History
Building Faith Since 1884
If there were a dictionary description of St Peder’s, it would most likely start with “The happy Danes.” Since 1884, St Peder’s has had a strong Lutheran presence in south Minneapolis, moving to our current location near the Mississippi River Parkway in 1961. Begun by Danish seminary students, this congregation’s roots are in the Grundtvig tradition – and still cherishes some long-time activities that celebrate our heritage, such as gathering for a breakfast of Danish pancakes (Æbelskiver Sunday) or singing around the Christmas tree in December. Originally, and still to some degree, the congregation is influenced by these principles of Grundtvig’s philosophy: affirming life and rejoicing in creation, respecting the world and caring for it because we are part of nature, claiming the beauty and goodness of ordinary life and the integrity of working with one’s own hands, and engaging in lifelong learning and education (not just biblical learning, but engaging in the world).
Proud of Where We've Been and Where We Are Going
There are several families with third generation presence who remain active in this small but socially engaged congregation. Also drawing from the immediate neighborhood and the southern metro area, this is a congregation that is very proud of where we have been and more importantly, where we can go. Our strong sense of community welcomes all to be a part of their mission and ministry – and our commitment to financially supporting ministries other than our own is a long-standing tradition some of which is made possible through an endowment fund initiated in 1984. In 1999, St Peder’s adopted it’s current mission statement and chose to become a Reconciling in Christ (RIC) congregation, thus affirming our commitment to be a community of faith that indeed serves with “open hearts, open hands, and open doors.”
