Bahls to speak at Andover Founder's Day service

President Steve Bahls will speak at the annual Founders Day service at 4 p.m. April 24 at Å·ÖÞ±­ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±­ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø Lutheran Church in Andover, Ill.

The service celebrates the 162nd anniversary of Å·ÖÞ±­ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±­ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø Å·ÖÞ±­ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±­ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø and Theological Seminary in Rock Island, and the Å·ÖÞ±­ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±­ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø Lutheran Church in America, and the 172nd anniversary of the Å·ÖÞ±­ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±­ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø Lutheran congregation in Andover.

The service will be livestreamed by the Jenny Lind Chapel.

Music will be provided by a group from from Bethany Lutheran Church in Woodhull, Ill. After the service, light refreshments will be served in Luther Hall.

Å·ÖÞ±­ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±­ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø Å·ÖÞ±­ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±­ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø and Å·ÖÞ±­ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±­ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø Church in Andover have had close ties ever since the college was founded in 1860. Andover¡¯s first Lutheran pastor, the Rev. Lars Paul Esbj?rn, also served as the first president of the college.

The Jenny Lind Chapel, which was the congregation¡¯s first structure, was built in the early 1850s, and is the "Mother Church" of the former Å·ÖÞ±­ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±­ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø Lutheran Church in America, and founding site of the Norwegian-Danish Lutheran Church in America in 1870. It is named after the 19th century Swedish opera singer, Jenny Lind, who donated a sizable sum toward the construction of the church. Because of numerous setbacks and struggles, including a cholera epidemic, the building was not completed until 1854.

It now houses the Swedish Immigrant Museum, and is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. It is a ministry of the Northern Illinois Synod-ELCA. The Chapel and museum are  open every day, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., April through October.

The offering at the April 24 service will go toward maintenance of the chapel.