Written by Phil Wala
1955 (April 1 – 9)
This week we have video of a 1955 University of Life trip to Washington, D. C. and New York City. The video was scanned from a reel of 70-year-old 16mm film found in the church archives. What is remarkable about this film is that one of the participants in that trip was 15-year-old Marilyn Jewett, known to us today as long-time Hennepin church member Marilyn Newstrum. We asked Marilyn to share some memories of that trip:
“The trip grew out of a University of Life Sunday evening class on the United Nations. It was an educational trip. I remember that the trip cost each of us $176. It was a very well-planned and tightly scheduled trip. There were 37 students from both Hennepin and Aldersgate churches. Among the students on that trip were Marilyn Carlson (Nelson), and Judy Peterson, who later married a minister. Accompanying us were 9 adult chaperones.
“We left from the Minneapolis train station on Friday, April 1, at 8am. I’m sure my parents were there, although I don’t see them in the film. We slept overnight on the train, and arrived in Washington on Saturday, April 2.
“That Saturday we saw Mount Vernon, the Lincoln Memorial, and the cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin. (I later had the opportunity to see the cherry blossoms in Kyoto, Japan.)
“Saturday evening, we left for New York City. On Sunday morning we attended Palm Sunday services at Riverside Memorial Church. When we climbed the church bell tower, it was the first time I realized that I was afraid of heights.
“On Monday and Tuesday, we toured the United Nations, saw Times Square, Chinatown, and Greenwich Village. We also saw the skaters at Rockefeller Center, and attended the Rockettes’ Easter show at Radio City Music Hall.
“On Tuesday we met Dr. Chester Pennington, his wife Marjorie, and their children Celeste and Lawrence. At the time, Rev. Pennington was pastor of the Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew in New York City and had recently been named to be Hennepin’s next senior pastor.
“On Wednesday we were back in Washington to tour the FBI, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Former Hennepin member Bradshaw Mintener, who had become Assistant Secretary of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, arranged for us to eat lunch in the Senate Dining Room. The Minteners also entertained us in their home. On Thursday we met Walter Judd, US Representative for the 5th Congressional District of Minnesota.
“I remember eating at several Chinese restaurants during the trip. I also remember being served three consecutive meals with the same menu: Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, and peas!
“We left Washington and arrived in Chicago in time to attend Good Friday services there, before continuing on to Minneapolis. We were back home in time to attend Easter services at Hennepin. That Easter Sunday, April 10, was Dr. Dwight Loder’s last Sunday as our pastor. He was leaving to become president of Garrett Seminary. Dr. Pennington, whom we met in New York City, would be our new pastor beginning May 22.”
A big thank you to Marilyn for sharing those memories with us!
1876 (April 6)
Rev. J. F. Chaffee, a key figure in the founding of Hennepin Church, is traveling throughout the state helping to plant churches, and giving lectures for which he charges a rather nominal fee – considering the value of the information he is dispensing. (Worthington Advance)
1910 (April 5)
Another Hennepin pastor charging admission for a lecture is Rev. Andrew Gilles. Gilles was famous for an eight-part series of sermons/lectures he presented based on characters from “Les Misérables.” The series was repeated several times at Hennepin Church and was eventually reprinted in its entirety in the Tribune newspaper. (Minneapolis Journal)
1912 (April 8)
The merged Hennepin Avenue and Fowler Methodist churches will continue to meet in the Fowler building while a new church is being built at Lyndale and Groveland. When that building is complete, both of the original churches will have to be sold. Today it was announced that a buyer has been found for the “red brick” Hennepin Avenue Church building at 10th and Hennepin. The buyer is automobile dealer Harry Pence.¹ (article: Minneapolis Tribune, letterhead: HAUMC archives)
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¹ Pence also owned a building on the NW corner of 8th and Hennepin (shown in the letterhead) which is still in use.
1915 (April 4)
In 1875, about 90 members of Centenary Church left to form Hennepin Avenue Church.At the time, Centenary was meeting in their stone building at 7th and Marquette. After Centenary changed its name to Wesley and built a new church at 1st and Grant (1891), the old building we repurposed for retail businesses and a car rental agency. Now comes word that building that was once Centenary Church will be torn down, prompting this nostalgic article in the Minneapolis Tribune.
1972 (April 9)
Dr. Pennington will only preach at the 9:30 service this Sunday. The guest preacher for the 11:00 service will be televangelist Oral Roberts. In 1968, the Methodist Church was looking to incorporate some of the good things that were happening in the charismatic movement and extended an invitation for Roberts to become a Methodist elder, which he accepted.¹ It was a bold experiment, but the controversial evangelist’s eccentricities eventually led to his Methodist credentials being revoked in 1987.
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¹ A recording of Roberts announcing his decision to become a Methodist can be heard here: https://digitalshowcase.oru.edu/oruav/7/
