Bainbridge Island church marks 100 years

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND There was a disagreement among members of the Port Madison Lutheran Church when it came time to start work on their first sanctuary 100 years ago.

Some in the congregation wanted to build it small. Others wanted a larger space. Eventually, proponents of the small church prevailed and staked out the corners of a modestly-sized structure.

But according to island lore, a few congregants sneaked onto the construction site on the night before the groundbreaking and moved the corner stakes out wider. When work began the next day, no one noticed the change and a more spacious church was built.

It was probably for the best.

The congregation grew to fill its new space and remained strong through a century of change.

The health of the church was evident Sunday as Pastor Lori Hoyum welcomed 98 congregants to a special worship service marking the 100-year anniversary of the chapel on Madison Avenue NE.

Also joining the celebration was Bishop John Bradosky, who visited from the newly-established North American Lutheran Church in Ohio. Port Madison Lutheran opted to join NALC earlier this year.

Bradosky said the 100th anniversary of the sanctuary was an impressive milestone for the island church.

"It's another opportunity for the congregation to rejoice," Bradosky said before the service. "Their faithfulness has spread over a century."

Minnie Sorenson O'Brien, the first baby baptized in the sanctuary, wasn't able to attend the service as planned. But congregation members say the 100-year-old Yelm resident remains "a firecracker."

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Bainbridge Island church marks 100 years