| Summary: | According to the Pastor's record book, the Ladies Aid was an active organization in the church, meeting regularly, and did much in supporting several Mission Societies, besides helping the congregation in the support of its work. The aid has had many projects to make the building and rooms a nicer place to meet and worship in. Today the Bethany Ladies Aid also has Mission work as a priority, supporting several missionaries through My Missionary for a DAY. Other projects are Cradle Roll, Junior Missions, Praise Program, Church Extension, Mission Scholarships & Schools, and the general fund of the Women's Missionary Federation. A Bible study session is held at every meeting. Officers serving at the time of this writing are president - Mrs. George Oien, vice-president - Mrs. Elmer O. Miller, secretary-treasurer - Mrs. Frank Oien, cradle roll secretary - Mrs. Arne Berge, and mission secretary -Mrs. Elmer A. Miller. A History of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church Well aware that man cannot live by bread alone, the area pioneers, in response to the demands of their Christian heritage, as early as 1882 enlisted the spiritual leadership of Pastor Ibrahm Lundeby, a 'traveling' pastor of the Lutheran Church. Pastor Lundeby conducted worship services in the homes and the school buildings of early settlements like ours, as well as officiating at marriages, baptisms, and burials. It was not until 1900 that the first movement was made toward formal organization of a congregation. On March 24, 1901, the members of the community met at the home of M. M. Lee (now the Raymond Watne home) in Binford to adopt a constitution and bylaws for a new congregation. It was at this meeting that Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Congregation came into being as a member of the United Norwegian Lutheran Church in America. Pastor E. T. Silness was to be the first pastor of the congregation. Officers elected at this meeting were: M. M. Lee, Secretary; Michael Barbo, Treasurer; Oscar Greenland, M. M. Lee and Martin Knapp, Trustees. Other early members of the congregation were: Theodore Rostuen, Ole Gunderson, Ray Vogen and families. In 1903 Articles of Incorporation were drawn up and plans were made for the construction of a church building. Worship services were being held in the homes, but the congregation was growing, and a permanent house of worship was needed. A lot was purchased in 1905 for the sum of fifty dollars. A church building was erected o'n that lot in the same year, with the cornerstone-laying celebration held on December 10, 1905. The rate of growth of the congregation is indicated by the records at the time of the church dedication in 1915. The membership had increased to 115 by that time. Since the organization of the congregation there had been 116 baptisms and 53 confirmands. In 1915 the officers for the congregation were: secretary, Albert Alfson; treasurer, Stephen Rorvig; deacons - John P. Vangen, O. T. Helland, and Henry Peterson; trustees - John K. Thune, O. G. Anderson, and Henry Alfson. The klokker (assistant worship leader) was O. T. Helland and Sunday School Superintendent was Henry Peterson. Rev. T. E. Sweger was the pastor at the time of the church dedication. In 1917 Trinity Lutheran Church became a member of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church as a result of a nation-wide merger of Lutheran Church synods. Eventually the word 'Norwegian' was dropped from our synod's name and Trinity continued as a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church until 1960. A merger in 1960 made Trinity a member church of the American Lutheran Church, which is our present status. Due largely to the efforts of the women of the church and their need for a place to carry on their work, a basement was constructed under the church in 1921. The 'old church' continued until the early sixties, when a rapidly growing Sunday School pointed out the need for additional room. The condition of the old church building was such that adding to it was inadvisable. The decision was made to build a new place of worship. Construction of the new Trinity Church was begun in the spring of 1968. On December 22, 1968, a farewell service was held in the old Trinity and the new building was occupied. Page 9 Scanned with a Zeutschel Zeta book scanner at 300 dpi. Edited in Multi-page TIFF Editor.
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