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Danish Evangelical Lutheran Emous Church
As published in "The History of Racine and Kenosha Counties" (Chicago: 1879), p. 398
The Danish Evangelical Lutheran Emous Church - The congregation was organized August
22, 1851, with twenty-four members, mostly from Norway. Rev. O. Andrewson was the fist
minister. The church edifice was built the same year, and located on State street
between LaSalle and Marquette. In 1855, the church was enlarged, and a Sunday school
organized. During the years 1860-63, a painful division of opinion agitated the
society, and becoming involved, the church building was sold. For some time the
congregation was without religious services. August 10, 1863, thirteen members of the
congregation reunited, and bought back the church, at a cost of $525, and the
congregation was reorganized as a part of the Norwegian Synod. Its name was the
Scandinavian Lutheran Church of Racine, which is still the name of the congregation.
The society, as at present organized, is free, having no connection with any Synod in
this country, but holding its position as a daughter of the Church of Denmark. The
membership numbers 260 communicants, the majority of whom are Danes. The old house of
worship was sold in 1876, and a new and handsome brick church edifice, after the
Gothic style of architecture, erected on Chippicotton street, at a cost of about
$9,000. Just beside the church is a parsonage, valued at about $3,000. In 1872, a
complaint was made by some of the members of the congregation, against the present
Priest, Rev. Dan, for preaching false doctrines. They claimed he was not a Lutheran,
but a Grundtigian Priest, and could not be Pastor for a true Lutheran congregation.
They were sustained by many Norwegian and German Synods, and, the year after, they
filed their complaint with the Circuit Court, claiming that they were the only true
Lutheran congregation, and that they, as such, had the only right to the possession of
the Church property. As the majority of the Church members sustained the pastor, who
also obtained certificates from Denmark, which set forth that his doctrines were
preached by many bishops and priests in the Church of Denmark, who never condemned
them as false or heretical. Grundtrig himself was a Bishop and Priest in said Church
for over sixty years, and was respected by all deferential parties as a church father.
The Court decided that the Church property be held by the majority. The minority then
erected a chapel in another place on State street, and called a Pastor from the
Norwegian Conference, to which body they belong as a congregation. The new Emous
Church was dedicated January 27, 1878, on which occasion many Danish ministers and
other friends, from near and abroad, were present. As a congregation they believe in
the Holy Catholic (not Roman) Church, with the Apostolic creed as the foundation of
faith, and the Holy Scriptures as the only infallible rule for all preaching in the
Church, and the two Holy Sacraments, as necessary means of salvation. The service,
liturgy and ceremonies are in accordance with the Church of Denmark (after its Ritual
and Book of Altar), Rev. Dan, the present minister, was formerly a missionary in Egypt
and the Holy Land. He was ordained July 6, 1871, since which time he has occupied the
pulpit of this Church. Connected with the Church is a flourishing Sunday school. Every
summer, during the vacation of the public schools, there has been a Danish school, the
instructions being mostly of a religious character. In April, 1878, a regular day
school was established, with R. Nielsen as teacher. The school rooms are located in
the basement of the church. The average attendance is 40 scholars.
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