Our History
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The BeginningFirst Lutheran Church has its roots among Swedish Immigrants who came to the Hinckley area in the late 19th century. The congregation was chartered as the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hinckley in 1883. Three years later the congregation moved into its first building which measured 18 by 30 feet. In 1894 The Great Hinckley Fire destroyed the first church building along with most of the community on September 1st. Undaunted, the congregation moved into a newly erected building by Christmas of that same year. On August 7, 1896, a tornado (cyclone) destroyed the church again and again the congregation rebuilt. |
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The 20th Century
In 1929 a new structure was erected, incorporating the sacristy and bell tower of the former church. The newly constructed church faced east, rather than north, and included a basement. 
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The name First Evangelical Lutheran Church was adopted in 1932. In 1957 a new educational wing was added to the building and 10 years later a narthex, including a library and classroom was added. A new parsonage was built in 1981 at 408 3rd street. The expanding congregation realized the need for more space and on Pentecost Sunday of 1989, ground was broken just across the street from the church as the site for the new building.The cornerstone was laid on September 24th. |
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The 21st Century
The first service in the new church was conducted on January 14, 1990, with dedication on May 20th.
The parsonage was sold in 2014. The congregation now numbers over 450 baptized members. We are still going strong, with our parishioners and our community! |
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Contact Us
Additional Resources
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Visit Us301 Lawler Ave S.
Hinckley, MN 55037 |