Árdís - 01.01.1958, Page 16

14
ÁRDÍ S
The First Lutheran
Congregation
WINNIPEG, MANITOBA
The Seventy-fourth convention of the Icelandic Evangelical
Lutheran Synod of North America (now of U.L.C.A.) was held
in the First Lutheran Church, Winnipeg, Manitoba, June 8-11.
1958.
To many of those who now are members of the First Lutheran
Church and perhaps others, a brief outline of the history of this
congregation may be of interest.
The First Lutheran Congregation, Winnipeg was organized by a
group of “New Canadians” from Iceland, the little island up in
the North Atlantic lying between the Arctic Circle and the Gulf
Stream. There the Icelandic people had lived in isolation from
the year 875 when they sailed from Norway, till the fever of
colonization of the new land, North America, struck Europe.
It was the influence of Lord Dufferin that awakened the Ice-
landic people to venture out to this new land in search of new