[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 165 (Tuesday, November 19, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1704-E1705]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF SAINT PETER LUTHERAN CHURCH--AFTON, 
                                   MN

                                  _____
                                 

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 19, 2013

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the congregation 
of Saint Peter Lutheran Church of Afton, Minnesota on the occasion of 
the 150th anniversary of the church. Since its founding by German 
settlers in 1863, the church has served as a center of faith and 
community.

[[Page E1705]]

  The founding families of Saint Peter Lutheran Church of Afton held 
tightly to their faith and, as their numbers grew, they recruited a 
travelling missionary, Reverend Horst, to conduct services from the 
homes of worshipers. Shortly thereafter another clergyman, Pastor Rolf, 
took over duties, regularly travelling 15 miles from Saint Paul by foot 
to preside over the parish.
  On December 27th, 1863, the congregation was formally organized into 
the ``The Evangelical Lutheran Saint Peter's Church of Afton Township, 
Washington County, Minnesota.'' During the next two years, three acres 
of land were purchased and on it built the first church from a 
reconstructed mill that had been abandoned in the area. The first 
service in the new Saint Peter's church was held on August 12, 1865 and 
it stood intact for nearly sixty years.
  Ultimately, the original structure was converted into a schoolhouse 
in 1898 and a replacement church was erected beside it, both remaining 
until they burned down in 1924. The following year saw the completion 
of a replacement building on the grounds, today known as the `old' 
church.
  Saint Peter Lutheran Church continues to play a central role in the 
lives of many Afton families, serving both spiritual and physical 
needs. Through its strong support of local food shelves and clothing 
drives, the congregation is directly helping to feed and clothe 
families in need. The congregation's growth is a tribute to the 
generosity and commitment of six generations who have built on the 
foundation laid by those early German settlers. Saint Peter Lutheran 
Church has blessed the Afton area with its dedication to good deeds for 
150 years.
  Mr. Speaker, in honor of the 150th Anniversary of Saint Peter 
Lutheran Church of Afton, Minnesota, I am pleased to submit this 
statement to the Congressional Record.

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