The goal of holding services in the new church building was Advent Sunday, 1958. Much of the furniture from the old church was transferred to the new church.
Worship in the old church was in pretty bare surroundings.
The memorial organ (which has since been replaced and in a different location) was placed in a special loft. The brass lectern, a memorial from 1892, was used in the new church until the new carved-wood one was incorporated in the chancel rail. Our organist got the lectern out of storage, cleaned it, and now uses it almost every Sunday. The white baptismal font is a memorial dating back to 1882. The processional crosses as well as the cross on the main altar are memorials.
The Murton memorial altar was dedicated in 1930. The pews in the main church had seen service since 1883 and were not in good condi on. New pews were bought and installed. Most of the memorial-fund money was used for the large stained glass “Resurrection” window in the rear of the church. It is dedicated to all persons men oned in the Book of Remembrance. Most of the chancel furniture is dedicated memorials to bishops Thurston, Remington, and Emory, former rectors.
Many of the major projects were completed with memorial grants: i.e. stained glass windows; chapel re-redos; chapel altar, credence table, altar rail, chapel chair, chapel cross, chapel missal and missal stand, as well many of the items needed to complete the move to the new church. The memorials table in the narthex (a gift from the Beim Foundation) has a book that lists the memorials and their givers.
In June 1958, costs had increased to $592,000. A mortgage was placed for $150,000 at 5% interest with the First National Bank of Minneapolis. First services in the new church were Advent Sunday 1958. By January 1959 most of the “bugs” were ironed out. Dedication was on January 13, 1959. Bishop Hamilton H. Kellogg was officiant and the Rev. Vernon Johnson was rector.