Jim’s Introduction
Thus far I have shared material about Opa’s paternal side of our family, the Odens. That’s only ¼ of our heritage, if we view it from the vantage point of Opa and Oma’s families. There is also the Block heritage on Opa’s side, as well as the Toews (paternal) and Franz (maternal) heritages on Oma’s side. That makes for a lot of history, which is helpful to me as far as providing much material for this blog! So today I will share with you some background to Oma’s side of the family.
I have had the experience of attending Sunday worship services fairly often in the Christian Missionary Alliance Church of Mountain Lake, Minnesota. That’s where Uncle Glen and Aunt Luella Carlblom were members and in which cousins Doyle, Torrey, Rollin, LuAnn and Brian were raised. So every summer I spent a couple of weeks with my cousins, I would attend church with them. I also attended church there when staying with Grandpa and Grandma Toews, whose in-town house was across the street from the church building.
My more vivid memories of the church are not actually of the Sunday services I attended, but rather of the funerals I have attended there—especially the funerals of Grandpa and Grandma Toews. Grandma’s funeral was a particularly momentous day for me. Not only was it held on my 24th birthday, but it was also the day we learned that we were expecting our first child! The cycle of life under the providential sovereignty of God was strongly impressed on me that day.
The CMA church of Mountain Lake is also where Oma started attending with her parents after they trusted Christ when she was about 12-13 years of age. It is in connection with this church that Oma was baptized as a new believer and that she participated in many youth activities as a teenager.
That’s why the following account is of much interest to me, and I trust to you as well. It tells of a “great revival” which took place in Mountain Lake just a few months before Oma was born in 1920. It also gives background to the start of the Mountain Lake Alliance Church, which has been so instrumental in the lives of the Toews side of our family.
The writer of the account is not part of our family. I don’t know of any participation by our ancestors in the events described here. It is quite doubtful that great-grandpa and great-grandma Toews or great-grandpa and great-grandma Franz had anything to do with the events described here, for as Oma put it, “Mennonites do not go to such things!” It was some 12-13 years after 1920 that Grandpa and Grandma Toews came to personally trust Christ through the ministry of some Alliance preachers and proceeded to leave their Mennonite church to attend the Alliance church.
There are some obvious doctrinal differences between what I know and believe God’s Word teaches and what is reflected in the account that follows. I am not going to address those differences here, since this is a genealogy blog rather than a theological forum. However, at the same time I will gladly express my gratitude to the Lord for the fact that His gospel is His power unto salvation to everyone who repents & trusts in Jesus Christ—even if they may not have the most accurate understanding of some Biblical teachings.
One final comment before the actual account of what happened in Mountain Lake in 1920: mention is made in the article of St. Paul Bible Institute. Opa and Oma are both graduates of SPBI, which was later called St. Paul Bible College and is now known as Crown College and located in St. Bonifacius, Minnesota.
The Great Revival of 1920 in Mountain Lake, Minnesota
(The following report was given by Rev. J. A. Schmidt, at the North Florida Ministerial meeting in Deland, Florida, March 12th, 1968. After the meeting, a request was made by a number of ministers present, to have this put in print. Hence this report.)
In February, 1915, my brother Paul came to visit us in Mountain Lake and held some meetings in the then vacant M. E. Church. About 15 were definitely saved, I among them. Before he left, he organized a prayer group and asked me to be the leader. We met in the various homes each week for five years, praying for revival. From 10-20 and more at times, met in the various homes open to us. Then in July, 1920, God met us in an unexpected outpouring of the Holy Spirit. We expected God to work, but not quite in such a community-shaking revival. Two reasons may be given to account for this revival: first, The Mennonites are a religious people and many, perhaps most of them, had family worship in their homes and were faithful in attendance in Sunday School and Church. Second: the undenominational prayer group that had been praying for almost five years for revival.
Wife and I were married in September, 1919, and a few days later went to St. Paul Bible School. Toward spring of 1920 we became burdened for our home town and felt that we should do something about it. We talked about it to one of our instructors, Rev. Joseph Hogue, and he agreed to come as the evangelist. Our District Superintendent, Rev. J. D. Williams, agreed to send a tent and some canvas seats. After school closed, we went back to Mountain Lake. Several Christians asked me if we could not do something about the poor spiritual condition of our town. I assured them that I was arranging for some tent meetings but asked them to keep it quiet to prevent advance opposition from developing.
The tent was erected in the city park on Saturday, July 17th, in the middle of harvest. I borrowed the organ and pulpit from the vacant M. E. Church. Rev. Hogue came on Sunday afternoon on the 2:45 p.m. train. The first meeting was scheduled for 3 p.m. The tent was filled for the first service and also that night. It was overflowing every night for the next two weeks with 1500-2000 people in the park for every meeting. I had no experience in leading singing or conducting a meeting, but in spite of this, God worked.
On Tuesday night Rev. Hogue preached on the Spirit-filled life. The 32-foot plank altar was filled with Christians seeking to be filled with the Spirit. God did not disappoint them either. Included among those filled with the Spirit was the editor of the two local papers (one a German weekly). It changed the editor, his editorials and also the content of the paper. I know because I worked in this printing office later and saw stacks of electrotypes of the American Tobacco Company, worth many hundreds of dollars in advertising space, which he refused to run. People from out of state wrote to inquire what had happened to him.
Mr. W. J. Toews, the editor, translated Dr. Simpson’s “Gospel of Healing” into the German language and ran it serially in the weekly German paper.
At the tent, the 32-foot altar was filled every night and sometimes twice, with penitents. One night the message appealed specially to children. After the close of the meeting there were puddles of tears at regular intervals on the altar,
It rained three or four times during these two weeks, but never to interfere with the meetings nor the harvest. The rain came after midnight or before 5 a. m., so the fields were dry by the time farmers went into them to cut grain. The tent was a leaky one and since it did not look like rain when we left the meeting, we did not cover the organ. As a result the organ got wet and I went to the tent early in the morning and pulled out the valves and laid them outside in the sun to dry. Then in the afternoon I would replace them and the organ was ready for the evening.
All churches were closed for the next two Sunday nights and cooperated in a measure by furnishing special singing.
On the first Saturday afternoon, a request came to visit a certain Mrs. Richert in the hospital. The Richerts used to live in our neighborhood in South Dakota where I was born. But they had moved to Richey, Montana, where they were farming. Mrs. Richert had gone back to South Dakota to visit. On the way home, 3 coaches of the train on which she was riding tumbled into the Missouri river when going over a burning bridge. She was among those injured. Her spinal cord seemed to be severed as she had no sensation in her legs. Since the accident happened on the railroad, the railroad physicians did their best for her but without success. She heard of a bone-specialist in Mountain Lake by the name of Dr. H. A. Wall. Without writing him, she was brought on a stretcher to Mountain Lake and placed in the hospital. After examining her, Dr. Wall told her that he could not help her. But she begged him to give her some treatments. After three months she was able to sit up. But when she was taken to a church on a wheel chair, the jarring of the wheel chair on the sidewalk destroyed what Dr. Wall had done. In the forenoon of this Saturday, the railroad Claim Agent and Dr. Wall had visited her in the hospital. After examination they both stepped into the hall and the Claim Agent asked Dr, Wall if there was any hope for her. Dr. Wall said, “She’ll never be able to walk without crutches.” She overheard this and began to pray. One of her nurses, Sister Martha, had told her about the meetings and remarked “Those folks in the tent preach sanctification.” Mrs. Richert was interested. Her pastor in Montana, Rev. J. M. Franz, had also preached the deeper life but she had never obeyed the Lord in being filled with the Holy Spirit. She asked Sister Martha to ask us to come to see her. This request came to us too late on Saturday afternoon to visit her that day. Sunday we had three meetings, as Rev. Hogue had been asked to speak in one of the local churches in the morning. On Monday afternoon we went to the hospital. Rev. Hogue could not understand German and she could not speak English very well, so I interpreted for both. She asked to be filled with the Spirit. No request was made for her healing. So after Rev. Hogue had explained sanctification to her, he prayed, and then I prayed. After my wife had prayed, Mrs. Richert prayed, ending her prayer with “And, Lord, if it’s your will, let me walk.” She raised up in bed and asked “Can I walk?” Rev. Hogue told her, “You can if you want to; but you don’t have to lug your bed after you like the man healed of the palsy.” (Remember, none of us knew of her relapse, so we did not know God had healed her and consequently did not encourage her to walk). We left the room and a few minutes later, just having left another room where we had prayed for a sick man. Sister Martha came running through the hall exclaiming “Mrs. Richert walks; Mrs. Richert walks.” There she came down the hall walking, all alone. The hospital called Dr. W. A. Piper (who had also ministered to her), saying, “Dr. Piper, a miracle has happened.” “Has Mrs. Richert been healed?” asked Dr. Piper. “I’ll be right over.” (Dr. Wall, the bone-specialist, had left for Montana that morning, so was not available). Dr. Piper came and gave her a ride in his car. Dr. Sogge, the County Coroner from Windom, was called. The physicians examined her thoroughly and pronounced it “an act of God.” Mrs. Richert walked to the tent that night and gave her testimony before 2000 people.
On Saturday after she had overheard the verdict of Dr. Wall saying there was no hope for her, she wrote her husband about it. But Monday noon she told Sister Martha, “A miracle is going to happen in the hospital today.” She had heard from heaven; she had prayed through. In describing her experience she said “It was as if something struck me on the head and went all through my body.” Not only was she healed of her injury but a stomach disorder of nine years’ standing was also cured. She said she felt like a 16-year-old girl.
After she was healed she wired her husband, “Come and get me; I have been healed.” On Tuesday morning, on his way to take the train, he stopped at the mail box and found the letter she had written Saturday stating that there was no hope. However, he figured the telegram was
dated later and must be the truth. When he arrived in Mountain Lake and they saw each other in the hospital, they embraced and wept like children. Could anyone blame them? This miracle brought persecution and opposition, but God kept on working nevertheless.
Rev. Hogue had to leave on Tuesday to keep an appointment for meetings in Lima, Ohio, so Rev. Williams, our District Superintendent, sent Rev. J. A. Peterson and Rev. E. C. Swanson, both evangelists in the district, to preach each night till he, Mrs. Williams and Miss Sallie Botham, missionary to Africa, could come. On Sunday afternoon Miss Botham spoke under the anointing of the Holy Spirit with the result that the altar was filled with young people dedicating themselves to the Lord for full time service. In spite of a change in speakers, God continued to work night after night.
A conservative estimate is that 350 people were saved during the two weeks of meetings. The revival marked these young people. There was a spiritual wholesomeness and vigor about them that was unique. They were bold to witness for the Lord, specially in High School.
Money was no problem. We took offerings at each service, without pressure or begging. All bills were paid and workers were well paid and we had $15 to start an Alliance Branch.
The new converts asked for weekly meetings. Since no auditorium was available, we met every Friday night on the lawn of Mr. and Mrs. P. P. Heide. He rolled out his organ onto the back porch, which also served as a speaker’s platform. Speakers for these outdoor
meetings were visiting preachers who happened to be in town and also some local pastors. How these young people could sing and testify, for the audience was composed mostly of young people.
Only three local churches made conversion a condition of church membership. But ALL the local Mennonite Churches received these converts into membership without the customary Catechetical instruction. Thus was recognized a genuine work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of the converts. All Mennonite churches had an additional baptismal service and reception of new members and one church had two additional baptismal services with reception of new members that summer.
Before we left for our second year at St. Paul Bible Institute, we rented the Woodmen Lodge Hall, where weekly meetings were held. The Friday night meeting was discontinued and a meeting was scheduled on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. This was done to accommodate the speakers, who were mainly teachers and preachers from the St. Paul Bible Institute.
The High School young people organized their own prayer meeting. A little later the young people in the stores and shops also organized their own prayer meeting, which met on Friday nights. The older people and children met for the regular mid-week prayer meeting on Wednesday night. The children separated for their own prayer meeting after a brief Bible message. Thus we had four prayer meetings each week.
We came home for Christmas and right after Christmas Rev. Hogue came for meetings, which were held in the Lodge Hall. The Hall was packed to the door every night. Christians were helped and some souls were saved.
During the Spring of 1921, the Bosworth Brothers held a meeting in St. Paul, in the Alliance Tabernacle at Midway. Some of the men from Mountain Lake, interested in the Alliance Work attended the meeting. They took note of the Tabernacle, as to size, shape and type of construction. When we came back to Mountain Lake after graduation some weeks later, these men called a meeting to consider a building program. They met in our apartment. The future of the work was discussed and it was decided to erect a tabernacle 99 x 120 feet and to enlist the cooperation of the local churches so there would be a large auditorium which all the churches could use. But the churches did not cooperate, so, in spite of this, it was decided to proceed with the building. Since our contract with the Woodmen Lodge expired April 1st, 1921, the services were transferred to the driveway of the Adams Lumber Yard, through the kindness of its manager, A. A. Klassen. This involved extra preparation for each service, before and after the meeting, but plenty of help was always on hand.
On June 14th, 1921, a call was made through the local paper for 50 volunteers, 25 of whom should be familiar with carpenter’s tools. By July 2nd the Tabernacle was far enough along lo be used for meetings. Rev. Hogue preached for two weeks, but the crowds were not as large as the year before in the tent. Nevertheless, the Christians were built up in the faith and some souls were saved. On August 6th, 1921, Rev. J. D. Williams, the District Superintendent, came to organize the work. In 1937 the Tabernacle was dismantled and a church building erected on the same site. In 1965 a beautiful modern church building was built just to the west of the church, incorporating the first church building.
Mountain Lake has always been a fruitful place as far as Christian workers are concerned. From 1870, when the town was settled by the Mennonites, till 1920, 100 men and women entered the ministry, an average of two a year. But in the next 40 years, from 1920-1960, there were 250 who entered the ministry, an average of 6½ a year. This is not an estimate, as I have the names of all who entered the ministry from the community. The first 25 years of the Alliance Church in Mountain Lake, 40 young people entered the ministry. The church has had students in the St. Paul Bible Institute (now St. Paul Bible College) every year for 48 years. One year as many as 13 attended.
Among the outstanding events during the history of the church are the following: on June 15th, 1922, Rev. Paul Rader, accompanied by Lance Lathan, pianist, preached two stirring sermons in the afternoon and evening. The Tabernacle was filled with people who had come as far as 60-75 miles. Rev. J. D. Williams accompanied them. Three days later, Rev, and Mrs. Luke Rader began a two-week meeting. It was a wonderful time of refreshing for young and old believers, and the Lord saved many souls.
June 13-18, 1933, Dr. R. R. Brown held a profitable meeting. The attendance was larger than during the Rader meetings and the churches of the community cooperated. The last service on Sunday, drew a crowd of 3000 people, so that loud speakers had to be used so those on the outside could hear. A large number of souls were dealt with in the basement auditorium under the platform. This auditorium under the platform had been readied in 1921, where the meetings were held until the first church was built.
The pastors that have served the church from its inception to the present day are: J. A. Schmidt, Ezra Gerig, John J. Penner, Harry Nelson, Otto Simon, F. L. Fradenburgh, C. D. Tieszen, W. W. Carr, J. H. Rostad, Bernard S. King, Ralph S. Yeats, Irving Malm and the present pastor (1968), Floyd A. Sheppard.
Converts of this meeting and those saved subsequently are to be found in most of our mission fields. Others are pastors and teachers in our Bible Schools. Still others are busy for the Lord in other denominations.
We give God all the glory, for it was He that worked through His Spirit and brought about this awakening.
J. A. Schmidt