Bethlehem Lutheran Church
Bethlehem Norwegian Lutheran Church, a member of the United Norwegian Lutheran Church, was located at Iowa and Springfield Ave. It was organized from
Trinity Lutheran in 1870 and was originally a member of the Norwegian-Danish Conference before that church body merged with two others to form the United Norwegian Lutheran Church in 1890.
Bethlehem constructed its first building in 1870 at North Sangamon and Phillip Streets (near Milwaukee Ave.), and its second (pictured at left) in 1880 at W. Huron and N. Center (Centre), and its third (pictured below) in 1912 at Springfield Ave. and Iowa St.
In 1888 Bethlehem absorbed Zion Lutheran. In 1911 Bethlehem absorbed
Emmaus Lutheran, which had been located on the northeast corner of the intersection of Springfield Ave. and Iowa St. In 1925 Bethlehem merged with
St. Paul English Lutheran and
Our Savior Lutheran to form
United Lutheran. In 1928 United moved to Oak Park, Ill.
Pastors S.M. Krogness
1870-1874
C.B. Jacobson
1874-1876
O. Hanson Bostad
1876-1877
S.R. Gundersen
1877
N.C. Brun
1877-1889
J.N. Kildahl
1889-1899
G.T. Rygh
1899-1910
N.J. Ellestad
1910-1911
A.A. Ofstedal
1911
H.J. Holman
1911-1925
Congregational records The ELCA Archives has microfilm of Bethlehem's membership records from 1869-1874 on film #1012, 1874-1891 on film #7, 1874-1910 on film #898 and 1911-1925 on film #899. Bethlehem's original record books should be located at United Lutheran Church, 409 Greenfield St., Oak Park, IL 60302-1143.
Sources Norlie, O.M., ed.
Norsk Lutherske Menigheter i Amerika, 1843-1916. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1918.
Miscellaneous pages from a 1958 history of United Lutheran Church, Oak Park, title unknown.