Statement of Mission:

“Serve the Lord; Share God’s Love.”

A Brief History of Siloa:

A daughter of the Salem congregation at Dalbo MN, Siloa was organized May 26, 1891, by a group of thirty Swedish immigrants who had settled in the Maple Ridge community.

By the summer of 1892, a simple wooden frame church building had been built. All of the work was done by members of the congregation.

During the early years of the congregation, services were conducted every third Sunday in the afternoon by the pastor from Salem. Special communion services were held three or four times a year in the mornings.

The pastor, J.P. Leaf, was paid from free will offerings, usually only $30 to $50 a year. In addition he received cords of stovewood donated by members of the congregation for his use at the parsonage at Salem.

By 1901 the church had an organ. The organist received $15 a year plus the proceeds of two offerings. Another staff person in the early years of the church was a janitor. He was responsible for the care of the church building and property. He received 10 to 15 dollars a year plus one or two offerings, and he was allowed to have the hay from the church yard.

The period of 1910 to 1920 saw many improvements in the church building. First a sacristy was added. Then a partial basement was excavated under the church and a furnace was installed. In 1917, the church front with the two entrances, tower and steeple was added. The stained glass windows were also installed at this time.

Whenever improvements in the church were planned, the Church Council would "make a friendly request to the Ladies Aid" for help with funding. There is not evidence that the Ladies ever refused!

Before the annex was built in 1952, all events of the church were held in the sanctuary. Sunday School classes met wherever a corner was available. Having a fellowship hall was a great boon to the church and the Sunday School. Ground was broken for the annex in May and it was able to be used (unfinished) for Confirmation Sunday in July.

A major event for the congregation occurred in 1982 when the councils of both Siloa and Salem felt that each could be better served by having its own minister. Thus a new era began when Pastor Terry Frovik became the first pastor that Siloa had on its own, apart from Salem.

Pastors of Siloa Lutheran Church (shared with Salem): John P. Leif, 1891-1897; Erick J. Peterson, 1897-1901; A.F. Nelson, 1901-1906; J. Albert Johnson, 1907-1923; P.E. Bergstrom, 1923-1933; Herman Soderberg, 1935-1938; Gustav Lund, 1938-1945; Albert Jackson, 1968-1975; Paul Schlauderaff, 1976-1982. Pastors of Siloa alone: Terry Frovik, 1983-1988; Richard Wehrs, 1989-1991; Michael Wittkamper, 1992-1998; M. James Hougen, 2000-2003; David Johnson, 2003-2005, David Beety, 2005 to current.

The purpose of this web site is to (1) inform non-members about who we are and encourage them to come visit us and (2) to provide both members and non-members information about upcoming church events. If you have any suggestions how to better do either of these please contact us.