​Mission Evangelical Free Church
701 7th Street N.
Wilton, McLean County, North Dakota 58579

The history of the Mission Evangelical Free Church, five miles east of Wilton, dates back to December 1894. Through the efforts of Mr. J. E. Ecklund, the Swedish Alliance Mission of St. Paul sent two young ladies, Miss Helma Simonson and Miss Hanna Rosengren, to do missionary work in the community east of Wilton. They were assisted by lay pastors O. Engdahl and Erick Ghylin. The Swedish Mission Church was organized in January 1895, at the Erick Ghylin home. Charter members and those who joined soon after include J. E. Ecklund, Mr. and Mrs. Erick Ghylin, Mr. and Mrs. T. A. Nelson; Mr. and Mrs. Nils Erickson, Axel Hedstrom, Mr. and Mrs. Oscar W. Ecklund, Charles J. Johnson, Mr. and Mrs. A. I. Asplund, Amond, Andrew and Gabriel Thor, Mr. and Mrs. John Engstrom, Mr. and Mrs. C. P. Strom, John Hanson, John Johnson, Mr. and Mrs. John Dahlgren and Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Backman.
 
One of the early ministers was a man known in the community as "Preacher Larson”. In the spring of 1898 Mr. C. M. Johnson, a college student from Chicago, was called as pastor. In the spring of 1899, the first church building was erected on property donated by the Engstrom family. The present church, erected on the same site, was built in 1916. The Women's Missionary Society was organized in 1947. In May 1952, the church was reorganized and affiliated with the Evangelical Free Church of America. Pastors who have served the congregation include C. Edward Johnson, Thure Johnson, S. C. Theodore Ramsey, C. C. Carlberg, Joel C. Nordlund, Berglund, Kasper Benson, J. W. Fjellstedt, Warren Wedan, Gordon Langmede, Lawrence Palmquist, Clifford Green, Milton Kaale, J. A. Witmer, Delmar Becker, and Paul Needham.

​​Information – Wilton Diamond Jubilee 1889 - 1974