The Danish Baptist church was organized April 1, 1895, and its first pastor was the Rev. A. Charlsen. They have had six pastors and have now 17 members. Their church was built in 1899 and is valued at $700.00.
The first church organized in the last decade was the Second Christian church which grew out of a Bible school organized in 1901 and has a membership of 125 and has been served by three pastors. They have property valued at $5,000.00.
The Olivet Presbyterian church came into existence on May 15, 1904. Its first and only pastor is the Rev. C. F. Ensign. They have today 160 members, a church property erected in 1904, and valued at $8,000.00.
The Dunker church has been in existence for several years, but was not formerly organized until 1905 under the present pastor, Dr. S. B. Miller. They have been served by five pastors, have a church property valued at $4,000.00 and have thirty members.
The Reformed church came into formal existence March 29, 1906. The pastor is the Rev. Frank S. Bromer. Services were held for about a year before this organization by the Rev. Rohrbach. They have now twenty-nine members and are building a new church. The present value of their property is estimated to be $2,900.00. At the completion of this new church their property will be worth $6,300.00.
Fifty years ago this town had about 1,500 people. Of these 386 were members of the six churches, one in four. Today, with a population of 30,000, the thirty-three churches report 10,286 members. With five and one-half times as many churches and five times as many ministers we have twenty-seven times as many members.
The city has twenty times its former population, and the churches have twenty-seven times their former membership.
The total value of the church property today, exclusive of schools and outside property, is above $750,000.
All of this goes to show that the churches are very much alive and are among the most progressive institutions in the city.
Two hundred and forty ministers have served these churches since the beginning of their history.