cederstam, Andrew Jackson 1863: Carl August Hedengran, Johan Peter Carlson Boren, Peter Carlson 1864: Eric Norelius, John Pehrson, Andrew Jackson 1865: N. Olson, Eric Norelius, Peter Carlson 1866: Andrew Jackson, Carl August Hedengran, John Pehrson 1867: Eric Norelius, Peter Carlson, Peter Anderson Cederstam 1868: John Pehrson, Andrew Jackson, Peter Carlson 1869: Andrew Jackson, Ole Paulson, Peter Carlson 1870: Peter Sjöblom, Eric Norelius 1871–1873: Eric Norelius 1874: Peter Sjöblom 1875: Jonas Auslund 1876: Peter Sjöblom 1877: Jonas Ausland, Peter Anderson Cederstam 1878: Peter Sjöblom 1879: Eric Norelius 1880: Andrew Jackson 1881–1882: Peter Sjöblom 1883–1886: Johannes Fremling 1887: Per Johan Swärd 1888–1892: Peter Sjöblom 1893–1896: Eric Norelius 1897–1899: Johannes Fremling 1900: Peter Sjöblom 1901–1904: Johannes Fremling 1905–1912: Johan Ander Krantz 1913–1938: Peter A. Mattson 1939: Peter A. Mattson, Emil Swenson 1940–1954: Emil Swenson 1955: Emil Swenson, Leonard A. Kendall 1956–1962: Leonard A. Kendall
External links Microfilm Index at the Lutheran Church Archives at Gustavus Adolphus College Minnesota Conference church and congregational histories, including baptisms, confirmations, marriages, deaths, and meeting minutes. Minnesota Conference Collections by District at the Lutheran Church Archives at Gustavus Adolphus College Collection finding aid descriptions and district maps
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