Every so often, we encounter stories that revive our deadening spirits and remind us that the fire of the Holy Spirit is roaring just as vibrantly today as it was in the first century church. The gospel does not begin with nostalgic sentiments like “Once upon a time,” or “There once lived…” because the good news is still being written and lived out just as it was thousands of years ago.
One of these particular chapters takes place in East Chain, a tiny village nestled into the southern edge of Minnesota. There are probably 35 inhabitants, and at present, almost no stores. A few miles down the road one can find the East Chain Lutheran Church, a picturesque countryside church with a parsonage. Swedish immigrants founded it in 1886, and although today as farms become larger and country church congregations grow smaller, in the 1930’s the attendance was around 250 members.
In the aftermath of a pastor leaving due to some trouble, two women of the church began praying furiously for a new pastor and a revival in the community. They set aside time every morning at 10:00 a.m. to bring these matters before the Lord in prayer. In 1937 God delivered an answer in the form of a man named Arthur Gustafson.
Retired WMPL missionary John Johnson, born and raised in East Chain, reflects on the initial reactions of the congregation: “As pastor he began to visit the membership and started with the deacons in the church, including an uncle of mine…”
Pastor Gustafson knew there was much to pray for and many hearts to be transformed. His messages were widely admired and the church embraced the surge of members. During the weeks, he would invite evangelists and other pastors for weeklong meetings, and people from surrounding communities flocked to hear what was being shared. Gustafson launched a series of Bible studies, weekly prayer meetings, and Sunday evening services. Church became a way of living, not merely a building to occupy on Sunday mornings. One by one, people were moved to genuine repentance.
During those years, a great spiritual movement began spreading in the Lutheran church throughout the Midwest. World Mission Prayer League was emerging, and Paul Lindell and other missionary candidates were traveling around visiting churches, including East Chain. Gustafson challenged the congregation to pray that 25 young people would be called into full-time work in the church and overseas.
“So we began to pray, and God began to call out laborers,” John said. “The first two were Ruben Pedersen and his fiancée, Twilah Pilcher. He went on to seminary and then spent his whole life as a missionary in Tanzania. His first wife passed away in childbirth there.”
The youth began rising up, intensely studying the Word and compelled by the Great Commission. Some went to seminary, while others, like John and his wife Audrey, went to countries like Ecuador and Mexico.
Meanwhile, God began moving in people’s lives to help support the missionaries: “I remember one of our neighbors whose name was Anton Peterson. He was a Norwegian who spoke rather broken English, but the Spirit of God did a marvelous work in his life and he committed his life to Christ. One Sunday a missionary spoke, and Anton felt God was telling him to support this missionary. So he prayed about it and began to support Ray Rosales, who was working in Bolivia at that time.”
Some time later, another missionary visited the church, and Anton once again felt compelled to offer his support. This continued to happen. Eventually, the farmer came to support seven missionaries, as well as his own family. One summer he was out in his field cultivating the corn when he saw clouds forming in the west that looked ominous of hail. Anton stopped the tractor, fell to his knees and cried out, “Lord, you know that it is with the money from this crop of corn that I am able to support these missionaries, and if you allow the corn to be ruined by the hail, you will have to find someone else to support those missionaries.” He watched as the clouds split in two before they reached his crops. Neighboring fields to the north and south suffered significant hail damage, but Anton’s corn was left untouched and he was able to continue supporting the seven missionaries.
Although they did not reach the goal of 25 full-time workers as a result of the revival, Pastor Gustafson and his family eventually became missionaries in Bolivia themselves, so in some ways the prayer was fulfilled.
“It is interesting to note that in the 127 years since the church was founded, all of the full-time workers came during the Gustafsons’ eight years of ministry, except one,” John said. “To God be the glory for the marvelous work His Spirit performed in the life of the people at East Chain Lutheran Church.”
Time and time again, God uses ordinary people in ordinary places to embark on world-changing adventures. Telling and retelling testimonies like these reawakens our souls to the raw, audacious power of prayer.
