Hope Lutheran Church in Orrock, MN, will be celebrating its 150th birthday on September 17. In honor of the momentous anniversary, the church will be having their regular service at 10 a.m. followed by a luncheon. Former pastors and church members will be speaking about the history of the church and what it has meant to the community. Organizers for the event are encouraging anyone with ties to the church – former members, local residents, and family of members or former members  – to please come and share in the celebration and talk about the church. 

A Brief History of Hope Lutheran

The history of Hope Lutheran Church extends back to 1873, with the founding of the Eidskog Lutheran Church. The church membership consisted of immigrant families who came mainly from Norway. The Church was founded by Rev. Ole Paulson, and services were held at the Orrock School House (old Orrock Town Hall). A church building was constructed in 1897 for the congregation. 

Another church, by the name of Orrock Evangelical, was first organized in January of 1898, with their church building being completed in 1900. 

In 1966, the congregations of Eidskog Lutheran and Orrock Evangelical met together to discuss merging into one church. Both faced a loss of members to other local churches and families moving to other areas, not to mention financial difficulties for both. The new church would be named Hope Lutheran Church of Orrock.

In the years following the merge of the two churches, both original church buildings were destroyed in natural disasters. In May of 1966, a lightning strike caused a fire which burned down the Orrock Evangelical building, and just over a year later, in July of 1967, a tornado tore down the Eidskog Lutheran building. Fortunately, the majority of the records stored in both churches survived these disasters. 

Services were held at the Orrock Schoolhouse until a new church could be built. In January of 1968, the congregation voted to build a new church using the Eidskog site. Construction (by Nelson Construction) began in April of that year, and the first service was held on September 22. Dedication of the building took place September 29, 1968. And for the past 55 years, that is where Hope Lutheran has served its community. 

Today, there are around 36 active members of the church, which is the only remaining church in Orrock. 

Hope Lutheran Bell

The Hope Lutheran Church Bell has a unique history of its own. Don Aleckson of Orrock Township provided this reporter with an oral history of the bell. 

The bell used to belong to a school house in Big Lake Township, which Aleckson believed to be located near the intersection of County Roads 5 and 75. The school house was eventually moved and made into a house at a different location. The bell was taken by a local, (late) Allen Enger, and hung up in his shop. It hung in Enger’s shop for many years. 

After the Eidskog Church building was destroyed by a tornado, their bell was set out on the property on a stand. Unfortunately, the bell was stolen and never recovered. The old school bell was later donated to the reconstructed church to replace the stolen bell.