First Lutheran Church (Poulsbo, Wash.)

On February 21, 1886 the Fordefjord Norwegian Evangelical Congregation of Poulsbo was organized with 21 charter members. The next year marked the arrival of the first permanent pastor and the building of the first church on the present site, land donated by Jorgen Eliason. In 1898 a synodical controversy developed which caused some members to withdraw from the Fordefjord congregation and organize the Lutheran Free Church of Paulsbo, later known as Grace Lutheran. This congregation has since merged with Vinland Lutheran of Poulsbo. In 1917 Fordefjord became affiliated with the United Lutheran Church, later called the Norwegian Lutheran Church of America. Two other name changes took place in the 1940s, beginning with the change from Fordefjord to First Lutheran in 1943, followed three years later by a synodical change to the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Affiliation with the American Lutheran Church occurred in 1960 at the time of the merger.