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Bethel Welcomes Everyone!
And those words from the large
banner framing our south entrance are true. Today Bethel Lutheran is
a congregation that welcomes people of all races, ethnic
backgrounds, and ages. We strive to serve the very diverse
population of Willmar, especially downtown. While the beautiful,
Tudor Revival structure (1927) may seem formal and cold, you will
receive a warm welcome when you enter, whether for worship or one of
the many community meetings we host.
Swedish Roots:
Like most religious communities, Bethel was started by a specific
ethnic group, Swedish immigrants. After Willmar became an important
stop on the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, the growing Swedish
language population expressed desire for a ‘Swedish Lutheran
Church.’ Although strong Swedish congregations –Tripolis,
Atwater, Svea, Mamrelund and Lebanon—the rapidly growing Swedish
population in Willmar was not served. This was remedied in 1891 when
Bethel Lutheran was formed.
Although ‘Bethel welcomes
everyone,’ Swedish roots are still honored by the Lucia Day
Festival in December. Into a darkened church walk young women
wearing crowns of light on their heads to begin a day of festivity
that includes worship, lots of coffee with cardamon buns, and
programs at local nursing homes.
Bethel in Transition:
Bethel has come a long way from its immigrant roots.
Today we serve in Willmar, a
community that is more than 20% Latino and has welcomed many Somali
Muslims. While downtown Willmar is no longer the only retail hub,
ongoing expansion of Rice Hospital and increased office usage
provides us with new opportunities to connect with a different kind
of downtown. Bethel intends to open its north doors to the downtown
community and serve where we are located.
This intention for service and
continued ministry is put well in Bethel’s Mission Statement:
Anchored in Christ,
we walk in faith, act in hope, and live in love as we
embrace what God asks of us.
We
invite you to be part of the worship, learning, and service that are
central to our living out this vision. |
