History

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Some of the earliest residents of the new settlement opened among the rocks and pines of Northern Minnesota by Frank Hibbing were hardy Swedish pioneers, many of them recent immigrants to this country. With them they brought the faith and traditions of the Lutheran Church of their homeland.

In the 1890s, services were held in private homes, the Episcopal Church,  and even in the council room of the town hall. In 1896, a lot was purchased on Second Avenue and Central Street in North Hibbing and construction of a frame church was begun the following year. On November 30, 1900, the Svenska Evangeliska Lutherska Immanuel Kyrka - the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Immanuel Church - was founded at its first congregational meeting. Swedish was the dominant language of the parish and all services were held in Swedish until 1908.

In 1919, the old church building was sold to the Oliver Mining Company for $28,000 and plans for a new church in South Hibbing were started. The congregation authorized the borrowing of $25,000 to defray the cost of the new structure as an addition to the sum received from the sale of the old building.
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The cornerstone-laying service for the present church building, located at 2201 Third Avenue East, was held on October 10, 1920, and construction was completed the following year. In 1935 the name of the church was changed to the First Lutheran Church.

Over time, the church has added space to accommodate the growing number of families and children. An educational wing was constructed in the 1950s, which now holds the parish offices, Sunday School gathering space, and third floor Confirmation classroom. In the 1970s an addition to the south included a spacious parish hall and kitchen, nursery, fireside room (lounge), and many classrooms.

First Lutheran Church celebrates 125 years of mission and ministry in 2025 - and we are looking forward to a future of practicing the wide welcome of Jesus for generations to come!   
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Pastors of First Lutheran Church

J. A. Krantz, Swedish missionary pastor
        1894-1898
P. O. Hanson, pastor of the Iron Range
        mission field  1898-1902
John Truedson  1902-1908
Albert Okerstrom  1908-1909
J. B. A. Idstrom  1909-1918
G. P. Williams  1918-1922
Oscar Ebb  1922-1932
J. A. Krantz  1932-1934
A. E. Bomgren  1934-1959
John Palmquist  1960-1968
Francis Nelson  1969-1986
        Michael Carlson  1975-1980
        Kenneth Meehan  1981-1984
        Bill Fossum  1984-1987
Paul Hammar  1987-1996
        Dale Moe  1988-1990
Brian Black  1998-2000
Bruce Dissell  2000-2002
John Dietz  2002-2012
Benjamin Schori  2014-2017
Sarah Fike  2018-2021
John Dietz  2022-present