Saint James Lutheran Church (Golden Valley, North Dakota) Records

Record Group

Identifier: Collection ID-1738

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Official Acts - Saint Jacobis (Sofia, North Dakota) and Saint James (Golden Valley, North Dakota)

Baptisms 1900-2011
Confirmations 1910-2007
Marriages 1907-2007
Deaths 1908-2021
History file folder inside this volume

Volume 2 - Meeting Minutes 1912-1989
Volume 3 - Voters' Meeting Minutes 1990-2008

Dates

Creation: 1900 - 2021

Biographical / Historical

When the first German Russian immigrants began homesteading the Sofia area of Mercer County, North Dakota, though they had their German Bibles, prayer books, and hymnals for family worship, they felt the need for worshiping and working together with the larger fellowship of Christian believers in that community. The first worship services took place in homes and a sheep shed. The nearest pastor was Rev. Matthias of Hannover, North Dakota, who served the congregation in 1904-1905 before the church was formally organized. Two other pastors served this group: Rev. J. Duerr in 1905-1906 and Rev. W. Schmook in 1906-1908. The people who organized Saint Jacobis, Sofia (later Saint James) were Lutherans who settled about 9 miles northeast of present day Golden Valley. The congregation was chartered on February 18, 1907. Saint Jacobis built a church in 1910. The cornerstone was laid on May 29 and dedication took place on August 7, 1910. In 1924, this congregation and the neighboring congregation of Neusatz formed a parish. Saint Paul Lutheran Church (Halliday, North Dakota) and Saint James formed a dual parish in 1940. The church building was moved to Golden Valley in 1946. In 1993, a three-point parish was formed with Saint James, Golden Valley, Saint Paul, Halliday, and Saint Luke, Zap. The Tri-parish was dissolved in 1997 when Saint Luke, Zap closed. When Saint James, Halliday closed in 2002, many members became members of Saint James, Golden Valley. Saint James celebrated their 90th anniversary on October 5, 1997, 95th on July 28, 2002, and their 100th on September 23, 2007. This congregation closed in 2021.