Battle Lake’s Bethel Lutheran Church Moving Forward After Fire

A group of churchgoers are fundraising to help in the rebuilding effort

BATTLE LAKE, Minn. — The winds of change are blowing hard at Bethel Lutheran church in Battle Lake as the congregation packs the parking lot for Sunday service.

Behind Pastor Todd Hylden lies the charred remains of the century old church on the hill which burned last weekend.

“There were a lot of wonderful memories that went down in flames but it’s an opportunity to grow, it’s an opportunity to think new and fresh,” Hylden said.

While staff wait for insurance estimates on the building, a group of churchgoers are fundraising to help in the rebuilding effort with just over 1 thousand dollars raised in its first day.

“Hopefully with a little less wind we are just going to probably keep doing this, I mean you don’t need a building to worship but I mean it’s the best place you can be out in god’s world and worship right here,” President Of Bethel Lutheran Church Gary Ohren said.

The congregation being offered a helping hand from neighboring congregations volunteering their spaces if needed.

Members of the church say everybody is pitching in to help out.

“We do a lot, the ladies quilt for missions… I don’t know it’s just one big happy family,” Ohren said.

Pastor Hylden says there is a long road ahead but the community is ready for the challenge in bringing a new beacon on the hill.

“It’s hard to see sometimes how deep a person’s faith is until something like this happens and you hear them express it with one another and how important it is that people work together, grow together, learn together, and I think it’s wonderful i’m real proud of this congregation,” Hylden said.

Find the link to the GoFundMe account here.