It all Began in the 1860's

 

Immigrations into the Upper Peninsula began after extreme interest in copper mining became important to the supply needs of the Civil War. Immigrants from Norway, Finland, and Sweeden began to come into the area because of the need for workers of all kinds for the mines, the timber industry, and for other opportunities that supported the growing populations in this area. By the 1900 census, Houghton County boasted 7,241 foreign-born Finns, 1,594 Swedes, and 1,140 Norse residents.

 

As these populations grew, the need for church arose and in January 1867 atop Quincy Hill, a new Lutheran church was founded. This first church was the predecessor to the present German Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. In June of 1867, the Scandinavians also organized on Quincy Hill and this became the beginning of the Lutheran Church in America that later merged into the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Pastor A.E. Fridricksen, a missionary from Oslo, Norway led the first church that was a cooperation of the Norwegians, Swedes, and Finns. Because of the language barrier between the pastor and non-Norwegian speaking congregants, often services and classes were also held in English so all people had an opportunity to hear God's word spoken to them.

 

In 1870 the congregation expanded to build a church on Pine Street. This was the original Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Church in Calumet. Their first pastor was Pastor H.C. Roernaes, installed on November 11, 1871. During Pastor Roernaes times, conflict arose that caused a group of Finnish Laestadians (Apostolics) to break away from the church and formed the Finnish Apostolic Lutheran Movement in America. This movement of faithful Lutherans built a foundation that our current church rests upon today.