By GENE KEMMETER
of The Gazette
Peace Lutheran Church, 293 S. Main St., Amherst, is observing its 125th birthday this year.
The church, part of Tomorrow River Lutheran Parish with Nelsonville Lutheran Church, was founded in 1877 by Amherst area residents who were traveling to Scandinavia in Waupaca County in order to attend regular services.
The church celebrated the anniversary with several events in September, beginning with a traditional Norwegian Lutheran service of the 1860s on Sunday, Sept. 8.
To celebrate the future with a community-wide focus on the future of the church through youth, the congregation sponsored a performance by Breathing Machine, a Christian rock band, at Amherst High School on Friday, Sept. 13.
The congregation then celebrated the present on Sunday, Sept. 15, with a service, a historical video and potluck meal.
The Lutheran Church in Scandinavia was the largest Norwegian Lutheran church in Wisconsin in the 1870s, seating about 1,200 people, and Amherst area residents traveled about eight miles to the church.
The eastern portion of Portage County, particularly the towns of Alban and New Hope and the north and eastern section of the town of Amherst, had been settled by Scandinavian immigrants, who brought with them a strong attachment to the Lutheran church.
Pastor John Museas, who served the Scandinavia church, began to hold services in Amherst in 1877, and 15 men became the charter members of the Amherst Norsk Evangelisk Lutherisk Menigehet on March 24, 1877.
Gundber Torkelson's bid of $1,220 was accepted to build the "church on the hill" on the east side of the Tomorrow River. Most of the Norwegians had settled in the village east of the river, and the section was known as "Norwegian Hill."
On June 18, 1877, the cornerstone of the church was laid, and Nils Forde became the first pastor in 1881, serving until 1892.
The bell for the church, still in use today, was purchased for $186.17 in 1894.
The church underwent its first name change in 1902, dropping the Norwegian name to reflect a congregation of members from multiple nationalities and becoming Amherst Evangelical Lutheran Church.
In 1912, the Amherst and Nelsonville congregations became a joint parish. The congregations separated again in 1934, but 10 years later merged again, eventually becoming the Tomorrow River Lutheran Parish. The river flows through both villages.
The church was preparing for its 75th Jubilee in 1951 and a major renovation of the building was completed when fire struck before dawn on Sept. 1, 1951, burning the interior of the church.
The congregation decided to build a new church at the present location, the corner of Main and Lincoln streets, and used the Amherst Community Hall for worship services and Sunday School in the meantime.
On Aug. 3, 1953, the cornerstone was laid for the new church, and the first worship service was on Ash Wednesday, March 3, 1955, followed by the formal dedication on May 2.
On Jan. 8, 1963, the congregation took the name it's now known as, Peace Lutheran Church.
After more than 40 years in the church, the congregation began new construction and renovation on Nov. 8, 1997, holding worship services at Nelsonville Evangelical Lutheran Church.
On May 31, 1998, the first worship service was held in the new sanctuary, and the cornerstone was laid on Oct. 18, 1998, as part of a dedication service.