Poets Joe and Nancy Paddock share their impressions on the sale of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Taunton Minnesota. Also speaking are Vicki Sturgeon and other church members.

From the KRSW Poets-in-Residence Series.

Transcipt:

(00:00:18) White and small on the dusty Street cracked gray shingles on the steeple the church stands fragile and upright through unceremonious
(00:00:29) chanting. For Hadrian, Ivanovich. I'm Saturday, June
(00:00:36) 3rd, 1978 the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Taunton, Minnesota population. 197 was sold at auction during the auction two buildings were actually sold. The smaller used for Sunday school went for more than twice the amount bid for the church Itself by today's standards. The white frame building was a tiny church, but since 1901 it had served its purpose well as the spiritual center for a small Congregation of people who gathered in it to worship to be wed to hear last words spoken over the parted friends the Reverend Henry Albrecht now 82 years old began his duties as Pastor there with his wife Clara in 1935 and over the intervening years. He watched his flock never more than 135 Souls dwindled to a mere 30. Like so many other small rural churches small rural institutions of all kinds it could no longer sustain itself and has ceased to be it was built in 1901 and served by various pastors. We moved here in 1935, but I served it from Emerald Township from 31 to 35 and then ever since until 74 until 71 and I was retired for three years. And after that I served until 77 1977 and retired last November. I see. What was the biggest congregation you had here over those years. Since 31:31 it was about a hundred and five members. then due to the fact that there are Lutheran congregations right and left in Porter and many other larger ones and then can be and Marshall young people have moved away Farms have been sold. And the older people one by one passed away and four of them are now in nursing homes and retirement homes, another families and their retirement home short dwindled down constantly until they decided to disband last fall and I was ready for his retirement to well. I had mixed feelings all this. Well, but I knew that they would come and this is a beautiful day. We had a nice crowd. We have friendly people and we can say this is the day the Lord has made. Inside dimly yellow from arched Windows the church seems an empty box the heavy Oak pews vacated over the years in a slow recessional are gone. Lord now lettest thou thy self Things Must Pass in peace and this house of the Lord to in his time yet to passing like shadow of cloud over Prairie Grass vacant now living its last on the tip of an auctioneers
(00:04:17) tongue. Dark Corners hum with Echoes for those with ears
(00:04:40) attuned and Minds Alive with memories of that small community of people who prayed praised and sang together here in this tiny shelter from our worlds are sure wins. Here in this vacant Little Shelter with steeple spinning on the tip of an auctioneers tongue.
(00:05:13) The old
(00:05:13) altar has been taken. The flock has left the fold gone out into the world Beyond reclaiming I think a lot of my filled with Nostalgia and the older people would gladly have seen it. Go ahead. But they wouldn't have been able to have another Pastor come for a few people. So they had no choice but to dispense and these scattered people like Cottonwood seeds seeds of his love drift off winds taking them to stop wherever they catch hold and try again to take root.
(00:06:12) Will you give me five and a quarter of a mile and a quarter? Thank you, and I will hand and now I have and I'll 75 flavored have and I was a very high need a garage or something or two might have that. Every by not having to handle 75 here tailpipe 75 have 75 75 75 75. Yep 75 and I'll 6 and I'll 675 650 finally took me 6 one more time and then I won't ask you anymore. I didn't know there was a 75 and
(00:07:32) Taunton has changed. The school is boarded up brick Rubble marks the sites of stores on Main. Street the bank of you cafes and bars the elevator men and women children still remain. Well, it's a thing that we can't prevent to the means of transportation people can drive drive great distances and get to church 5 10 20 miles away. It doesn't bother so it's the trend of a time and that's the way it is. Is your the minister spread water of God upon the squalling infants head here these walls drone with the rote learning of this soon to be confirmed here a country boy. I was lost in the curls of a sweet girl heard not a single word of the sermon. Here Joy tears of weddings Brides marching shaking against strong arms of Father's to The rhythms of an old pump organ. hear the tears of blood of death as this church of people marched past caskets containing the remains of old men old women part of their body in advance carrying their songs and Praises with them into that new life. Well, I'm of the opinion that super congregations of 2,000 members or a thousand and more. loss of Personal Touch between members and pastors tool and I felt that the real spiritual work cannot well be done by mass production. but rather by individual person to person contact except for these big campaigns like Billy Graham and other great evangelists that Come to a certain city perhaps once or twice for Lifetime that is marvelous and it's doing much work and bring many souls to Christ. But it takes more than that to children have to be brought up in the Christian atmosphere. And in the small congregation, it seems to be more. More successful more as makes a deeper impression. They feel more at home than in a very large group here today sunburn men women in house dresses stand in damp grass to watch the Bethlehem Lutheran Church become a building to be sold. To watch the route whether the light blow out in the wind. Well, he was a member that was born here and about 1894 and the member ever since and he felt he couldn't come because he'd have to weep and his wife too so they wouldn't come for the
(00:10:51) auction. What is the price of a church? What is the worth of a
(00:11:11) small empty building in a town of
(00:11:14) empty buildings? What is the cost?
(00:11:18) To all of
(00:11:19) us and small things die down to here
(00:11:31) everywhere here in dark Corners Echoes of that past. Hung are drowned in the unfurling dollars of the auctioneers,
(00:11:40) Tom. 20/20 and I sold it by folks who buys at $210. Is there anything else? I guess? That's all
(00:11:59) I always said I'd like to live in a church. Then. My husband surprised me and I said, okay Clara. I'm ready. Let's sell her house moving to the church, but I'm not quite ready to look at a plaster. Dust at this time. So I think we'll stay in our little retirement home right here in Taunton and the church now is sold. We know it's going to be used right here as a residence on this very very fine light and we're very happy for the person that bought it. I look forward to my future home permanent home. We have no abiding City here. And the gospel that have been preached into the hearts of people the love of the Savior will be with them and they'll be able to get some good spiritual leaders and other congregations. I would say I'm thinking of it him verse all things Earthly pass away, but God's love God's love abide for a we're living in that. not only in temples made by hands but in House of the Lord I will dwell forever more.