History

The following is excerpted from a publication created in 1986 for the church’s 85th anniversary.

 

Wide, varied and far-reaching are the global ministries of the Philadelphia Church of Seattle, Washington, which have made an impact not just limited to the Ballard community or the metropolitan area of Seattle, but around the world. Such a ministry, as one well knows, does not transpire in a day or even a year, but rather over a period of many years of praying, preaching, and giving.

 

Our story started over eighty-five years ago [from 1986] when, in 1901, a Norwegian lay-minister and his family who had recently migrated to Ballard, Washington, from Wisconsin, invited some friends to their humble home to pray for the Gospel evangelization of the world. Little did these few folk realize that out of this obscure beginning would evolve a great missionary church which would touch the four corners of the world for Christ.

The late 1800’s saw much hardship come to the Scandinavian lands and to its people. The economic situation was bleak during those difficult days; but a bright ray of hope appeared on the horizon. America seemed to beckon those of other lands with promises of financial prosperity and fruitfulness - a new opportunity for success. read more »

 

Pastors of Phildadelphia Church

Derek W. Forseth | 2007 - Present

David J. Ogren | 1996 - 2007

Robert Anderson (Interim) | 1996

Paul B. Zettersten | 1977 - 1996

Roy C. Johnson | 1947 - 1977

C. Albert Moseid | 1939 - 1947

Martin J. Hagli | 1937 - 1939

B.M. Johnson (Interim) | 1936 - 1937

Carl Anderson (Interim) | 1936

Arvid Ohrnell | 1933 - 1936

Arthur F. Johnson | 1930 - 1933

John Pearson (Interim) | 1929 - 1930

Ernest Nilsson | 1925 - 1929

E.W. Olson (Interim) | 1925

Karl G. Stolsen | 1922 - 1925

Einar J. Holm (Interim) | 1920 - 1921

Tobias E. Tonnesen (Elder in Charge) | 1901 - 1919

 

Museum

This is one of the first business meeting notes of the then Jones Avenue Mission, now Philadelphia Church, dated January 14, 1907.		This is the expense account dated January 1915. Electricity was cheap then!
For years the issue of whether to conduct Sunday services in English or Scandinavian was debated. It was finally brought for a vote in a business meeting from 1938. The note reads, "The Church then proceeded with the vote on the language question and 71 voted for Scandinavian as at present, and 54 voted for English."