• History
• Oral History Videos
• Charter Members
• Calvary's Pastors
• Early Days of Calvary's Women
• Some Calvary Firsts
• Calvary Milestones
• Calvary's Growth
History. Travel down memory lane in this album of pictures and publications from Calvary's early years. Calvary Lutheran came into being when eight families met in 1956 to establish an Evangelical Lutheran Church in Perham. In August of 1959, Rev. Arthur Vorhes arrived to assist in the organization of the congregation. The church building was completed in 1959. The first service was held September 27, 1959 with 110 people present. On October 11 that same year, Sunday School classes began with an enrollment of 21 children. The first baptism was celebrated on November 1, 1959. In January of 1960, Calvary was officially established as a congregation of 18 families: 97 baptized and 51 confirmed members. In April 1960, the ELC merged with two other synods to form the American Lutheran Church. On June 5 that same year, the first confirmation class of 2 was confirmed. With the 1988 merger of the American Lutheran Church, the Lutheran Church in America, and the Association for Evangelical Lutheran Churches, Calvary became a part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Northwestern Minnesota Synod of the ELCA. Over the years the church building has been remodeled and added to several times. This was necessary to accommodate the growth of Calvary, with now over 1,200 members.
Calvary’s Charter Members--Charter Issued January 24, 1960
Mike and Edna Abram
Raymond and Ruth Burgau
T.A. and Alice Disrud
Gunder and Delores Hanson
Lenora Hauer
Harold and Irene Haverland
Wilfred (Bill) and Dorothy Johnson
Alf and Lillian Jorgenson
John and Marge Knight
George and Jeanette Kupferschmid
Sherman and Alta Mandt
Harold and Mabel Mickelson
Roman and Thelma Olson
Charles and Lorene Schumacher
Bill and Mandy Turcotte
Rev. Arthur and Barbara Vorhes
1959 – 1966: Rev. Arthur Vorhes
1966: Rev. Philip Peterson
1967 – 1970: Rev. Gary Gilthvedt
1971 – 1973: Rev. Edward Nieman
1973 – 1977: Rev. Myron Albertson
1977 – 1987: Rev. William Reck
1987 – 1988: Rev. Everett Nelson
1988 – 1994: Rev. John Martinson
1992 – 1995: Rev. Kris Nyman
1995: Rev. Steve Trandem
1995 – 2003: Rev. Richard Kennedy
2003 – 2004: Rev. Karin Moberg
2004 – 2006: Rev. Paul Anderson
March-November 2006: Rev. Marilyn Breckenridge
December 2006 – Present: Rev. Philip Holtan
September 27, 1959
First Church Services
October 24, 1959
First Sunday School Classes
November 1, 1959
First Baptism
Randa Burgau
December 1959
First Christmas Program
April 23, 1960
First Wedding
Romelle Olson to Larry Nelson
June 5, 1960
First Confirmation Class
1961
First Funerals
Donald Mikkelson, Mike Abram
1958 Eight families met to discuss organizing a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
1959 September 27: First worship service with 108 attending.
1959 October 24: Sunday school organized with 21 children enrolled
1960 July: ALCW was organized
1960 September 25: Dedication of church and parsonage
1962 Junior Choir organized
1963 Senior Choir organized
1963 Luther League organized
1964 Women organized Circles: Faith, Hope and Charity
1965 Received 18 pews from Grove Lake Lutheran, Pelican Rapids
1973 Sanctuary repainted, carpeting and amplifying system installed
1975 Church pews were replaced
1975 Colored window panels were installed
1975 Congregation’s 15th Anniversary was observed
1976 New addition completed; kitchen enlarged new equipment added
1980 September 28: 20th Anniversary was observed
1983 Mortgage Burning Ceremony
1985 August 24 and 25: 25th Anniversary celebrated
1989 November 19: Dedication of Calvary’s new sanctuary
1991 Music Director Russ Bunker performed on Calvary’s new Allen Organ
1996 Erin Anderson hired as first Youth Director and “The Loft” gathering area created above the original sanctuary
1996 Contemporary Worship added with summer outdoor worship
1997 Stephen Ministry Program initiated
1998 Calvary purchased “grand” piano
1999 Challenge 2000 held groundbreaking for church remodeling
2000 April 9: Dedication services for new fellowship hall, offices, Sunday School rooms and meeting rooms
2001 Parish Health Ministry was implemented
2001 Acquired Calvary Memorial Cemetery
2002 Calvary’s Website was born: www.calvaryperham.com
2003 Radio Ministry began
2003 Stained glass windows were installed in sanctuary
2004 The Loft remodeling was completed
2005 Basement Sunday School rooms transformed by painting Biblical scenery
2005 New member picture frame installed in Narthex
2006 Lighted outdoor nativity scene received
2007 Pie and Ice Cream Social expanded to include an outdoor Songfest with area church Praise Teams
2007 Landscaping at Cemetery: Underground watering system, 50 new trees, planter box with granite entrance sign
2007 20 Calvary Cottage groups were formed
2007 Began using new ELCA red hymnals
2007 Covered stage for contemporary outdoor worship and concerts
2007 Calvary POPS Concert Series initiated
2008: June: Began televising 8:30 a.m. worship on cable television
2008: Reshingled “old sanctuary” portion of building
2008: New Visitor Center in Fellowship Hall
2009: Fourteen teams and nearly 500 Calvary volunteers participated in Perham’s Feed My Starving Children Project
2009: Balcony and sound system remodeled
2009: West parking lot paving project initiated
Year |
Baptized Members |
Sunday Attendance |
Budget |
| 1960 | 97 |
70 |
$12,000 |
| 1965 | 201 |
125 |
NA |
| 1970 | 267 |
126 |
$19,000 |
| 1975 | 377 |
163 |
$23,000 |
| 1980 | 495 |
200 |
$52,000 |
| 1985 | 642 |
250 |
$83,000 |
| 1990 | 762 |
295 |
$113,000 |
| 1995 | 927 |
332 |
$184,000 |
| 2000 | 1,281 |
415 |
$299,000 |
| 2005 | 1,543 |
385 |
$359,452 |
| 2009 | 1,292 |
355 |
$411,125 |