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Founded in 1880, Bethesda Lutheran Church is one of the oldest congregations in Moorhead. Named for the healing pool near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem where the angel of the Lord stirred up the waters & healed those immersed, Bethesda seeks to be "a place of healing."
We are a multi-generational faith community gathered by the Holy Spirit around God's Word & the sacraments of Holy Baptism & Holy Communion. We proclaim in our life together the crucified & risen Christ as source & seed of our faith.
In 2020 the congregation expanded its mission by founding Table of Mercy, a ministry that walks with our neighbors experiencing homelessness. As long-time supporters of Churches United, this new ministry of radical welcome, spiritual care, & faith formation for all, seeks to support all of our siblings where they need it most, meeting people wherever they may be.
Bethesda Lutheran Church, a congregation of the ELCA, is a reconciling, affirming, & inclusive community. Through worship, love, & service, we recognize that each person is a unique creation of God & through grace, we all belong together as children of God.
The Reconciling in Christ (RIC) Program, of which Bethesda is recognized, is for congregations, synods, colleges, seminaries, & other Lutheran organizations & ministries that have made a public commitment to welcome, include & celebrate lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, & asexual (LGBTQIA+) individuals & their families.
To learn more about our involvement with Fargo-Moorhead Pride events, check this out!
We value people of all gender identities, gender expressions, sexual orientation, cognitive & physical abilities, races, nationalities, economic, & immigration statuses. We will advocate for & be steward of all God's creation.
In 2023, Bethesda began a three-year capital campaign called "Building on Faith." Desiring to enhance our mission and ministry, this will allow us to move into a bright and promising future so that we can continue to do God’s work locally and globally. Learn more on this page, and also follow along on Facebook as the work progresses!
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Bethesda Swedish Lutheran Church, Moorhead, Minnesota, 1906 (View is to the southwest from 2nd Avenue and 6th Street south)
Photo courtesy of Clay County Historical Society
Creator: Flaten, Ole E., 1854-1933
Groundbreaking of current location in South Moorhead, 1972
Photo courtesy of Earl & Lois Johnson Family
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