Warroad Baptist Church — Warroad Houses of Worship Part IX
The Baptist Church in Warroad has an interesting history, as it extends the furthest back in time for the area, and yet its history is shorter than some of the other churches we have covered on this blog. Today, we're looking at the various stops and starts of the church which became today's Warroad Baptist Church.
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| Warroad Baptist Church, 2000s |
Baptists follow the major tenets of most Protestant groups, but unlike Lutheranism, they believe that only believers in Jesus Christ as the son of God should be baptized—a dunking of individuals in water to symbolize the washing away of sins. Since many white settlers in this region came from predominantly Protestant nations in Norway and Sweden, it isn't unusual that a Baptist group should be one of the first to go about forming here.
Beginning around the turn of the century in 1900, several preachers came to the area and held services in the local schoolhouse, the log cabin on land donated by local indigenous chief NaMayPuck. As much of Main Avenue and Lake Street were being developed, the idea of building a Baptist church in Warroad was first explored. In late 1900, Rev. L. H. Steinhoff was sent to the region by the superintendent of state missions out of the Twin Cities to study the needs of Baptist ministries in northern Minnesota. He would remain in the Warroad-Baudette area and determine if building a church there was feasible.
Construction of the Baptist Church was already being planned by January 1901. The building—which would be the first church built in Warroad—was expected to be in use by December. Lumber was procured from the Roberts Bros. sawmill in Roosevelt. Despite being built for the purpose of Baptist services, Rev. Steinhoff noted in the Warroad Plaindealer that he hoped other denominations would use the building until other churches could be erected.
Despite hoping the church would be built that year, the congregation struggled to find a suitable plot of land and the lack of a long-term pastor hindered some of their efforts. Rev. Steinhoff remained in the area as long as he could, but was often called away to other regions for various duties passed down from the Twin Cities areas.
Finally, in 1903, the exterior of the new church was finally built just opposite of what is now Allison Park in downtown Warroad. At the time, that space was occupied by the Warroad Plaindealer offices, giving the paper a wonderful opportunity to watch the building take shape. In 1904, the interior of the building was completed and was formally dedicated as a Baptist Church on January 31. Building expenses had grown greatly since the beginning of the project. The church was estimated to have cost $659 (Current USD: $21,643), of which $400 was donated by the state Baptist assembly. The rest was covered by money donated by the local community over several years.
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| Warroad Baptist Church, 1904. Notice the lack of a chimney in this photo. |
The church operated nicely over the next year, hosting a collection of different pastors. The church became a welcome sight in Warroad, as the Episcopalians, Catholics, and Lutherans all periodically gathered there. It was the site of the Memorial Day services that year, hosting numerous veterans, some of whom fought in the Civil War (Warroad Commonwealth 05/27/1904). George Forsythe finished siding the church that May, and in August 1904, a chimney was added, allowing for a better airflow and a greater ability to heat the church.
For unknown reasons, all mentions of the church disappear in 1905. If we had to guess, the lack of a consistent preacher to oversee services had the local Baptist congregation fizzle out. A year later, the building was sold to St. Peter's Episcopal Church and it was rechristened the All Saints Episcopal Parish.
We then jump forward nearly 60 years to 1964, and discussions of reorganizing a Baptist congregation in Warroad began anew. Once again, the Minnesota Baptist Conference was involved in the project and services began taking place at the old Warroad Youth Center, then-operated by Rev. Arthur Ortmann of Woodland Mennonite Church. John H. Bergeson, director of the extension work for the MN Baptist Conference came from Fort Frances to determine the level of interest the area had for forming a Baptist congregation (Warroad Pioneer 08/19/1964).
A few months later, the Baptist church seemed to have organized enough to hold a baptismal service. Pastor Oscar Lee of Roseau hosted the Warroad congregation at the Roseau Baptist Church, where Pastor Bergeson baptized Mrs. Glen Smith, Mrs. Eva (Sutliff) Pearson, Dennis Hamlin, and Gloria Ruud. This service highlighted Roseau's support of the Warroad Baptist congregation and the interim pastor, William Russell of Sprague.
Services took place at the Youth Center, the former Masonic Hall which was the old Lutheran Church building. The church grew throughout the first part of 1965 and in July, they began hosting Singspiration night, featuring the congregation's favorite hymns and a special message from Pastor Russell. They would host several worship nights like this through the rest of the year and into 1966. In August of 1966, Pastor Russell fell ill and resigned from the church. He and his wife left for Ottawa, ON where they had bought a new home.
After Rev. Russell left, the church was under unknown leadership and in 1967, it does not appear that the church offered regular services. It seems—much like it had in 1905—that when a new pastor could not be found for the area, the Baptist congregation once again disassembled.
Almost twenty years later, the Building Blocks classroom in the old Fox Theater on Lake Street began housing yet another new church group. Pastor Kim Swenson began hosting Sunday morning services for anyone in the community who wished to find a new church home (WP 02/20/1985). During the summer of 1985, services then moved to the Del-Rich building on Highway 11, with Sunday School being offered for younger children in the community. That July, the Evangelism Corps came to the Baptist Church to host a VBS week for kids. Using skits, puppets, and music, the men and women, hailing from all over the US, ministered in the Del-Rich building.
Pastor Swenson grew up in Stanchfield, MN and attended the local, rural Baptist church there. Upon graduation, he attended Valley City State College in North Dakota on a football scholarship where he studied Health and Physical Education with the hope of teaching. After graduating from Valley City, he decided to change courses and attended Bethel Seminary in St. Paul. He was then offered the position of Associate Pastor at the same church he'd grown up in. While there, he hosted a canoe trip to the boundary waters and led year-round youth ministry services for about nine years.
He was called to Roseau in 1984 and served as the lead pastor at Roseau's First Baptist Church. It was while there that he became part of the movement in Warroad to form their own Baptist church. He helped about nine families come together over the next two years, laying the foundation for the Warroad Baptist Church that still remains today. Pastor Swenson says, "We [he and his family] loved our time in northern MN and have many fond memories. My day off was spent on five mile reef in my ice fishing house on Lake of the Woods. We will always have fond memories of our time in the Roseau and Warroad communities."
Pastor Swenson continued pastoring at the church until a permanent pastor could be found. He would remain in Roseau until 1999 when his family moved to Wasau, WI. Pastor Swenson spent 22 years at the church there. He currently ministers to the local Native American populations near the Lac du Flambeau Indian Reservation in Wisconsin with his wife, Vicki. The pair have three childen and six grandchildren together.
Once the foundation for the Warroad Baptist Church was firmly planted, the church called Pastor Roger Willroth and his wife, Cathy. The pair had grown up in Willmar, MN before Roger attended Northwestern College in Roseville. He majored in ministry and spent three years pastoring at a church in Lakeland, MN. He then attended Bethel Theological Seminary and graduated with a Master's of Divinity degree. Cathy left high school and went to the Willmar Hospital where she became an X-ray Technician. The pair married in 1977.
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| Pastor Roger and Cathy Willroth |
Pastor Willroth took over the pastorship in October 1985 and he and his wife quickly began organizing activities and Bible studies for the small but growing congregation. He began advertising for the church in the Pioneer. He noted that the Baptist congregation included people who grew up in or lived in the community because Marvin Windows. "But all of are here because we believe God wants us to be ministering in and with the people of Warroad. We want to be open to God and to His leading through the Holy Spirit by the Word of God as to how we can best serve each other and our community," (WP 02/12/1986).
In September 1987, the church hosted local missionary Chris Cran, then nineteen years old and attending Gustavus Adolphus for political science. Chris joined the international ministry organization, YWAM and traveled to Guatemala and El Salvador in July and August. The following is taken from an article in the Pioneer in September 1987 by Steve Morstad:
Cran said she grasped the 'urgency of the Christian challenge' when the YWAM missionaries called at an El Salvadorean military airbase near the capital of San Salvador.
"We could died tomorrow," the 14 to 18 year old soldiers told her group. "What do we do? How should we live our lives?" Their urgent questions "just floored me," Cran said, because you don't hear them in America. "It hits you in the heart. These people know what it's all about because they have to live their lives day by day." The missionaries performed dramas and mimes to introduce basic Christian themes before engaging children in conversation about their beliefs, according to Cran...
...Cran encountered other religious organizations in Central America. Roman Catholics had established churches in Guatemalan cities and towns, but had not done much to outreach, according to Cran. Over the years, features of the dominant Indian culture and religious traditions mixed in with some Catholic practices to distract them toward idolatry, she said.
Cran's group found an obstacle in previous evangelistic work by heavy-handed religious organizers who tried to change residents to be like them, Cran said. "We had to avoid all evangelistic terms because they were sucha turn off to people," she said. "We emphasized personal relationships with God and told them we were not there to change their culture.
Between the end of 1987 and early 1988, Pastor Willroth resigned from the pulpit. Services were temporarily provided by Pastor Swenson as a new pastor was sought. Roger and Cathy left Warroad shortly after. The pair have lived in Ames, Iowa since 1990 and have one daughter, Megan. Roger Willroth serves as a Certified Funeral Celebrant and also a Pre-Need Funeral Planner for Grandon Funeral and Cremation Care.
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| Roger Willroth, 2018 |
The position was quickly filled by Pastor Wendell C. Wahlin. Wendell, his wife Marlene, and their children Josh, Elizabeth, and Jessica, came to Warroad from Henning, MN. Wendell had grown up along the Red River Valley and attended Bethel College. He taught and coached at a high school for a few years and later worked for a packing company in Waterloo, Iowa. He and Marlene married in 1974 before Wendell attended seminary school. Marlene was a music teacher and day care provider for many years before coming to Warroad. Pastor Wahlin first served at the First Baptist Church in Henning, beginning in 1981. He remained there until his resignation in early 1988 to come to Warroad. At the time of their arrival, the pair were in the licensing process to become a MN foster care home.
Pastor Wahlin stated that "Churches are nurturing centers. Out of worship and fellowship and equipping, the effective ministry happens. Lives are changed for Christ as God's people grow in maturity, obeying His loving daily presence...We are privileged to be a part of this growing community. We are here to help the families gathered as the Warroad Baptist Church grow in their personal faith in Jesus Christ and develop meaningful [care] and service to others in this area," (WP 04/27/1988). Because of a shortage in housing in Warroad, the family lived in Roseau for the time being, with hopes to one day build a house. Pastor Wahlin's first priority, however, was building a building to house the "new" congregation.
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| L-R: Josh, Marlene, Elizabeth, Pastor Wendell, and Jessica Wahlin, 1988 |
Feeling hopeful for the future of the church, Warroad Baptist Church help a special recognition service to commemorate its recognition within the MN Baptist Conference. The program included music, local and denominational speakers, an overview of the church's history and a time of fellowship. Without a church building, the service was held at the newly-built Warroad Community Center.
New organizations, whether religious or not, must provide certain documents to government officials as a registry of the group's formation. The first is the organization's Articles of Incorporation, which is a set of legal documents provided for government use for taxation and organizational purposes. Any organization, religious or not, must provide these documents to the government. The church was also required to give the government and the MN Baptist Conference its financial records to show they were in compliance with state and local regulations monetarily. Most important to any new religious organization was its Statement of Faith, which is a formal statement, unique to each church body and/or denomination, outlining the specific beliefs, practices, and plans of the church. In order to be recommended into the MN Baptist Conference, this statement of faith must fit the practices and beliefs of the Baptist assembly.
The celebration of this occasion was graced with a musical quartet of Pastor Wendell and Marlene Wahlin and Pastor Kim and Vicki Swenson. In attendance was Rev. Neal Floberg, Minister of the Church Extension and other delegates of the Baptist Conference, and Fr. John Kleinwachter of St. Mary's, representing the local ministerial association. Mayor Gary Hendrickson gave a brief speech about seeing Warroad grow through its churches, and finally, the service was concluded with encouragement from Rev. Floberg and a cake social.
A building committee was assembled in spring 1989 to determine when and where a formal Baptist church would be built. Meanwhile, services continued in the Building Blocks building on Lake Street. That summer, several adult and teen camps began occurring at Lake Bronson, including some Sunday services. The Lake Bronson Baptist Camp celebrated its 50th anniversary that same summer.
In 1989, the church purchased the section of land a quarter of a mile south of Warroad on County Road 5 from Ann Marie Hesla. Groundbreaking took place in August and the congregation moved in just before the the Sunday School Christmas program on December 17.
The early part of the 1990s saw the Baptist Church focusing on missions work and guest speakers. Pastor Sheldon Lorenson, formerly of the Evangelical Covenant Church in Warroad, spoke in January 1990 about his appointment as a missionary to South Africa. In May of the same year, Twin Cities gospel musicians Dennis and Joyce Davenport spoke about their music ministry and tour in the Philippines. In 1991, the church hosted Hank Roso, Vice President of Ministry for Midwest Challenge, Inc., a Christian organization that worked with troubled youths across the country. In 1992, Donna Sahlin was a guest speaker at the church as the director of the Growth Resources Center of the MN Baptist Conference. She worked with Christian education programs across the state.
Also in 1992, the Baptist church commissioned Tamara Tyler to serve as a missionary in Pakistan. Tamara moved to Warroad with her parents, Robert and Fairie Ann Tyler when her father became pastor at Woodland Bible Church. Her father sadly passed away suddenly from a heart attack, and her brother Stephen later became pastor of the same church. Not only was religious work in her family line, but so was missions work. She had uncles, brothers, and grandparents who served as missionaries in different regions of South America and Africa. Tyler enrolled at Moody Bible College in Chicago to pursue International Ministries. She then entered the West Suburban College of Nursing program in Illinois and graduated with a science degree (WP 07/03/1990).
In 1996, Pastor Wahlin resigned from his position at Warroad Baptist Church. Pastor Wahlin returned to the Baptist Church in Henning in 1998 and remained there until 2011. In March 2022, he was hired as the first pastor of the Henning Christian Fellowship group. He also pastors at Grace Church in Alexandria, MN.
For nearly a year, the church had no permanent pastor. Then, in mid-1997, Pastor Scott Stoll took over the position. Scott attended Pillsbury Baptist Bible College in Owatonna and then Central Baptist Seminary in Minneapolis. After graduation, he assumed pastoral duties at a church in Bagley before making his way to Warroad. With him was his wife, Linda, and two children, Joshua and Nowell. Scott stated that his primary goal for ministering to the Baptist congregation was to be fully present. "We've got all sorts of planning going on. We want to reach both young people and adults, and focus on the good things that are happening and are going to happen here. We need to regroup the congregation," (WP 09/03/1997). He also praised the job Pastor Mark Watson did while filling in as interim pastor between Pastor Wahlin and Pastor Stoll.
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| Pastor Scott and Linda Stoll and family, 2019 |
In 1999, the church hosted its first Hunter's Supper, which was a time for the boys and men of the congregation to gather together in fellowship, discuss hunting and sporting topics, while also introducing the Word of God into these activities. The event speaker was Russell Thornberry, then the Vice President and Executive Editor of Buckmasters Whitetail Magazine out of Alabama. Thornberry is an ordained minister in the U.S. and Canada and spent 18 years in Alberta as a big game guide and outfitter. The Hunter's Supper would become an annual event at the church. In 2000, the speakers were Pastor Jim Hinson and Jason Barker.
Another big event hosted by the Baptist Church was concerts featuring Spirit of David, a band consisting of seven students from Northwestern Bible College including Tim and Sarah Daniels of Warroad, Peter Shu, Justin Smith, Wendell Henry, Noelle Ruby, and Anita D. Sarah stated that they were excited to perform in Warroad. "I can't get out of my mind how much hope and life can be found by the residents of my home town," (WP 08/07/2002).
Around the same time the band came to town, the Baptist Church hired Jason Deatherage as Youth Pastor. Jason grew up in Texas and, at age 22, had a desire to attend Bible college in Canada. Unfortunately, funding for his trip to the border dried up before he could achieve this dream and he instead settled in Warroad. He landed a job at Geroy's Building Center in Roseau and began attending Warroad Baptist Church. He saw that the church was in need of a youth pastor and, after discussing the problem with Pastor Stoll, he was hired to serve part time in that role. Jason tried to incorporate opportunities for young teens to have fun and learn about the joys of fellowshipping with other Christians. Twice a month, the church's youths hosted a Youth Praise Night at the church where the kids played games, sang songs, listened to guest speakers, and gave their testimonies of faith. In the fall of 2002 he planned to attend Providence Bible College in Otterburn, MB.
In 2003, the teens of the church got even more involved. The "Amo Christo Cafe" at the church was the venue for a church talent show in March. The show was done to raise money for an upcoming missions trip to Mexico. Many members of the Warroad and Roseau Baptist community attended to support he mission. Madison Olimb and James Marvin participated in a comedy routine, while Haley Eastman, CAmille Iverson, and Amy Olson sang as a group called "Girls 4 Him." A group from the Roseau Baptist Church won the band section of the talent show (WP 03/12/2003). The same month, the church youth participated in a community-wide "30 Hour Famine" event in which the Warroad Area Youth Leaders raised over $2500 to support world hunger and provided 600 items for the Warroad Food Pantry. While the kids fasted, Jason Deatherage participated in games and activities, Madison Olimb and Kapital Hangsleben dyed hair, and a worship band featuring local musicians performed.
The missions trip to Mexico left in June 2003. Deb and Christy Watson, Steve Yanok, and Jason Deatherage chaperoned the students who included: Dana Yanok, Sarah Watson, Diane Batten, Jackie McFarlane, Eric Bitzer, Chad Quibodeaux, James Marvin, Jolene Engelking, and Luke Smith. While in Mexico, the group supplied paint to fix up the Los Brazos De Dios, a children's home that supplied food for the kids of the community. The group provided help with bathroom plumbing and helped serve food for kids who might only get one meal each day. Some of the guys in the group then went to a separate location and began building a foundation for another children's home. Vacation Bible School took place in the afternoons, with 70–80 kids attending daily. The group donated clothing, toys, and hygienic products, courtesy of Dr. Falk.
2003 also marked the first annual Friday Night Alive event at the Baptist Church, held every third Friday of the month from October–April. FNA was a ministry focused on getting various church worship teams and performers together in one place to worship God. In December, the event featured the Grace Bible Church Choir from Manitoba, who performed a Christmas carol service. A drama troup was formed with Kristen Yanok and a mime troup called "Heirs of the Promise" served silently throughout the event. In January 2004, the event featured Bruce Canham, a singer/songwriter from Grand Froks. Kirsten Yanok also provided music and helped perform skits during the event. The drama troup, featuring Kyle Hitner, Stacie Lund, Desiree Marvin, and Kathy Willems performed a short skit and Glen Smith spoke to the crowd. In February, FNA featured musician Tim Toll, band Relatively Speaking, and singer Lynn Taves.
Friday Night Alive would continue to be a popular event over the next several years, with announcements about its different acts and activities being published in the newspaper monthly. Sometime in 2004–2005, Jason Deatherage left Warroad Baptist Church. He currently resides in Poplar, Wisconsin with his wife and two daughters. He is the owner of a fireworks store and volunteers with the American Youth Soccer Organization as a coach and regional commissioner.
Pastor Tyler Stynsberg was hired in mid-2005 to serve as the new youth pastor. Tyler was born and raised in Roseau, MN and attended Roseau First Baptist Church. He stated that he always felt called to youth ministry because "it blows me away how youth can be so open and aren't afraid of being vulnerable before their peers or God. I've seen so many youth willing to step out on a limb and that gets me excited," (WP 05/04/2005). Stynsberg received a degree in Youth Leadership with a minor in Biblical and Theological Studies at Providence College in Otterburne. He currently serves as an Associate Pastor at New Journey Church in Fosston and is seeking a Master's of Divinity degree from Bethel Seminary. He lives in Fosston with his wife and daughter.
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| Tyler Stynsberg, 2020 |
The Baptist Church started out 2008 with a Friday Night Alive meeting on January 18, with performances provided by the Anderson Family out of Bemidji and Mark Kiser of Detroit Lakes. Praise time was followed by a mini concert by musical group Aslan's Child, an outreach ministry of Providence College and Seminary in Manitoba. In March, the church hosted the Sloughgrass Country Band from Birchdale and Beyond Blue from Warroad.
The next few months had several Bible studies and conferences hosted at the church, including Beth Moore sermon series and Walk Thru the Bible marriage seminars. And then, in August, Pastor Stoll received "a most unusual phone call" inquiring about lodging for a young man biking 4,000 miles across Canada. Dale Sutcliffe, an Englishman, was riding for both the Baptist Mission Society and the British Heart Foundation in order to support healthcare funding for overseas countries. Baptist churches along the route were asked to help him secure shelter and food for an evening while he made his cross-country trek. He was given shelter by Mark and Kathy Marvin. Dale rode with Kathy by boat across to Rock Harbor for dinner later that evening with Nancy Peterson and Roy Toso. The next morning, he traveled to Fort Frances, but not before taking a picture in front of the Warroad Baptist Church (WP 08/20/2008). Dale's blog about his journey can still be found online at dalebikescanada.livejournal.com.
In late August 2008, Pastor Stoll and Linda were the guests of honor at a backyard party at David and Julie Verworn's house. The party was to send-off the pastor's family as they relocated to Perham for a year to enjoy Pastor Stoll's sabbatical. Pastors Virgil Hegel and Mark Watson, previously from the Union Church, filled in as temporary pastors through the end of 2008 and 2009. At the end of 2009, Pastor Stoll and Linda returned to Warroad and once again resumed serving the Baptist Church (WP 11/10/2009). Soon after his return, Friday Night Alive was hosted at the church with various local church bands performing.
In early 2010, Friday Night Alive hosted Nate Oyloe of Agape Ministries to perform. Later that year, the church celebrated its 25th anniversary with a church picnic and baptismal service at Hayes Lake State Park. Music was provided by Wes Coyer, a traveling Christian musician. Church members took turns discussing their memories of thehcurch and a greeting letter was posted from Pastors Kim Swenson, Wendell Wahlin, and Scott Stoll.
Pastor Stoll shared that "the goal of Warroad Baptist Church is to serve the Lord Jesus Christ in the Warroad community." They also supported a sister-church in the Philippines. Stoll noted that "The youth of our church and community have been a meaningful part of Warroad Baptist throughout all its 25 years. The Lord has provided faithful workers for the ministry of Warroad Baptist at each of the different seasons in the growth of this ministry—for this we give thanks to the Lord and give Him the glory," (WP 08/03/2010).
Over the years, the church had developed many groups for people of all ages. The Wise Gals/Wise Guys teen youth groups, annual VBS at Lake Bronson, weekly church potlucks, and the Prime Timers, a seniors group from the Baptist Church which met monthly for Bible studies and fellowship. The church also hosted numerous events and Bible studies. In 2013, the church hosted a Bible Answers Conference featuring various video sessions for kids and adults to uncover some of the most-asked questions regarding Christianity and the Bible.
In 2018, Pastor Steve Daniels came on as an Associate Pastor under Pastor Stoll. Daniels was born and raised in Warroad, the younger brother of Sarah and Tim Daniels who performed with Spirit of David. Steve graduated from high school in 2006 and attended Bethel University, but he took an extended break to pursue a music career as a bassist in a rock band. He eventually returned to college to continue his education in ministry and graduated in 2015 with a Bachelor's of Biblical Studies and Pastoral Ministry from Oak Hills in Bemidji. He works at Marvin Windows during the week as a Project Manager and fulfills his pastoral duties during the evening and on weekends. He recently returned to school and completed his Master's program in 2021 with a degree in Organizational Leadership from Crown College in St. Bonafacius, MN. He resides in Warroad with his wife, Tiffany, and their four children: Eleanor, Rosalie, Sullivan, and Harriet (not pictured).
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| Pastor Steve Daniels family, 2020 |
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| Warroad Baptist Church, 2022 |
~ Erin Thompson, Museum Manager
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