Finished, but not failed

Maria Lutheran celebrates 133 years of ministry

By Holly Wilson
Maria Lutheran Church is preparing to close after being active in ministry for nearly 133 years.
The church has a long history, but in just a few short weeks, it is coming to an end. On Sunday, July 19, Maria will hold its Holy Closure Service at 10 a.m. The final decision to close was years in the making. The church lost its ability to support ELCA, Sunday school and choir. There wasn’t enough money to even maintain the building.
“The decision was so difficult to make,” said Kim Johnson, longtime member of the church and current council member. “The congregation’s hearts are very heavy.”
The council debated the closure for over two years before asking the congregation to vote.
Johnson said that they no longer had the money or resources to do the Lord’s work. They couldn’t support missionaries or other organizations, which is the most important work of the church.
Most recently, the congregation dwindled to about 10 members. Older people, pillars in the congregation and very active in the church, began to die. Kids who had grown up in the church began to move away. The church lost more and more people.
“Church is no longer the top priority for most families regardless of their age,” said former Maria minister Kathy Levenhagen.
This is not an uncommon occurrence, as it has happened across the county.
Kittson County, at its peak, had more than 10,000 people. Today’s estimated population is just under 4,000. This has affected not only churches, but schools and businesses.
But Maria’s 133 year story is much more beautiful than the fall of the last few years.
Since its establishment in 1893, it has served a large community of Christian believers in Kittson County. First built on land donated by the Great Northern Railway Company, Maria got its name from Frank Tollfadt in 1894.
The original church and steeple were completed in 1902. Services in English began in 1916 after previously being conducted in Swedish. In 1922, the Minnesota Conference divided and formed the Red River Valley Conference, now the Red River Valley Synod.
In 1924, Maria entertained the annual convention of the new conference. Over the course of 1959-1963, East Emmaus was dissolved and Maria became a one-church parish. The cornerstone of Maria’s new building was laid on October 23, 1966 and the first service in the new church was September 10, 1967.
In 1968, Maria celebrated its 75th anniversary, in which the theme was “Christ, the Sure Foundation.” Five former pastors were present and Rev. Carl Larson brought the message, preaching on Ezekiel 47, stressing the renewing influence of the Water of Life on the church through history.
In the same year, the Maria Happy Heart Singers group was started. From 1968-72, over 70 youths were involved from Maria, Red River and St. Olaf. They made appearances in many northwest Minnesota area churches, at conference conventions, and on television. They went on tour and made two albums.

To read the whole story, see the July 8, 2026, edition of the Kittson County Enterprise