2. Congregation Histories : Minnesota

Virginia

First Unitarian Church

In northern Minnesota there are two small Unitarian churches of Finnish-American origins. The Alango and Virginia Unitarian Churches were founded by Finnish immigrants to the Mesabi Iron Range during the second decade of the twentieth century. They were organized and served by the Revs. Risto and Milma Lappala.

The Virginia church is the older of the two. It was founded in December 1911. Meetings and services were temporarily held in the local temperance hall and in homes. The Rev. Risto Lappala’s salary was paid in part by the Department of New Immigrants of the American Unitarian Association. In the fall of 1912, the church building was completed and the church named: Vappa Kristillinen Kirkko—The Liberal Christian Church. Meetings were conducted in the Finnish language, a practice that continued into the 1940s. Most of the 26 founding members were under 30 years of age.

The Finnish American community historically has been deeply divided between the conservative “church Finns” and the radical socialist and communist Finns. Some have understood the northern Minnesota Unitarians churches to be institutions, which bridged the gap between the two extremes. Here was a place for Finns with progressive social intellectual concerns, who also felt a desire for a spiritually oriented community life.

The Rev. Risto Lappala was the first minister of the Virginia church. His wife, Milma, a seminary graduate, also served the church by helping to organize the Sunday school and the Ladies Alliance. She organized the first “mission” of the church, the Alango Unitarian Church, founded in 1916, in a rural area some twenty miles north of Virginia. Risto was also involved in missionary work, making periodic trips to Finnish American communities in Montana and Utah. Risto died in 1923 at the age of 40. At this time, Milma became the minister of both churches and continued to serve the Virginia church until the 1940s.

The Virginia church began to Anglicize in the late 1930s. Attendance and membership records are sketchy, but it appears that attendance averaged 25 to 35 people. Although the group was small, its influence was greater than the numbers would suggest. The program of the Sunday school, the Alliance, the minister’s officiating at weddings and funerals, and the minister’s radio programs greatly increased the number of people reached. There was an active schedule at the church of fundraising and social activities.

In the early 1940s, an English speaking minister was hired, the Rev. Edward Redman. Other ministers following him include the Revs. Berkeley Moore, Kenneth Smith, and Thomas Smith. These ministries were shared with the Duluth and Alango Unitarian Churches.

During the 1960s and 1970s, the church was operated fellowship style, with strong lay leadership provided by Jay Scholtus. The Women’s Alliance continued through these years to provide heavy financial support of the church. In the late 1970s the church again had the services of the Duluth minister, the Rev. Ben Bortin, who led services approximately once a month. The Rev. Carol Hepokoski currently serves the church on a part-time basis. She was ordained there in September 1984 and began serving one year later.

The last several years have seen a renovation of the church building and increased activities within the small congregation. Membership in 1986 is approximately 30. The church membership remains two-thirds Finnish American and it is still possible to hear Finnish spoken in the church parlors, sample Finnish foods during the coffee hour. The congregation looks forward to increasing growth as it looks forward to its 75th anniversary in 1987.

(Author not noted)