Where we began

Our History

Brief History of Bethany Lutheran Church

1921-1953

1921-1953

In the late 1890’s and early 1900’s pastors came from nearby congregations by horse and buggy and later Model T Ford to conduct services for a handful of Lutheran families of German ancestry. The earliest known confirmation class began in 1915 by Reverend Theodore Rottman, pastor of Zion Lutheran in Bennington. In the Spring of 1921, Reverend F.W. Seesko, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran in Benson, conducted confirmation class and services in both English and German at the Knights of Pythian Hall on Main Street in downtown Elkhorn.

On September 14,1925, the families held a meeting for the purpose of incorporation of the small congregation to become a church. Authorization was given to purchase the Methodist Episcopal church at 248 Main Street for the sum of $1000.
Until 1928, the Bethany congregation was considered a Mission Station of the Missouri Synod. In 1929, Reverend Seesko, Bethany Lutheran, and Immanuel Lutheran withdrew their memberships in the Missouri Lutheran Synod and applied for membership in the Iowa Synod and were accepted. In 1930 the Iowa Synod merged with the Ohio and Buffalo Synods to form the American Lutheran Church.

In 1933, Reverend William Hummel was called to become the first full time pastor of the congregation. He was installed in 1934 and the congregation was officially accepted into the Central District of the American Lutheran Church. In 1938 Reverend Hummel accepted a call to Gothenburg, Nebraska and Reverend Reinhold Beckman was installed as Pastor until he was called to Gothenburg in 1948.
Reverend S Hafferman was installed as pastor and a site at 832 State Street was purchased for the construction of a new church building in 1948. In 1953, Reverend Hafferman accepted a call to Fort Collins, Colorado. Reverend T.E. Schroeder was installed in 1954 and ground was broken the same year for a new church. The corner stone was laid in 1955 and the new building was dedicated on Bethany’s 30th Anniversary. In 1959 Reverend Schroeder accepted a call to Tinley Park, Illinois and Reverend Walter K. Schmidt was installed the same year.

The American Lutheran Church, the United Evangelical Lutheran Church, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church all united to form The American Lutheran Church in 1960.

1975-1998 

1975-1998 

In 1975, women were elected to the church council for the first time and girls began serving with boys as acolytes. Additionally, youth were allowed to participate in Holy Communion prior to completing confirmation class. In 1980 Reverend Schmidt accepted a call to Newman Grove, Nebraska and Reverend Ray Meyers took on the duties of Interim Pastor until Reverend Larry Arganbright was installed in 1981.

Reverend Daphne Hamborg was installed in 1982 and remained till 1987 as Bethany’s first female Associate Pastor. That same year a clergy couple, Mark and Wenda Fry were ordained and installed at Bethany to serve alongside Reverend Arganbright as pastors at Bethany.

In 1988 the American Lutheran Church merged with the Lutheran Church in America to form the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.

After purchasing 16 acres northeast of the Elkhorn water tower, plans began in 1993 to once again build a larger building for the growing congregation. The newest church was dedicated in 1996 along with a Remembrance Service of Thanksgiving for the many years the church was located at 832 State Street. Two years later in 1998, Pastor Larry accepted a call to Sheridan Lutheran in Lincoln, Nebraska. 

1999-present 

1999-present 

Following Pastor Arganbright’s departure, Pastor Mark Fry took over as lead pastor and Wenda Fry served as a part-time pastor. In the summer of 2000, Pastor Kristen Skaff joined the pastoral team as an associate pastor, and began serving at Bethany but departed the same year.

We celebrated our 75th Anniversary in 2000. Architects were included in the celebration to answer questions about Bethany’s second building phase which would double the size of the sanctuary, add an education center, and add a family life center. Ground was broken for the project in 2001. The family life center and education center were completed first, followed by the worship center in 2004.

In November of 2009, Pastors Mark and Wenda Fry were given a two month leave of absence. Former Bishop Dennis Anderson served as interim pastor accompanied by Vicar Lowell Nelson. Mark and Wenda offered their resignations in May of 2010 and Pastor Anderson became interim pastor until a permanent lead pastor could be called. A special congregational meeting was held in October of 2010 to extend a Call to Pastor Larry Arganbright to return as lead pastor at Bethany. He was installed in December of the same year. 

In 2011, a call committee was formed to call a pastor to assist lead Pastor Larry. Pastor John Eggen was installed on May 22, 2011. Gena Maria Koeberl from Minnesota came to Bethany as an associate pastor in September 2015. Shortly after her arrival it was decided that both Pastor Larry and Pastor Jon would be co-lead pastors.
In January of 2016, Pastor Larry was diagnosed with a non-survivable illness and became Pastor Emeritus. That same year, Pastor Eggen resigned his position at Bethany and Pastor Jon Bustard was called from Dallas, Texas in August of 2016. With the congregation growing in size, another call was made in the fall of 2019, for an associate pastor to help Pastor Bustard.

Pastor Liz Dieseth Pearl arrived in the fall of 2019 from South Dakota and was installed in October of the same year as an associate pastor and continues to serve at Bethany today.