Swedona Evangelical Covenant Church
More than A Century of Worship
In the fields of Minnehaha County, the Swedona Evangelical Covenant Church is an enduring landmark that preserves the faith and the local culture of the Swedish immigrants who built it almost 150 years ago.
The Swedona Evangelical Covenant Church today stands as a perennial representation of South Dakota’s immigrant and religious past. Founded and organized by Pastor John E. Wretlof in April 9, 1877, the church emerged for the Swedish immigrant community which sought to continue their religious traditions and preserve their cultural identity. The Swedona Church also exemplifies patterns of immigration of people of Scandinavian origin, especially the Swedes. The church’s local origins began when a group of people from Sweden in the mid 1870s organized and gathered in Lockport, Illinois, and sent N.J. Ronlund to inspect farmland in Minnehaha County. Later, upon Ronlund’s favorable feedback about the land, 33 people left Illinois and claimed homesteads. These people later pushed for having their own church. Henceforth, the Swedona Evangelical Covenant Church was built and a Lutheran congregation was established.
Throughout its history, the Swedona Church has served as more than a place of worship and reverence, it has also acted as a social and civic center where people gathered for mutual support. This was–and arguably still is–particularly important in rural South Dakota where regional isolation makes institutions like the Swedona Church crucial for social life. Moreover, the significance of the church to its community was highlighted during its centennial celebration in 1977. The church celebrated its centennial by organizing a banquet at Walt & Mary Restaurant, featuring Rev. Carl H. Johnson as a guest speaker and Dr. Milton B. Engebretson, who was the president of the Evangelical Covenant Church of America as a guest in the Sunday school and worship service. Comparably, its 140th anniversary in 2017 further demonstrated the church’s enduring legacy and its importance to the local community. A picture of descendants of Swedona Covenant Church’s founding members was shared on the website and for the anniversary, stories and memories were shared and the worship service featured a guest speaker from the Evangelical Covenant Church.
The ethnic profile of South Dakota was changing at the turn of the century. The 1900 census reveals that almost twenty thousand residents of South Dakota had been born in Norway compared to almost nine thousand being born in Sweden. Most of the Swedes immigrated to South Dakota largely due to the 1862 Homestead Act which allowed them to secure land practically free. Over time, the impact of these immigrants has transcended beyond religion, they and their posterity have contributed to agricultural development, they have helped in developing the local economy and lastly, they have made South Dakota culturally more diverse by being one of the Scandinavian groups (besides Norwegian and Danish) to emigrate to South Dakota.
Regardless of the changes in religious participation and the rural population, Swedona Evangelical Covenant Church still remains influential among its community today. A historical marker was dedicated to the church in 2009 which solemnized its founding and its important role in the community. In addition, Dakota News Now and its 2024 coverage of the church is proof that the church holds its place in the region as a religious and historical landmark.
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