By HARVEY WINJE
Part 5 is about the loss of trust and how nominal—in name only—titles of people, positions, and institutions cannot be assumed to be trustworthy; even though sometimes well-intended. Hopefully these episodes and anecdotes can shed light for the community going forward. How can we as individuals pivot from disappointment to opportunity; from strength to strength?
Who Was in the Room?
Decisions about property of Messiah Evangelical Church Congregation, MELCC, were probably made by key leadership members and pastors. Only five such members are briefly described below to help imagine what transpired over decades leading up to the demolition of the 1908 and 1954 buildings.
Mr. Charles O. Johnson
Charles Johnson became a copy boy at age ten, Minneapolis Daily News reporter as a high school student, Minneapolis Star sports editor at 22 years old, and Star and Tribune sports editor after a 1941 merger until retirement in 1968.
He was highly influential in establishing professional sports in Minneapolis. He mentored writers like Halsey Hall and Sid Hartman and took them on trips to persuade wealthy team owners in other states, sometimes flying in the airplane of the owner of the Star Tribune, John Cowles. The Cowles family lived at 2318 Park Avenue in the Tenny Mansion from 1939 until 1983–the last resident of mansions on Park Ave.
Coincidentally, that house is across 24th Street from where Messiah Church relocated in 2008 to the Center for Changing Lives building that houses offices and residential apartments.
Johnson lived at the historic 2615 apartment building across from the American Swedish Institute Turnblad Mansion, which was named after a newspaper publisher.
Mr. Hugo Carlson
Hugo Carlson joined MELCC after returning from WWI in 1920. He was attracted to services in English. He built a successful through a general contracting company.
He worked closely with Rev. Kendall, which he considered “an education and privilege.” He said, “Dr. Kendall was a unique combination of manager, psychologist, and preacher.”
Hugo Carlson served as chairman of the committee that planned and directed Messiah’s Parish and Community Center. It was a formidable undertaking, planning for the needs of a large church family, including 500 children. But, he said, “I think my vice chairman, Bob Slater, did all the work!”
Dr. Robert Slater
Slater was a University of Minnesota professor and Director of the Department of Mortuary Science for 40 years. He is credited with advancing the mortuary science degree from an associate degree to the first full four year program in the U.S.
He was in the Navy during World War II and received a Purple Heart after being wounded at Guadalcanal. While researching this article, I learned that his facial deformity was caused by that WWII injury.
Governor and District Judge Luther Youndahl
Luther Youndahl, Governor of Minnesota from 1947 to 1951, was a member of MELCC since the second confirmation class in 1909. He graduated from the South High School campus at 24th Street and Cedar Avenue, which was demolished in 1970 and is now the site of Little Earth of United Tribes.
As governor, Youngdahl was known for protecting ancient landmarks. Often characterized as “the governor who’s against sin,” he embarked on a number of crusades.
One of Youngdahl’s biggest concerns was mental health, and he made reforms to Minnesota’s mental health care system. In October 1949, Youngdahl burned more than 300 straitjackets and restraints from hospitals. He also increased funding for public education, expanded public housing, increased benefits for war veterans, created activities to improve the health of young people, desegregated the state’s National Guard, passed anti-discrimination laws in employment, and banned slot machines and strengthened anti-liquor laws, despite the legislature’s opposition. He persuaded the Legislature to enact an anti-slot machine law in 1947. In 1946, there were more than 8,500 slot machines in Minnesota. Much less “sinful” yet a bit risky were the two pin-ball machines across the alley from MELCC at the Chicago Avenue Eat Shop when I worked there in 1951.
The Youngdahl family belonged to Messiah from its beginning, including Reuben Youngdahl, Luther’s younger brother who went into the ministry and increased the Mount Olivet 200 member, debt-ridden congregation to over 10,000.
Mr. Bill Doepke
Doepcke was described previously along with expertise within the family house moving business, Doepcke House Movers.
Mr. John Nelson
John Nelson was a Messiah member and an executive with Apache Development Corporation that was the developer in the planning phase of the MELCC, senior living hi-rise project to be built south of the new Parish Center on Columbus Avenue.
Ms. Elsa Johnson
Elsa Johnson was a MELCC member who lived on 4th Avenue and 26th Street. She was a City Council member and may have been the first woman to preside as City Council President. She was a radical change from quieter women in public settings.
The Pastors and many Messiah leaders didn’t live close to Messiah Church as did Elsa and my family. Membership gradually lived further away due to attrition, “white flight,” and federal housing benefits to veterans returning from wars.
Perhaps, Elsa was the forerunner to Pastor Elayne Lipp becoming Messiah’s first woman Pastor in 1983 and serving for sixteen years until leaving to care for her husband’s health.
Messiah Planned Ahead for Sanctuary, Education Facility, Better Accessibility, and Residential
This partial list and descriptions of five MELCC members easily leads to the assumption that the MELCC’s business and leadership acumen came from the membership along with the pastors.
It is obvious that their planning was looking ahead to satisfy the needs of the congregation. As mentioned before, acquisition of the Jones Mansion, its demolition, building the Parish Center along Columbus Avenue, and leaving the large frontage part of the multiple lots was forward planning to move the Sanctuary or build new on the front of the lots.
The congregation bought the Gustafson house next door to the church on Columbus Avenue, moved it to another lot, thus making space for some off-street parking and surface area to add-on to the original building for better accessibility including an elevator.
Plans were also made to build a high rise residence that went as far as building plans, investments by members to live there, developed via Apache Corporation along with assistance from Bor-Son Construction (previously mentioned as having built hi-rise apartments near Loring Park in 1966 and Children’s MN’s first building in 1969-1973).
Disclosure
I worked as a carpenter for Bor-Son Construction Co. at these buildings and years: Richfield Jr. High in 1959, 3 St. Paul Park Grade Schools in 1960, U Of M Housing in 1961, Apache Shopping Center in 1963, 2 St. Olaf College hi-rise (10 & 12 floors) from 1963-64, Carleton College Women’s Gymnasium in 1964, St. Park High School from 1964-65, 2 Summit 22 Floor hi-rises (previously mentioned) in 1966, and Apache Center Apartments in 1971.
Rev. Kendall Moved Up and Across the Street
When Rev. Kendall was elected President of the MN Synod Augustana Lutheran Church–and later President of the MN Synod of the newly merged Lutheran Church in America–his office was in the former Anton Strong Brook’s mansion at 2445 Park Avenue. I met with him there, too; each of us on our respective sides of his desk in the office with exquisite wood paneling, seeking his advice before leaving for college.
Anton Brooks was a grain entrepreneur and also owned lumber businesses.
Rev. Marbury Anderson, 1956-1969
Changes of pastors at MELCC brought changes in leadership style. Pastor Marbury Anderson (1956-1969) for example, made his sermons available in hard copy the next Sunday on single-spaced, typed, mimeographed versions at least two pages in length, more often three, and sometimes four pages.
It is a telling phenomenon that confirmands were not required to give reviews or summary notes on the sermons, music, or architecture of the worship experience. The spiritual experience in the MELCC Sanctuary was greatly embellished by all of the parts of the structure, artistic colorful glass, music, liturgy, and the spoken word. Protestant churches had trended toward emphasis on the words of sermons. Of course, by then, students knew English and didn’t need increased practice.
Pastor Anderson’s diligent work on sermons was underscored when he said, “Having felt through the years that the greatest challenge and most important work as a pastor was the sermon, I’m especially thrilled by Brad and Janet’s action, which came as such a surprise,” said Anderson when President Emeritus of Luther Seminary in St. Paul David Tiede announced, “the newly created Marbury Anderson Chair in Biblical Preaching in 2005. It is given by Bradbury and Janet Anderson in honor of Brad’s father, the Rev. Marbury E. Anderson. The chair reflects the Andersons’ love of excellent preaching and their belief that biblical preaching is the cornerstone of a vital, healthy church.”
Back Story: In 1973, Brad Anderson joined Sound of Music, a small chain of stereo stores that was the precursor to Best Buy, as a commissioned salesman. Best Buy’s founder, Richard Schulze, named Brad Vice President in 1981. Schulze and Anderson turned the chain from a commission-driven store to a discount store, warehouse-style format. In 1986, Brad Anderson was promoted to Executive Vice President and was elected to Best Buy’s Board of Directors. In April 1991, he was promoted to president and Chief Operating Officer, then Vice Chairman in 2001, and, in June 2002, he assumed the position of Chief Executive Officer until June 2009.
Pastor Anderson’s office was in the new Parish Center with wall to wall windows above a “Swedish blue” racing strip on the outside, fluorescent lighting, and vinyl tile floor. The exact opposite of the darker wood paneled second floor office of Pastor Kendall adjacent to the church office and the sanctuary balcony. Pastor Anderson wore a white shirt and tie more often than clerical garb.
The MELCC also benefited by the exquisite ecclesiastic architecture of famous, eclectic architect Harry Wild Jones; the charismatic style and exuberance of musical direction by Dr. Leland B. Sateren, composer and Director of the Augsburg College Music Department and Choir for over 30 years; and the mastery of all music genres on the pipe organ by Bette Boyer Holmes, who could honor someone’s birthday on Sunday by weaving in the Happy Birthday song with compositions by any noted ecclesiastical music composer as though the composer had made it that way.
All together, this dynamic foursome brought innumerable and extraordinary worship experiences to all who entered those doors.
Part 6 Continuation in April alley…
The whole of my experiences living on Block 5 were greater than the sum of the parts. Perhaps, that is true for others wherever they have lived. This is also an invitation to everyone to share stories of “the cracks in everything” and “how the ‘light’ got it.”
MELCC Pastor Peter Erickson’s flagrant opposition to the American Indian Movement, AIM’s demands to the Lutheran Council of the U.S.A., and spiritual activism including the occupation of a surplus Minneapolis naval air station from May 17-21, 1971 highlighting broken treaties, and implementing a repurposing of abandoned buildings according to a treaty of 1805; ironically, the buildings used by the 2025-26 Immigration and Customs Enforcement Surge in Minnesota. All of this on Dakota land!
Conclusion about trusting leaders, agreements, and treaties.
The enlightenment that the MELCC property tragedy on Block 5 could have been a Win/Win/Win/Win/Win conclusion. Instead it ended in a Zero/Sum conclusion: one player’s gain being exactly equal to another’s loss, resulting in a net change of zero!
