History of the Evangelical Free Church
(renamed Heartland Evangelical Free Church in 2018)
Presentation to the Annandale History Club - 2000
by Kermit Lundeen & Gary Partridge

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Annandale Evangelical Free Church traces its beginnings to special meetings held in a temporary tarpaper building called the "Tabernacle."  Evangelist, Rev. Carl Lindberg, came to Annandale around 1915 and had a tabernacle constructed on the Gene Lundeen lot near the beach on Pleasant Lake. 

The tabernacle services were sponsored by members of the Albion Free Church who were concerned about the spiritual welfare of the Annandale community.  Some of those involved were from Annandale, but had been driving to services at the Albion and Crow River Churches in the country.

A charter meeting for the new Annandale Evangelical Free Church was held February 23, 1923, at the home of Alfred and Selma Brown. Rev. Eugene Wernberg led the meeting and Walter Lundeen acted as Secretary.  The charter members present were:  Mr. & Mrs. John Larson, Mr. & Mrs. Alfred Brown, Oscar Brown, Hannah Brown, Mr. & Mrs. Carl Lundeen, and Mr. & Mrs. Walter Brown.

In 1925. Rev. Paul Cassel, who was at that time pastor of the Albion Free Church, was asked to spend half of his time serving the Annandale Church.

The group rented the German Evangelical Reformed Church, a brick building located one block south of Brown's Ice Cream factory.  In 1930, Rev. Paul Nelson came to serve the two churches.  While he was pastor in 1932, the Annandale Church began to rent the property of the Advent Christian Church.  This building along with seating, piano, pulpit and parsonage was purchased in 1946 and later remodeled in 1963. 

During those years, the Annandale and Albion Churches shared a pastor who was housed at the Albion parsonage. Worship services alternated morning in one and evening in the other. A special business meeting was held on August 10, 1943, to discuss starting a full-time work in Annandale. As a result of this meeting, Rev. Wallace Larson was called as the first full-time pastor in Annandale. 

Over the next few decades the church continued to grow.  It saw another remodeling program, several pastors and in the mid-1980s, under the leadership of Pastor George Klippenes, 14 acres of land were purchased just east of town on Highway 55 where a parsonage and new church was built.  The first service in the present location was held on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1988.

In August 1992, Rev. Dennis Johnson began serving as senior pastor.  Pastor Gary Partridge, who grew up in the church, came on staff as the Associate Pastor later that same year.  By the summer of 2002 a large addition including a new sanctuary was completed that tripled the size of the building. 

Multiple ministries have been added over the last several years and besides the two pastors already mentioned, the church also has a full-time Youth Pastor - Cory Shreve, a part-time Visitation Pastor - Art Stenberg and a part-time Children's Ministries Administrator - Susan Fiedler. 

Under the present leadership, the church membership has grown to 290 and the present average Sunday worship attendance to 420.  In 2007 we updated our mission statement to read:  To have a Heart for God, a Love for People and a Hope for the World. 

As we look back over several decades of God's faithfulness, we are deeply thankful for the Godly heritage that is ours here at Annandale Evangelical Free Church.  Our prayer is that God will continue to use our church to reach men, women, boys and girls for Christ as we minister in the 21st century.

Updated:  February 2007