Warroad Houses of Worship Part VI — A Tale of Two Churches: Missouri Synod

Denominations in Christianity can be confusing to those unfamiliar to the various practices of Christian doctrine and the history of church foundings. When it comes to Lutheran churches, there are several categories that appear throughout the United States. Zion Lutheran Church falls into the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA), the largest Lutheran organization in the nation. The second largest group of Lutherans are the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. The differences between these two is best outlined in this article. The most notable difference between the two denominations is that ELCA churches tend to lean towards more progressive ideologies, whereas Missouri Synod churches tend to be more conservative. 

Warroad and the surrounding area have hosted two separate Missouri Synod churches in its history. Today, we are taking a look at Bethany and Bethlehem Lutheran.

The oldest of these two churches was Bethany Lutheran. The church formed in 1918 in Roseau under the name Immanuel Lutheran Church and was served by Rev. Kampschmidt. As the years went on, more Missouri Synod denominations began appearing in Roseau County, especially towards the eastern side in the townships of America and Cedarbend. Services in these townships began around 1920 in Charles Beseman's home, where both Mr. Beseman and Herman Mende pastored. 

After a few years, the church began meeting in the local schoolhouse until the late 1930s, after which time they began meeting in Ervin Colden's home. Around the same time, a Ladies' Aid formed and began assembling a formal congregation under the name Pleasant Vale Church. 

A couple more years passed before the pastor of the Missouri Synod church in Roseau began regularly serving the congregations at Pleasant Vale and a separate group organized in Longworth. For several years, the congregations met in Norman Severson's home, the Longworth school, and Nels Kverno's home until 1951, when the two churches merged together and purchased an old school building and moved it to a donated piece of land in Cedarbend on County Road 12 near the "old summer road." Funds for the project were collected by Colden and Jack Reinhart, with small loans provided by the Minnesota District of the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod. The new building's altar, pulpit, and baptismal front were built by Norman Severson, while the interior design was selected by Rev. Victor Marxhausen and built by members of the congregation. It was dedicated in November 1951 and christened the Bethany Lutheran Church (Warroad Pioneer  08/13/1952). 

Rev. Marxhausen was born in Waltham, MN in 1926 and attended seminary school at Concordia Theological Seminary in Springfield, Illinois. He graduated in 1949 and began serving at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Roseau soon after. In July 1953, Rev. Victor Roth took over as pastor of Bethany Lutheran, a man who previously served in both Illinois and California (WP  07/01/1953). Rev. Marxhausen retired from ministry in 1989 and passed away in 1994 in White Bear Lake. Rev. Roth also attended Concordia Theological Seminary after spending 3 years in the United States Air Force. His first ministerial position was in Roseau County in 1953.

Warroad Pioneer  05/19/1954
"Confirmation Rites At Bethany: Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Fish, Lester Storey and Mrs. John Storey, and Mrs. John McLaughlin were confirmed at services in Bethany Lutheran Church last Sunday. Following the service a dinner in their honor was served at the Ervin Colden home. Present were: Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Fish and Karen; Mr. and Mrs. John McLaughlin and family; Mr. and Mrs. Lester Storey and Donna; Mr. and Mrs. Harold Fish and family; Mr. and Mrs. Jack Reinhart and family; Mrs. Minor Fish and family; Mr. and Mrs. Robert Cass and girls; the Rev. and Mrs. Victor Roth and family; Mr. and Mrs. Ervin Colden and family; Mrs. Ernest Seimers; Ellen Miller; Mr. and Mrs. Loren Miller and Debbie; Barbara, Sharon, and Spencer Johnston; Mrs. Hanson; and Mrs. George Reinhart and family."

In September 1956, the church joined with Mt. Carmel Lutheran Church and Ebenezer Lutheran Church in Roosevelt, as well as Lutheran churches stretching to Thief River Falls to host a "Preaching-Teaching-Reaching" Area Evangelism event, including worship services, lectures, and fellowship (WP  09/05/1956). 

In March 1957, the church purchased the old Zion Lutheran building on Washington Avenue, south of the bridge, moving services into Warroad proper. Between 1956–1957, Bethany Lutheran Church hosted student pastor Fred Stemfeld from Chicago. He departed from the area in June 1957, and only a month later, Rev. Roth resigned his post. The new Reverend, Pastor Arthur Petrowsky, arrived from Palestine, Illinois in July 1957 after having received his theology degree at Concordia Theological Seminary. He brought with him his wife, Cathleen, and would overtake both Bethany Lutheran and the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Baudette (WP  07/24/1957). Pastor Victor Roth went on to pastor at the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Mankato and a few other places. He retired after 61 years of ministry and passed away in 2014. 

Rev. Victor Roth

It is unclear why Rev. Petrowsky left only a few months later in early 1958, but there appeared to be a shortage of pastors in the region to take his place and the church soon disbanded. Congregants began attending churches in Baudette, Williams, and Roseau. The church building was purchased by the Williams Lutheran congregation shortly after. Rev. Petrowsky retired from ministry in 1993 and passed away in 2017.

The Missouri Synod Church faded from the eastern part of the county for the next few decades, with both the Williams and Roosevelt sectors merging with other Lutheran congregations. It was not until 1985 that the Bethany Lutheran Church of Williams reappears in the Warroad Pioneer, served by Mt. Carmel's pastor Thyra M. Krier, though it no longer belonged to the Missouri Synod (WP  09/04/1985). This is not unusual, as you'll notice from many of our church series posts that the 1980s in Warroad and the surrounding area seemed a breeding ground for new church organizations across the region. 

Only a few short months later, Warroad announced it would be opening the Evangelical Lutheran Church under Pastor Roger Fehr. Although the name might lead some to believe it was an ELCA church, its practices aligned with the congregants of the Missouri Synod and Wisconsin Synod churches of America. The church began hosting weekly Bible studies and began services in the spring of 1986 in the old Lake of the Woods Realty building on Lake Street.

Pastor Roger Fehr, 2011

In September 1986, worship services moved to the old Fox Theater building across the street from Security State Bank (WP  09/24/1986). In 1988, the church rechristened itself the Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church. There is little information available about the church throughout its early years, and finding information is even harder when there is a Bethany Lutheran Church in Williams and a Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Baudette that are often listed alongside church news in the newspaper. What is known is that the church slowly began implementing new programs throughout the latter part of the 1980s. From weekly Bible studies, evangelism services, youth activities, and Sunday morning sermons, the church grew into itself by 1990.

In late 1989, worship services moved to the newly built church just west of Warroad on Highway 11. Dedication services took place in April 1990 with a Saturday afternoon celebration. Pastor George Orvick, president of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod, attended as a guest speaker (WP  04/25/1990). This shows that Bethlehem Lutheran moved from its roots in the Missouri and Wisconsin Synod denominations into the Evangelical Synod. According to the ELS official website, "Since the synod from its beginning [in 1917] already was in fellowship with the Wisconsin Synod and the Missouri Synod, the training of pastors and teachers in its early years occurred through these sister synods. In particular, the pastors often were educated at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri." Although these three denominations have their differences, it is clear that they share a close connection to one another and it is not unfair to include them together with the Wisconsin and Missouri Synod churches of Warroad which came before.

The church began hosting adult and youth retreats in early 1990. This included an annual retreat and campout for church members at Hayes Lake State Park. The church also hosted several speakers, including Missionary Daniel McMiller in 1992, whose missions work took place in the shanty towns of Peru in the 1980s and 90s (WP  03/10/1992). 

In late June–early July 1993, Pastor Fehr took on a new church in Princeton, MN. Pastor Daniel Faugstad of Oklee initially filled in as interim pastor while the church board searched for a new pastor.  The position was eventually filled by Rev. Michael Madson of Belview, MN, where he had served for four years. Rev. Madson trained at Bethany Lutheran College of Mankato, Northwestern College of Watertown, Wisconsin, and Bethany Theological Seminary in Mankato. His installation at Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran took place in August 1993. 

Early 1994 saw Rev. Madson organizing youth retreats to Fosston, church cleaning days with community members, and frequent youth confirmation services. It seems he jumped eagerly into his new role as pastor of Bethlehem Lutheran. He also began implementing drug and alcohol counseling and marriage counseling, advertising them in the newspaper. 

1995 Advertisement

In mid-1995, Rev. Madsen left Warroad and Bethlehem Evangelical Church. Rev. Faugstad returned as interim pastor as, once more, the church board searched for a new pastor. That was when Pastor Tom Zeller entered the picture.

Pastor Zeller originally came to Roseau County a year prior in March 1995. He attended Concordia Theological Seminary in Indiana and was ordained in DuBois, Wyoming before entering the missions field and serving both overseas and stateside. Prior to coming north, Zeller served as a missionary to the Lakota tribe of the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota for seven years. He had hoped to establish a Missouri Synod Church in Roseau County on the recommendation of Pastor Bill Aufdenkamp of Baudette. Pastor Zeller originally served at Our Savior's Lutheran Mission of the Missouri Synod in Roseau. Services were held in the basement of the North Border Realty building (WP  03/21/1995). 

Pastor Zeller continued to pastor at Our Savior's in Roseau, as well as the Roseau Christian School. In January 1996, he is also listed as the new pastor of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in the Pioneer. With this addition came the return of the Bethlehem Church to the Missouri Synod, where it remains today. 

For unknown reasons, Pastor Zeller left Bethlehem Church at the end of 1998 and was replaced by Rev. Donald Schoewe. Rev. Schoewe was born into a pastoral home, as his father was the Rev. Theodore Schoewe of Plainview, MN. Donald attended the University of Minnesota in early 1950, but left school to fight for his country in the last months of the Korean War. Upon his return to school he received a philosophy degree from the U of M and, like those who came before him, attended Concordia Theological Seminary in Indiana. He was ordained in 1963 and served at St. Matthew's in White Lake, Wisconsin for the first five years of his ministerial career. 

Rev. Donald Schoewe

Rev. Schoewe and his wife, Dianne, came to Roosevelt, MN in 1996 when he retired from active ministry. His position at Bethlehem Lutheran was originally meant to fill the vacancy between pastors at the church, and he maintained the position through January 2001. In 2000, he oversaw the confirmation of Gavin Anderson, Dustin Erickson, Traci Montebello, Thomas Nieminen, and Jason Olson within the church. Rev. Schoewe passed away in 2013 at the age of 81. He and his wife still lived in Roosevelt at the time and his life was celebrated within the church after his death.

In early 2001, Pastor Allan Wierschke assumed the pastoral role at Bethlehem Lutheran. He was originally from Badger, MN, and received a wildlife management degree from the University of Minnesota, after which time he changed paths and attended Concordia Theological in Indiana. His wife, Leah, also served in the Lutheran community as a teacher at a Lutheran school. He had previously served at the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Blackduck.

Pastor Allan Wierschke

Pastor Wierschke left the congregation in mid-2003. The Missouri Synod, which holds a "Call Service" each spring for LCMS pastors and assigns them a ministerial placement, selected Pastor Nathan Higgins to take over Bethlehem Lutheran. Nathan and his wife, Jenny, both grew up in Michigan and arrived with their three-month-old baby Christopher. Pastor Higgins' assignment to northwest Minnesota also showed the joining of the Warroad and Baudette Missouri Synod churches, as he would take on pastoral duties for both Bethlehem Lutheran churches. Pastor Higgins was known for his interest and talent in music and theater and was even responsible for creating a small weekly newspaper that circulated about 2,000 copies each week (WP  08/20/2003). 

There is very little information available on happenings within the church during Pastor Higgins' time there. It appears that he left in early 2009, and once again, Rev. Schoewe filled in as interim pastor while a new one was sought. Then came Vicar Marcus Breitbarth. He had attended Concordia University in St. Paul prior to attending Concordia Theological Seminary from 2007–2011. At the time of his service at Bethlehem Lutheran, he was known as a substitutionary pastor as he had not yet been formally ordained in 2009. His position at Bethlehem Lutheran was part of a three-year internship with his Seminary school. Rev. Schoewe was placed in the position of supervising him under this role. He had previously taught Social Studies and American History in Queens, NY. 

Installation of Pastor Breitbarth to Living Hope Lutheran Church, 2019*

After a year, Breitbarth left the congregation. After his ordination in 2011, Pastor Breitbarth went on to serve as Pastor at Mammoth Lakes Lutheran Church in California, Associate Pastor at Life in Christ Lutheran in Arizona, and is currently serving as Pastor at Living Hope Lutheran Church in Stafford, VA. In August 2010, Vicar Jon Christenson assumed the role as an intern. He attended Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, earning a degree in political science before serving as a police officer in Gillett, WI. He then returned to school at Concordia University of Wisconsin, graduated with a degree in pre-seminary studies and theological languages, and then attended Concordia Theological Seminary School in St. Louis. Like Vicar Breitbarth, Christensen came to Warroad during his seminary schooling on a required internship to Warroad and Baudette. 

Pastor Christensen remarked of his time: "We [he and his family] will forever cherish the people there, who so graciously welcomed [us] as one of their own...As far as memorable things, I remember incredible amounts of snow. The church in Warroad was fine, but I had to continually climb up and shovel the roof of the church in Baudette to keep it from collapsing under the weight. We also did a lot of work to prepare the congregations to receive a pastor. I was their second vicar, and for the good of the churches, they needed someone more permanent than students coming for for a year. What truly moved me during my year in northern Minnesota was the faithfulness of the church members. Both congregations were small, but they all came on Sunday without fail."

Christensen was called away after a year serving at Bethlehem Lutheran to finish his schooling. After his ordination, he served as Associate Pastor at Hope Lutheran Church in Wisconsin. During that time, he and his wife, Sarah, began working in the foster care system and ended up adopting one of the children when they moved from Wisconsin to Mt. Pisgah Lutheran Church in Hendersonville, NC five years later. Christensen continues to pastor at this church and could not believe it was still snowing in Warroad in mid-April. How easily we forget the fickle weather of northern MN when living in sunny North Carolina! When discussing the congregation at Bethlehem Lutheran, Christensen noted that it was the best at "coming together for meals and community projects." He added, "I drew the line and said no way to holding a lutefisk dinner at the church. That smell doesn't come out easily."

True to his word, Bethlehem Lutheran was in need of a fulltime pastor. This came in the form of Pastor William Moeller, Jr. in 2011. Unfortunately, finding information about the church after this point becomes increasingly difficult, and attempts to contact the current ministerial administration has proved unsuccessful. If you or someone you know can provide the Heritage Center with further documentation on events, celebrations, or happenings at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church of Warroad, please email leave us a message in the comments or call us at (218) 386–2500.

Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 2022

*Photo taken from Living Hope Lutheran Church official Facebook page.

Special thanks to Pastor Jon Christensen for helping with this post.

~ Erin Thompson, Museum Manager