June 2, 1906-Long Time in Coming: Pastor H. F. H. Hartelius gathered Lutherans in the Silverhill area together and organized Evangelical Swedish Lutheran Zion Church on December 18, 1905, with 16 charter members. On January 21, 1906, the first of six services per year were commenced with Pastor Hartelius in the school house in Silverhill. Formal church organization would occur on May 21, 1906, but actual registration would not be processed by the Office of Probate in Baldwin County until June 2, 1906.

     June, 1905--Ordination of Early Mission Pastor to Silverhill: Pastor Albert A. Swanlund came to Silverhill from the Augustana Mission Society, probably in 1913. Although received into Ministerium June 1905 in Stanton, Iowa, he had originally been recommended for ordination by the Illinois Conference of the General Synod. He was born May 11, 1863, in Kristianstad, Skane, Sweden, coming to the U. S. in 1887. He was formally charged with the Alabama mission field from 1908-1916. Alabama was a three-point parish (Thorsby-Fruithurst-Silverhill) during this period. Pastor Hartelius left Alabama about 1908. Pastor Swanlund is first mentioned in our limited archival data from Zion Lutheran Church in 1913.

     June 11, 1905--Ordination of Fifth Full-Time Pastor: Pastor D. N. Anderson accepted the call of the congregation in 1940 and continued to serve until 1948 when he retired from ministry. Pastor David Natanael Anderson had been ordained five months before the formation of Swedish Lutheran Zion Church, on June 11, 1905, in Stanton, Iowa. He was born March 19, 1876, in Neoga, Illinois. He graduated from Augustana College with a B. A. in 1899 and from Augustana Seminary with a B. D. in 1905. He served at Cheyenne and Rock Springs, Wyoming (1905-08), York, Nebraska (1908-10), Albia and Buston, Iowa (1911-13), Butte, Montanna (1913-20), San Jose, California (1920-23), Hilmar, Colorado (1923-26), Leadville, Colorado (1926-1930), Marus, Iowa (1930-32), and York, Nebraska (1932-41) before coming to Silverhill. He served on the Conference Charities Board in California. Pastor Anderson married Louise Peterson in Omaha, Nebraska in 1905 (d. 1917) and had three children. He subsequently married Esther Sandall in York, Nebraska and had four children. Pastor Anderson died May 14, 1959. Pastor Anderson and Pastor Samuelson began an interaction from the beginning, Pastor Samuelson speaking in Swedish and new Pastor Anderson in English at the Ladies Aid meetings.

     June 12, 1910--Ordination of Third Full-Time Pastor: Pastor J. P. Samuelson accepted the call to serve as pastor in 1930. He would retire in 1936 and build a home in Silverhill, but he would continue providing preaching supply until 1940. John P. Samuelson had been ordained on June 12, 1910, in Rock Island, Ill., after being recommended by the Nebraska Conference. Born August 31, 1869, in Rydaholm, Smaland, Sweden, to Jonas D. Samuelson and Christina (Peterson-Hartelius), he had attended the Lund Cathedral School before coming to the U.S. in 1890. He graduated from Augustana Seminary in the 1909-10 academic year and served in Cheyenne and Rock Springs, Wyoming (1910-13), Siloa, Nebraska (1913-16), Morris Run, Pennsylvania (1917-20), and Patton and Hastings, Minnesota (1920-27), before coming to Silverhill. He had married Albertina Danielson in Des Moines, Iowa, on October 18, 1894, and they had four children. Pastor Samuelson died on January 3, 1955.

     June 15, 1919--Ordination of First Full-Time Pastor: Silverhill's first full-time pastor, Pastor John Benson, Jr., was ordained on June 15, 1919, in Lindsborg, Kansas. He had been born on July 29, 1888, in Hastings, Minnesota, to John D. Benson and Brita Nilsdotter. He received a B. A. from Gustavus Adolphus College in 1916 and graduated from Augustana Seminary. After serving in Silverhill and Thorsby, Alabama (1919-23), he did mission work in Honan, China, (1923-27), then returning to ministry in Concordia, Kansas (1927-40), Lafayette, Minnesota (1940-44), Creston, Iowa (1944-46), Vancouver, British Columbia (1946-50), and Ivanhoe, Minnesota (1950-58). Pastor Benson had married Edith C. Knock in St. Peter, Minnesota, in 1919 before coming to Silverhill.

     June 12, 1921--Ordination of Second Full-Time Pastor: Pastor Einar Oscar Leonard Johnson accepted Zion's call and would serve as pastor until 1930 when Pastor J. P. Samuelson was called. Pastor E. Oscar Johnson was ordained on June 12, 1921, in Chicago, Illinois. He had been born on January 1, 1890, in Nedertornea, Sweden. He had emigrated to the U.S. in 1902 at age 12. Thirteen years later he graduated with a B. A. from Gustavus Adolphus College and entered military service in 1917. He graduated from Augustana Seminary with a B. D. in 1921, then serving in Ely and Tower, Minnesota, until receiving the call to Zion Lutheran Church in Silverhill, Alabama, in 1924. He later served in Svea City, Iowa (1929-31), in Meadowlands and Payne, Minnesota (1933-38), in Underwood and Wilton, North Dakota (1938-44), in Clearbrook, Minnesota (1944-48), in Isanti and Long Lake, Minnesota (1948-54), and in Attica, Indiana (1954-58). He married Hanna A. Anderson the year before coming to Silverhill. They had 6 children. When Hanna passed away, Pastor Johnson married Ruth A. Yeager in 1946. Pastor Johnson went to be with the Lord on May 29, 1976.

     June, 1922--Guest Soloist from St. Elmo: Thelma Hanson from the St. Elmo Lutheran Church visited Zion to sing a solo in June.

     Archives of Zion Lutheran Church. opened, read, and recorded 2/11/03. Bergendoff, Conrad. The Augustana Ministerium: A Study of the Careers of the 2,504 Pastors of the Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Synod/Church 1850-1962. Rock Island, Illinois: Augustana Historical Society, 1980. Church Highlights. Setterdahl, Lilly, and American Friends of the Emigrant Institute of Sweden, Inc. Memories Preserved, Vol. II: Scandinavians in Alabama and Guide to Interviews with Swedish Americans. Verona, MO: Johnson's Valley Printers, 1992.

Luther’s Wisdom on the Blessedness of Marriage:

“To have peace and love in a marriage is a gift that is next to The knowledge of the gospel.”

~Martin Luther

     Council Members Present:  Vera Avera, Ernie Burnett, Charlie Canning, Linda Gibbs, Pastor Dave Johnson, Pete Midgarden, Darlene Tasso

     The meeting was called to order by Council President Pete Midgarden at 7:08 p.m.

     Opening Devotions:  Pastor Dave shared the text of Isaiah 6:9-13 which relates to the stump that was left in Judah after the Baylonians carried Israel off into captivity.  What is left behind can blossom again. 

     God is the vinedresser who nurtures the plant.  Christ is the vine on which the church must grow.  Just as Zion now has the stump of a 90 year old oak tree on its front door, we have the stump of a church which is nurtured in Christ and we can look forward to the Lord nurturing and blossoming us at Zion.

     Treasurer's Report:  Darlene presented the books for April.  The report was reviewed and accepted as presented.  Motion 040504--01.

     Long-Range Planning Committee Report:  Linda reported that some items reported last month, were already in process.  Pastor Dave noted that there had been some recent comment about nursery needs at church.  There was considerable discussion on the need for respite planning for parents with young children.  It was moved that a pew at the rear of the church be designated for parents with young children and that the stairway corridor at the back of the church be converted to a area set aside for crying or noisy children during services.  The motion was passed with stipulations: Some modification of the space and perhaps a glassed door of some kind will be needed to allow service participation from the area.  The area will need sound piped into it.  A shorter pew should be brought back to the back wall.  Motion 040504--02.

     Library Project Report:  Ernie reported that more wall space is needed for the library/museum.  The Council was in agreement that the white board be removed from the wall and relocated.

     Pastor's Report:  1) A world map with mission activity related to AFLC and Zion missionaries has been posted at the rear of the sanctuary.  2) The Gulftel ad was not updated with our web address.  3) Pastor Dave has obtained a new planner packet--consensus was that this was a church business expense item.  4) Pastor Dave plans tentatively to do vacation at the end of July and continue with Summer Institute classes for the first week of August in Minneapolis.  5) EEMN has sent a letter of thanks for congregational support.  6) Pastor Jim Rasmussen has not responded to our latest e-mail, but we anticipate having his workshop in mid-October.  7) Dean Mark Johnson is in the process of assigning a quartet singing team to us for a day in mid-July.  8) Men's 710 attendance has been constant at about a dozen.  9) Website hits for the month of April were about 15 to 20. 10) Debbie Owen will work with Pastor Dave next month to begin scanning pictures of the church.  11) The tv crew that visited Zion last month appeared to be impressed by the church building.  12) Peace Lutheran Church is thinking about a Homework Center as an outreach at its site down in Foley-Orange Beach.  A similar program could work at Zion.  13) School kids going by Zion saw "INRI" on the cross set up for Easter and inquired as to its meaning.  Pastor Dave explained that it is an abbreviation for "Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews" in Latin.

     AFLC Annual Conference:  Members of the congregation should be invited to represent the church.  No Council members wish to go this year to the June meeting.  Pastor Dave reported that he would attend if the Council so-desired.

     Laser Printer:  Charlie Canning reported that there was an individual willing to donate the costs related to acquiring a laser printer, item discussed at the March Council meeting.  There was some thinking that perhaps a centennial cookbook or other small publications could be done on a laser printer.  Linda expressed the feeling that perhaps we need to focus on getting current equipment rather than investing in dated items.  No action taken.

     Camera:  Pete suggested that there is a need and probable finances to acquire a digital camera for Zion.  Pete will discuss possible acquisition with Darlene and Pastor Dave.

     New Members:  The Church Council must review and approve new members for the congregation.  Pastor Dave reported that Milton and Thelm Luoma and Diane Pellman desire to become church members.  An appropriate motion was made, seconded, and passed to the effect that these people should be approved for membership.  (Membership Sunday is set for Pentecost at the end of May.)  Motion 040504--03.

     The Council Meeting was adjourned at 9:24 pm.

Respectfully submitted,
Pastor Dave Johnson
Secretary, Ad Hoc

     Dear AFLC Friends:

     “Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God”(Philippians 4:6).

     One of the purposes of this letter is to say thanks to you for your gifts to our AFLC ministries. Another purpose is to encourage us all to express our thanks to God in prayer for His provision. Thankful prayer is pleasing to Him.

     Let’s remember to thank the Lord for: