"The most outstanding young man in Minneapolis for 1944" turned out to be blond, strapping (6 ft. 2 in.; 205 Ibs.) Rev. Reuben Youngdahl, 33. His outstanding job: in only seven years he converted Mount Olivet Lutheran Church from a debt-ridden institution of 200 members into a booming 2,500-member parish.
Last week Mount Olivet, now the second biggest church in the Augustana Lutheran Synod, celebrated its 25th anniversary. The congregation had already outgrown its new $50,000 church. Pastor Youngdahl was holding three identical services every Sunday, each overflowing the 465 seats and jamming...
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