Bethel Lutheran Church

Bethel Lutheran Church, 2101 N. Humboldt Blvd., was organized in 1889 as a member of the United Norwegian Lutheran Church.

The third Norwegian colony in Chicago, the Humboldt Park settlement emerged around 1880, following settlements around Wells and Superior in the 1840s, and around Milwaukee and Halsted streets in the 1870s. In 1889, Rev. N.C. Brun, a missionary from Norway, began gathering people for worship in the Humboldt Park area.

Bethel Lutheran Church was formally organized on Dec. 29, 1889, afiliated with the United Norwegian Lutheran Church and called Rev. Brun as pastor.

In the spring of 1891 the congregation puchased a one-story framed building from a German Lutheran congregation, (possibly Christ Lutheran), which was located at the corner of Richmond and McLean. The Bethel congregation moved the building to Humboldt Street (now Richmond), south of Armitage. A second story was added later, as was a basement.

A nearby congregation, Immanuel Norwegian Lutheran Church, which had been organized in 1887, joined the Hauge Synod in 1890. Several in the congregation were upset at this decision and left to eventually form the Norwegian Lutheran Salem Church. Another Norwegian Lutheran mission group became Zion Lutheran, which eventually located at Lawndale and Belden. With four Norwegian Lutheran congregations serving the small settlement of Humboldt Park, it became evident that a merger should take place. On Jan. 1, 1893 Salem dissolved and joined Bethel.

Bethel gradually adopted the use of English, beginning in the 1890s, first in the Sunday School and later with an additional worship service. By 1916 the Norwegian Sunday School was discontinued. The last Norwegian services were held in 1933.

In October 1897, the congregation began conducting a Sunday School near Armitage and Kostner. This later developed into St. Timothy Lutheran Church. A second mission congregation became Edison Park Lutheran Church in January 1926.

In 1905 the congregation purchased lots at Humboldt at Dickens, and construction of a new building begaon in April 1907. The building was dedicated on Dec. 8, 1907.

Faced with the post-World War II flight to the suburbs, Bethel decided to stay in the neighborhood and to reestablish itself as a vital congregation to the neighborhood.

In 1971, Rev. Paul L. Knudson began serving Saron Lutheran Church in addition to his work at Bethel. The congregation voted not to merge with Saron, and Saron dissolved in 1979.

From 1983 to 1989 Bethel served as the host to the Westtown Emergency Shelter.

Sons of the congregation (with ordination dates)
Edward Ellefson
M. Lyle Halvorsen, 1911
O.R. Arthur Tollefson, 1922
Rudolph Ofstedal, 1924
Eberg E. Tollefson, 1928
Elvin S. Tollefson, 1928
Albert Iverson, 1930
Raymond C. Reinholtzen, 1932
Edward W. Wilson, 1933
Herbert Amundson, 1933
Einar Oftedahl (Presbyterian)
Gordon Tollefson, 1941
John R. Reitan, 1949
Robert Bergeson, 1952
Norman Bergeson, 1956
Harold Reitan (Congregational)
James Burtness, 1958
Richard Larson, 1958
Stanley Satre, 1958

Original records
Original record books should be located at Bethel Lutheran Church, 2101 N. Humboldt Blvd., Chicago, IL 60647. Early record books have been microfilmed and are available at the ELCA Archives. ALC #402 contains church minutes from 1889 to 1925, ALC #403 contains minutes from 1926 to 1965, and ALC #404 contains membership records from 1889 to 1963. The ELCA Archives also has congregational histories and other materials relating to Bethel.

Sources
"Bethel Lutheran Church 'For All the Saints...Alleluia!' -- One Hundred Years on the Boulevard," 1989.