ELWYN B. ROBINSON DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
CHESTER FRITZ LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA
GRAND FORKS , NORTH DAKOTA 58202
COLLECTION: OGL #777
DATES: 1916
SIZE: 1 folder
ACQUISITION: The Thingvalla Lutheran Church Records were deposited in the Orin G. Libby Manuscript Collection by Joe W. Hall, Gardar, North Dakota in August 1982 (Acc. #82-1026).
ACCESS: Available for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Department of Special Collections.
In 1889, the Thingvalla Lutheran Church was organized as a religious society in Eyford , North Dakota , located 5 miles south of the town of Mountain in Pembina County , North Dakota . Founded by Icelandic immigrants from Canada and named after Jacob Sigurosson Eyford from Eyjafjorour , Iceland , the town's members in 1893 built Thingvalla Lutheran Church for $2,500. Besides the Thingvalla Church , the Icelandic immigrants built seven other churches in the surrounding area to serve as community centers.
The Thingvalla Church separated from the Icelandic Lutheran Synod in 1910 due to a disagreement between members over the doctrine of plenary inspiration. The minority members of the congregation took the majority members to court for ownership of the church stating that the majority members had departed from original faith and violated the constitutions of the church and synod. The minority members eventually lost the case upon the ruling of the North Dakota Supreme Court in 1914.
In June 2003, due to paint buildup during remodeling, a fire destroyed the Thingvalla Lutheran Church . At the time of the fire, the church's members rotated between the eight Icelandic churches in the area because of a dwindling population and in order to preserve and keep open the churches. The Thingvalla Lutheran Church was nearly 110 years old at the time of the fire.
The Thingvalla Lutheran Church Records consist of a photocopy of a book entitled Tru Og Pekking , which means “Faith and Knowledge” written by Frederick J. Bergmann in 1916 and dedicated to the members of the Thingvalla Lutheran Church . The book covers four broad areas: 1. Biblical research, 2. Martin Luther's view of the Bible, 3. Select readings of the Bible and 4. North Dakota synods. The original is held by Joe W. Hall, Gardar , North Dakota.
Box 1
Folder
| Original Donation | First Addition: 1913, 1915 |