About

The First Evangelical Lutheran Church of Britton, South Dakota, had its beginning in 1886. A small group of homesteaders and businessmen met to organize a congregation. It was then known as the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Congregation.The first services were held in the homes or sometimes in the school house by a traveling pastor. Later services were held in the Presbyterian Church in the afternoons. The Rev. C. M. Notvedt is recorded as the first pastor. He would come once a month or six weeks as weather permitted.

In 1889 the parish consisted of Britton, Pleasant Valley, Trondhjem, and Zion congregations.

The first church built in Britton was built in 1893 on the site where the present church stands. The first articles of incorporation were filed in 1896, and a constitution was adopted.The first parsonage was purchased from Rev. Michael Mickelson in 1910. The lots for the church and parsonage had been given to the church by a real estate firm. In 1923 the the Britton congregation withdrew from the other three congregations and bought the parsonage from them. In 1924 the name was changed to The First English Evangelical Church. All services in Britton were in English starting with Rev. Alfred Storvick in 1924.

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