Written by Phil Wala
1913 (June 29)
Minneapolis is experiencing a heat wave (temperatures of 96°F), and churches are NOT air-conditioned. In what some consider a shocking breach of etiquette, local pastors have declared that men are free to attend church without their coats, and ladies are invited to attend without hats. (Minneapolis Tribune)
1924 (June 29)
Gilbert Walker (son of T. B. Walker) and his wife Susan are having a home built for themselves at 425 Groveland Avenue, right next to Hennepin Avenue Church. This replaces an earlier home on the same site that was destroyed by fire on Christmas Eve, 1920. [When Susan died in 1951, she left the house to the church. For a while, it was used as a parsonage. It is now the ministry house for the Dignity Center.] (Minneapolis Tribune)
1930 (June 30)
After ten years as pastor of Hennepin Church, Rev. Lucius Bugbee is leaving for New York where he will be editor of church school publications for the Methodist Church. His replacement, Richard C. Raines, will arrive in October. (Minneapolis Tribune)
1936 (June 27)
Border Methodist Church, a black congregation, is losing its church on Border Avenue (near 4th and Lyndale) because the city of Minneapolis wants to build a farmers’ market there. The congregation will meet in a Seventh-Day Adventist church until their new building at 4th and Aldrich is ready. (Twin City Herald)
1945 (July 1)
The war has been won in Europe, but continues in the Pacific. Those still serving overseas will receive a photograph of their families waiting for them on the church steps. The church archives has two copies of what was presumed to be the same photo. But a close inspection reveals that they are NOT identical. See if you can spot the differences.
1960 (June 25)
Rev. Monroe Bell, who has been serving as an associate minister of music at Hennepin, has been reassigned to the Prospect Park Church. During his time at Hennepin, Bell directed the Children’s Choir, and the voices of those children were preserved on a ten-inch vinyl record. Listen to the hymns sung by the children of 65 years ago, and let us know if your voice might be on this record!
Ask Me What Great Things I Know.mp3
Fairest Lord Jesus.mp3
Christ the Lord is Risen Today.mp3
All Praise to Thee My God.mp3
All Creatures of Our God and King.mp3
Book of Books.mp3
Now Thank We All Our God.mp3
Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee.mp3
1992 (June 28)
Peter Boehlke, seen here during a Christmas food drive, was an associate pastor at Hennepin from 1991 to 1995. On June 28, 1992, he delivered a sermon titled, “Being the Church: Boredom, Bickering, and Bathos.” Listen to the sermon > HERE
