Salem English Lutheran was one of the first Lutheran congregations west of Chicago to worship in the English language. This deep desire to worship in the language of the neighborhood is still part of Salem’s calling.
As the neighborhood has transformed, Salem strives to speak the “language” of our area and provide a welcoming faith community.
Salem began in 1890, building its current sanctuary in 1904 with major additions along the way. The last addition, the west wing, was added in 1963 to accommodate an extremely large congregation.
'Urban Flight' began before the 1963 addition was complete and many of its families moved to the promise of the suburbs. Over the years Salem's population declined and it wasn't able to attract a large enough population to regain momentum and pay for increasing energy costs. Out of necessity, at the beginning of 2006, Salem's congregation's voted to follow the Spirit’s call to a renewed and transformed understanding of itself and its ministry. This transformation continues today and includes the changes in facility, leadership, and congregational culture, and includes the partnership with Lyndale United Church of Christ, a congregation of the United Church of Christ.
Throughout this time, Salem has maintained a small, yet vital, congregation, growing significantly each year. The leaders of this congregation have led the charge to transformation with faithfulness, vigor and energy. This prayer from the Evangelical Lutheran Worship Book guides Salem’s life: “Gracious God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us, through Jesus Christ. Amen!
Neighborhood
The property Salem served for 119 years has been on the corner of 28th Street and Lyndale Avenue in South Minneapolis. To many this area is known simply as Uptown, though more specifically, Salem is near the intersection of Lake Street and Lyndale Avenue and four different Minneapolis Neighborhoods: Whittier, Lowry Hill East (Wedge), CARAG, and Lyndale, and is in a nod called Lyn Lake.
This is a highly diverse and creative area with dozens of theaters, coffee shops, locally owned businesses and restaurants, as well as strong residential pockets of families and individuals with wide-ranging backgrounds. The GLBTQ community finds a home in this area of town as well as in this congregation.
Salem and Lyndale UCC plan to return to the Salem site with redevelopment of the site for a green-friendly, sustainable, shared ministry center in the future (anticipated completion September 2010). The site would also include housing, retail, and parking. Our goal is to continue serving our neighborhoods during and after our development gets under way.