The imposing stone edifice of Central Lutheran Church stands at the southern edge of beautiful downtown Minneapolis. The church began when a group of Norwegian-American laymen came together to fill the need for a Norwegian Lutheran presence in the heart of the city. After victory came in World War I, the founders decided that the future of the church lay in an English speaking American Lutheranism. They founded Central in 1919 and began holding American Lutheran Common Services in the old Central Baptist Church they rented at Grant Street and 4th Avenue South. Back then, most of the congregations in the Norwegian American Lutheran Church held services in the language of the old country. During his first year, Central’s first pastor, J.A.O. Stub, grew his congregation from 12 families to over 200. The new church grew quickly and in 1926, the cornerstone for the present building was laid. Central Lutheran’s new building was dedicated in 1928. The church just kept growing. When the 1950’s came along, the downtown Lutheran Church had 5,000 members. 
