Religion Roundup
Laura Bush Tours North Dakota Church
Associated Press
October 3, 2008
BISMARCK, N.D. - First lady Laura Bush has paid a visit to a historic church in North Dakota.
The Sims Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Church southwest of Bismarck is believed to be the oldest Lutheran church west of the Missouri River.
The congregation of the 124-year-old church got money through the Save America's Treasures program, chaired by the first lady, for a restoration project.
Bush took a tour Thursday and met with people at a potluck lunch. She called the church's restoration "a very sweet story" reflecting the values that make America strong.
The Sims church averages about 50 people in the pews each Sunday, and many of its members are descendants of the Norwegian immigrants who built the church in the 1800s.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
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