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Manfred Adventist Church Dedicated

Posted on Aug 19, 2010

Manfred Adventist Church Dedicated 

The Manfred Seventh-day Adventist Church was dedicated debt free on July 31, during a special day of celebration.

Organized in 1894, it is one of the oldest Adventist Churches in the Dakotas. With a present membership of around 65, the church has paid off an indebtedness of approximately $196,000 which included a new sanctuary built to the west of the old church building, as well as a remodeling project which turned the old church building into classrooms, a library, a mothers’ room and storage space. The church is located about five miles south of Manfred.

During church services, special emphasis was given to the history of the church. Beginning as a sod house, white-washed to make it more presentable, the church began with about 20 charter members. Membership quickly grew to approximately 75 and has maintained that number, more or less, through the years.

Interviews with some older members brought back memories of the days when people came to church in a wagon, often with a stove inside, and horses were kept in a barn to the back of the church. Each family supplied its own feed according to Art Fisher, who has been going to church at Manfred over the past 90 years. Flowers were given to Art and two other long time members of the church, Lillian Hirschkorn, 99, of Fessenden, and Genevieve Keson, 95, of Harvey.

Special guests included the Dakota Conference of Seventh-day Adventist Administrators, Neil Biloff, Conference President; Larry Priest, Conference Secretary; and Arlo Heinrich, the treasurer of the Conference.

Pastor Biloff gave the dedicatory sermon and Pastor Priest taught the morning lesson and had the dedicatory prayer. Special music was presented by Arlo Heinrich and the Manfred Trio of Darleen Miller, Nellie Deede and Ellen Kreiter.

Other guests included Pastor Fred Westerhold, Faith Lutheran Church in Harvey. He is president of the Central Dakota Ministerial Alliance. Another special guest was Kevin Roller, mayor of Fessenden.

Tom Deede, a local elder of the church and the chairman of the building committee, encouraged the church to “Develop a vision for the future of the Manfred Adventist Church.”

By Wayne Easley