Preserving their faith

It’s Sunday morning, and churchgoers file into a simple white-walled sanctuary. They are surrounded by stained glass windows and rich wooden pews. Members greet one another with warm smiles. It looks like an average Minnesota Lutheran church, but this service is anything but typical.

Pastor Per Inge Vik steps to the altar. He is a native Norwegian. He greets the congregation in his native tongue and delivers his sermon in Norwegian. “Jesus viser oss hvem Gud er” (Jesus shows us who God is), he says. The songs are Norwegian, too. But this church isn’t in Norway; Den Norske Lutherske Mindekirke (Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church) is on East 21st Street in South Minneapolis.

Mindekirken (pronounced “Minn-ed-shirken”) promotes Norwegian heritage through language classes, cultural programs and bilingual services, said program administrator Krista Schweppe. Mindekirken is one of only two churches in the United States that offer Norwegian worship services. The other, Minnekirken, is in Chicago.

“It’s a chance to use the language and connect with the culture,” said Kari Torkelson, who worships at Mindekirken. She calls her church “a little pocket of Norway in the middle of Minneapolis.”

Mindekirken was founded in 1922 by a group of Norwegian immigrants, Vik said. In the years after World War I, it was unacceptable to be anything but 100 percent American, but community members wanted to keep their culture alive.

“They decided they wanted one church that preserved their language and Norwegian heritage,” Vik said.

Eighty-five years later, Lutherans still worship at Mindekirken. “It’s quite a miracle that [Mindekirken] is still here, and not only existing, but really thriving,” Vik said.

In the ‘20s, the area was primarily Norwegian, Schweppe said. During the 1950s, many families moved to the suburbs. Now a multitude of cultures inhabit the area, including Latinos, Somalis and African-Americans. But Mindekirken is a reminder of the neighborhood’s history.

“It’s really great that [Mindekirken] is located in this neighborhood and not somewhere out in the suburbs,” Schweppe said. “It’s a wonderful location, and it’s safe.”

Mindekirken has about 250 members, and almost all have Norwegian roots, Vik said. Mindekirken is part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA). On Sunday mornings, there is a 9:00 service in English and an 11:00 service in Norwegian. The latter includes the same high mass liturgy that is celebrated in Norway.

But Mindekirken is more than a church. It’s also a language school and a cultural center. “Language and culture are crucial to maintain a heritage,” Schweppe said. “This is just a way to boost what the church is already doing.”

The Norwegian language program began in 2000. People from all over the Twin Cities take classes at Mindekirken; some of them drive an hour to get there. The nonprofit program includes 16 instructors and 125 students. Classes range from a children’s group to an advanced literature course.

“There are a wide variety of ages, backgrounds and motivations for learning Norwegian,” Schweppe said. “Some people have met a Norwegian they’ve fallen in love with. Other people are heritage learners. Some people are planning a trip [to Norway]. People come for all sorts of reasons.”

Jan Ungerman, 61, is a third-year student at Mindekirken. Her mother is from Norway, and Ungerman enjoys studying her genealogy. She uses Norwegian to translate family records and correspond with relatives overseas.
“I believe that family is the most important thing in life,” Ungerman said. “It gives me a sense of who I am and where I belong.”

Ungerman attends an intermediate class on Saturday mornings. She sits with her classmates at a long wood table in a warm, yellow room. A blue rocking horse, red flowers and photos of the Norwegian monarchy line the shelves.
They greet each other in Norwegian but chat in English about everything from the weather to Ungerman’s recent trip to Hawaii.

“It’s a great social time and a great learning time,” Ungerman said. “I’ve made good friends here. We’ve kept in contact since my very first class.”

After some socializing, Schweppe begins class. The women go over verbs, including “a leke,” which means “to play.” Schweppe uses hand gestures to act out words. For example, she claps her hands together to demonstrate “klappelek” (patty cake).

The class covers Norwegian history, too. They discuss Vidkun Quisling, who was a fascist politician in Norway during World War II. Schweppe describes him as "the Benedict Arnold of Norway."

“We try to introduce contemporary and traditional Norwegian culture and integrate it with the language,” Schweppe said.

After an hour, the class takes a break. They move downstairs into the Fellowship Hall. It’s decorated with rosemaling: Norwegian painting of flowers. Classes gather around tables to sip coffee and eat pastries. Twenty-year-olds chat with 70-year-olds. Louis Janus, an instructor, grabs a cup of coffee and sits with students.

Janus has been teaching at Mindekirken for four years. He is also a language professor at the University of Minnesota, but he likes Mindekirken's atmosphere.

“It’s different from teaching at a university for students who need credit,” Janus said. “The students here are so enthusiastic. They are here because they want to be here. It’s nice to work with them and encourage them to stretch.”

Mindekirken offers several Norwegian activities. For example, Schweppe shows Norwegian movies every month. Mindekirken has an open house every Tuesday, welcoming people from all over the metro area. There is usually a featured speaker with a personal connection to Norway. Sven Sundgaard, a KARE 11 meteorologist, spoke on Feb. 6. Sundgaard’s family is from Norway, and he speaks Norwegian, too.

Mindekirken is a hub for famous Norwegians when they visit Minnesota, Vik said. Previous visitors include Crown Prince Haakon, the Oslo Chamber Choir and Kjell Magne Bondevik, Norway’s former prime minister.

For more information about Mindekirken, call (612) 874-0716 or visit www.mindekirken.org.