Written by Phil Wala
1901 (February 20)
The Minneapolis Journal announces that the women of Hennepin Avenue Church will be serving a “shredded wheat dinner.” A search of Minneapolis newspapers finds only a few such events, all hosted by churches, and all occurring in 1901. Whatever a “shredded wheat dinner” was, it seems to have been a short-lived fad.
1906 (February 19) and 1907 (February 25)
In 1906, Hennepin pastor Dr. Fayette Thompson preaches on the need for a new church building to replace the now 25-year-old red brick church at 10th and Hennepin. A year later, the project is put on hold because the church can’t decide where the new church should be built. The $100,000 already collected toward the project is returned to the donors. (Minneapolis Tribune)
1948 (February 23)
In the last year of Dr. Richard Raines’ eighteen years as pastor, the Hennepin congregation is saddened to learn that their previous pastor, Dr. Lucius H. Bugbee, who served as senior pastor from 1920-1930, was fatally injured when he was struck by a truck as he was walking to church.
1960 (February 21)
The Minneapolis Tribune asks a Hennepin Avenue Methodist Church Sunday School class about their career plans.
1987 (February 22)
38 years ago this week, Assistant Pastor Rev. Jim McChesney preached a sermon in which he used the metaphor of dance to explain what it means to have “righteousness exceeding that of the Pharisees.“ It’s well worth a listen (even if the original recording does have some distortion on Rev. McChesney’s microphone). As an added bonus, you’ll get to hear Dr. Richard Waggoner at the organ, Rev. Verda Aegerter offering prayers (on her 72nd birthday), and the 1987 version of the Hennepin choir. Hear excerpts from that 9:30am service below.
