Trinity Lutheran Church began as a congregation when a small group of Norwegian-American families began worshipping together in each other’s homes. In 1919, the church was formally organized under its present name, as a member of the synod called the Evangelical Lutheran Church.

The earliest years were ones of both growth and struggle as the new congregation gathered without either a permanent home or a full-time resident pastor. Serving trinity in these early years were the Rev. C.M. Paulson, Rev. J.A. Johnson, A.J. Towe, Rev. J.O. Valtinson, and Rev. A.L. Lawrence. Viking Hall, member’s homes and the American Steel Co. Were only a few of the temporary places of worship. For nine years the congregation met at the Swedish Baptist Church at Grove and South Ninth Streets.

Finally, in January 1941, the present church lot was purchased. The house then standing on the lot was moved next door to be used as a parsonage. Ground was broken for the congregation’s own building in June. After the cornerstone was laid on August 3, the first services were held in the new church basement on October 5.

Through the years, there have been five sons of member families in the ministry. Wayne Henderson, Martin Ford, Kenneth West, Jim Lindus and Andrew Kaye. Another congregation family, Sigurd and Florence Larson, served as missionaries in Cameroon, Africa. The first Native American pastor of the American Lutheran Chruch, the new synod incorporating the former ELC, was Bruce Miller. He was ordained at Trinity in 1972 by Pastor Sven. L. Thompson.

As the congregation’s needs grew, changes were made. A new parsonage was purchased in 1968, and the former one was razed. To allow for parking and future expansion, property south of the church was acquired. By 1987 it was clear that the present facility needed to be expanded. Construction on a new addition began in 1988, with a pledge drive netting over $100,000 of the $265,667.12 total cost. In only 3.5 years, the project was fully paid, and the congregation celebrated at the mortgage-burning ceremony on June 27, 1993. In July of 2003, the ground was broken on the newest addition to Trinity, the Fellowship Hall, with the dedication occurring on September 12th, 2004.