A three-week series of services conducted by the Revs. E. Isaac and Lyman Brough in 1910 gave birth to First Church of the Nazarene in Minot.
The next spring a group of Nazarenes in Minot rented a hall and had a second series of revival services that lasted for a month. The result: the organization of the church in November 1912.
History compiled for the 100th anniversary celebration of the church tells of a first church being built in 1915 at the corner of Fourth Street and Sixth Avenue Northeast on land donated by Erik Ramstad. The total building cost was $1,200.
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Ground was broken for First Church of the Nazarene, 2500 W. Central Ave., on Aug. 1, 1965. The new church was dedicated on Aug. 21, 1966.
During the next few years several pastors came to serve the congregation, but they only stayed a short time. The Rev. W.M. Brown changed that trend. Under his leadership the church developed lasting stability and began to show consistent growth. When he left in 1941, the church had outgrown the building.
Members searched for a larger building in a more desirable location. They rented an old Lutheran church at Fifth Avenue and Second Street Northeast and used the building for worship until 1945 when a fire destroyed the interior. They then returned to the old building for a time.
The Minot congregation purchased the Nazarene church building in Surrey in 1946 after those members officially disorganized. The building cost $700; another $790 was needed to have it moved to Eighth Avenue and North Main in Minot.
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Celebration activities
The 100th anniversary of First Church of the Nazarene, 2500 W. Central Ave., will be celebrated today and Sunday.
Today's events include a golf tournament at the Velva Golf Course from 9:30 a.m. to noon, Frisbee golf at Polaris Park in north Minot from noon to 1:30 p.m. and an open house at the church from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Bounce houses and games will be available from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the church site with food vendors present from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Classic cars and motorcycles will also be on display during that time. Today's festivities will conclude at 6 p.m. with a concert by McMillian & Life, a duet from Murfreesboro, Tenn.
On Sunday Rev. Jim Kraemer, Prairie Lakes District Church of the Nazarene superintendent, will lead the Sunday school session at 9:30 a.m. Worship will be at 10:45 a.m. with the Rev. Jerry Porter, who is general superintendent of the Church of the Nazarene, as the guest speaker. Relentless Worship Band, from Olathe, Kan., will provide the music.
Many improvements were made to the church properties there and consistent growth was evident. Once again, the church outgrew the building and needed to expand.
Property was purchased at 2500 W. Central Ave., where the church is now located.
The Rev. Sam McKay came to Minot from Decatur, Ill., to direct the building program, using expertise he had gained from supervising the construction of several other Nazarene churches.
McKay said that had it not been for the dedication and hard work of the congregation members, the building would not have been completed just one year after groundbreaking. Groundbreaking ceremonies were held on Aug. 1, 1965, and the new church building was dedicated on Aug. 21, 1966. The total cost of the property and building was approximately $90,000.
The building served the congregation well but once again the need for expansion became reality. Construction of the addition began in 1988 and when completed in 1989 the changes were evident: the new sanctuary, which is still in use today, could seat approximately 300 people; a basement under the sanctuary includes a larger fellowship hall, a new kitchen and more Sunday school space. The old sanctuary was re-designed and now serves as a large foyer with offices and a library.
Pastor Francis Warren, current senior pastor of the church, said Minot First Church of the Nazarene has a rich and strong heritage. The past pastors and lay leaders worked hard to bring the church to the point where it is today, he added.
He said, "We all know that times change. We know that methods of doing ministry change. It is very important for us to always remember that the God we serve does not change. He is the same yesterday, today and forever."