I attended South Santiago Lutheran Church from the time I was a baby until my senior year of high school. My mom and sisters and I were very active at South Santiago. Mom helped publish a church cookbook in the 1980’s. I served as a part time pianist in the 1980’s. My siblings and I have many fond memories of South Santiago Lutheran Church. I recently ran into Pastor Daryl Thul and he let me know about an All-Church Reunion that is planned for the last Sunday morning in June. I put it on my calendar and told my siblings. 

South Santiago Lutheran has a rich history. In 1891, three Scandinavian families from Mower County, Minnesota, took homesteads in the Santiago area. “Thousand Islands” was the name given to the settlement, which was later changed to South Santiago, which marked the beginning of the church in the year 1891. It was then that Augund Aslakson, Ole Amunden and Halvor Olsen moved to the area. These pioneers felt a need for establishing a Lutheran congregation and started meeting at the home of Halvor Olsen. The first worship service was held on October 31, 1882 at a member’s home. November 20, 1882, at Ole Amundsen’s home, the congregation was officially organized. 

The original log church was built in 1888 and served as a meeting place for 18 years. A new and larger church was needed and plans were drawn. The cornerstone for this new church was laid in 1904 and finished in 1906. The congregation met for worship in that building until January of 2000, when the church burned to the ground due to arson. 

South Santiago Lutheran Church (SSLC) will celebrate a milestone Sunday, June 26th at its 9 a.m. service to celebrate 20 years since the new church was built after the fire. Worship will be held at 9 a.m., followed by a 10 a.m. history lesson and an 11 a.m. smorgasbord. The address of the church is: 14675 37th St, Clear Lake, MN. 

“We’re calling it the All-Church Reunion,” said Bill Rogers, who was SSLC congregation’s president through the building project twenty years ago. 

Pastor Jeff Sackett, who was three years into his tenure at SSLC when the fire changed everything, said at the time and still says, “The church is not a building, the people are the church.”

Former members and attendees are invited to attend the celebration, which will also include a 10 a.m. history lesson courtesy of Walt Munsterman. Walt will discuss the church’s history dating back to a meeting at Halvor Olsen’s house in the fall of 1882 to discuss the possibility of founding a church in the Thousand Island (South Santiago) area.

If you drive past the church on 37th St. (Co. Rd. 48), you can still see the rough-hewn cottonwood original church in the garden near the road.

In addition to the history lesson about the church at the event Sunday morning, June 26th, people can expect good food and fellowship. 

South Santiago Lutheran Church Pastor Daryl Thul shared these thoughts: “We’re Lutheran. You can’t celebrate such an incredible gift from the Holy Spirit without a smorgasbord!”

Pastors Hollie Holt-Woehl, Angela LaMoore, Jeff Sacket, Mike Pancoast and other former leaders are expected to be in attendance for the celebration that day if their schedules allow. One of the former pastors exclaimed: “‘You had me at smorgasbord!”

The building committee at SSLC realized several years ago that the ‘new  church smell’ was gone – and began a campaign to update and improve the facility. This is a mission that continues.

South Santiago Lutheran pastor Daryl Thul shared these sentiments: “I know there are people out there who hear ‘South Santiago Lutheran’ and the first thing that comes to mind is the fire that burned the church in 1999. Our work in the Holy Spirit before and after the fire is so much more important. I want to be a part of a congregation known for loving Jesus and Dancing in the Light of Christ; because when you’ve been given that, the Holy Spirit can really do some great work in our community and beyond.” 

If you are planning to attend the All-Church Reunion celebration Sunday, June 26th, you can RSVP to the church office at 763-662-2048. RSVP is not required, but helpful so the church basement ladies can prepare too much food. Even if you do not RSVP, be assured you will not be turned away and you certainly won’t leave hungry!