The
stranger is always welcome - for we well remember that we too were once
strangers in a strange land.
Gol Lutheran Church is a beautiful genuine hand cut stone Gothic style
church that is by
the side of the road - MN Highway #60 - 1 mile west of the intersection of
Minnesota Highways #56 & 60, in Kenyon, and 13 miles due east of Faribault. We are easily reached by excellent roads
- handicapped parking is at our front door - with wheelchair access
throughout the church and social hall.
Gol
Lutheran Church was founded in 1864 by Norwegian immigrants who came from
Gol, Norway - the original location of the famous "stave
kirke" of Gol - which is now in the outdoor Folk Museum in Oslo,
Norway. "Gol" is the place name of an area in Hallingdal,
Norway.
When the immigrants came to Goodhue County
in southeastern Minnesota in the 1850's they came to some of the richest
and most productive land in the world. This is the ancient meeting
of the Big Woods of the East and the Prairie of the West. It was
originally an oak savanna with abundant scattered groves of trees, prairie
grasses and numerous streams that all lead to the Mississippi which is
about 40 miles to the east. They strongly felt that God had led them
to the "Promised Land" laden with milk and honey.
And so
it is, some 140 years later, that we their descendents, still cherish and
farm the land. Our church is our home. Many of our families
have generations of ancestors at rest in our cemetery. We are a
small family size church and we invite you to "become part of the
family!"