History ( 1874-1999)

The history of the community and the congregation has its roots in the work of Rev. Josiah P. Tustin, D.D. He was the rector of St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan from 1863 to 1870. He was also a member of the General Convention Committee on friendly relations with the Church of Sweden in 1871. Reverend Dr. Tustin served as a personal representative of the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad in arranging for the immigration of a thousand Swedes to work on the railroads, logging the forests, and working in the sawmills.

The first name of the village in the 1870s was New Bleking because some of the Swedish immigrants were from Blekinge in Sweden. The name changed to Tustin in late 1872 or early 1873 to honor Dr. Tustin, "The Missionary to the Swedes in Michigan." Rev. Dr. Tustin divided his time between Europe and this country. He organized two Swedish-speaking parishes: St. Johannes at New Bleking and St. Ansgarius at New Swea. There are three towns named after Dr. Tustin: Tustin, Michigan, Tustin, Wisconsin and Tustin, California.

In November 1870, Rev. Peter Almquist began "The Mission to the Swedes" from his residence in Paris, Michigan. He reported a number of baptisms, confirmations and receptions of members. These events took place in Tustin, Reed City, Big Rapids, Morley and Clam Lake. The people in Tustin wanted to build a parsonage in the forest. Then they planned to erect a church building as soon as the money became available.

Future development was made possible by the railroad coming through the Village of Tustin. The first train came on New Year´s Day, 1872. On March 21, 1872, the following statement was issued:

"We the Undersigned, being persons attached to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden, and acknowledging the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Michigan, do hereby agree to organize a Church according to the usage of the Evangelical Church of Sweden."
Then, on July 17, 1872, The Continental Improvement Company, a corporation organized and existing under the laws of Pennsylvania, deeded a plat of land for the construction of a school house, cemetery and church. The cemetery, church and school are to be under the control and subject to the management and government of the vestry of the parish to New Sweden, in Bleking, in communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden, and according to the canons of the Protestant Episcopal Church of the state of Michigan. The Continental Improvement Company donated the sum of $4,532.45 for the work to proceed. There seemed to be some dispute in St. Johannes Church concerning whether the congregation was being operated in accordance with the Swedish Evangelical Church. Because of that dispute, on April 4, 1874, a meeting was held in the log home of Mr. and Mrs. Otto Anderson to vote on organizing the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tustin, Michigan. The meeting was called to order by Chairman E. Berglund and secretary August Peterson. It was voted:


To organize the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tustin, Michigan.

To accept the doctrines of the Augsburg Confession

To adopt the Augustana Synod's Constitution

To petition the Augustana Synod at its June 24, 1874 meeting at Galesburg, Illinois for the entrance into the synod.

P.A. Johnson, August Peterson and Otto Anderson were elected as deacons. August Peterson, C. Larson and J.A. Gabrielson were elected trustees. Also in attendance were Mrs. Amanda Peterson and the wives of some of the members. Ten people in all attended the first meeting. On June 21, 1874 the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church was entered onto the rolls of the Augustana Synod.

Reverend Almquist stated that the new church embraced almost all the members of St. Johannes Church. He continued with his visits, but it seemed to no avail, St. Johannnes Episcopal Church disbanded. The sum of money given to the church by The Continental Improvement Company became a storm center of arguments in 1876. A committee was elected to meet and come to terms. The closing chapter didn't come until 1938. A final settlement was reached, and the Diocese of the State of Michigan received $1,646.87 and Augustana Lutheran Church of Tustin received $2,470.26.