East Paint Creek Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church

A dedicated few organized a congregation, with Pastor C.L. Clausen first preaching in July 1851. In 1853 together with the Washington Prairie parish, Pastor Ulrik Vihelm Koren was called from Norway. He preached his first sermon on Jan. 1st. 1854 in a log house. In 1855 the congregation joined the Norwegian Synod. Land was purchased and the present day Old East Paint Creek Church and parsonage was

built at the Dalby location, a Postal stop for early settlers. Three years later the congregation was divided into East and West churches. A doctrinal controversy begins in 1877 that


split the congregation into the majority and minority members. In 1886 the present day East Paint Creek ‘Synod” Lutheran Church was organized by a minority of the members as a result of the “Election Controversy”. The minority members of the Paint Creek congregation and Pastor Koren, with out a church building, conducted services in local school houses and private homes until the present day “Synod” church buildings were built: East in 1890 and West in 1892. Church services were given in Norwegian until the first English service was held in the East Church on Thanksgiving Day 1901. The last service as a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod was held on December 19th, 2004.