United
Norwegian Lutheran Church
(1890-1917)
Bethel
Bethlehem
Covenant
Emmaus
Messiah
Moreland
Nazareth
Our Savior's English
Salem
St. Timothy
Trinity
Trinity (South Chicago)
Zion
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.