This Norwegian Lutheran congregation formed in 1884 as a daughter of Our Savior's Church (24th and Chicago Ave., South), under the leadership of Rev. O.P. Vangnes, and initially held services in the "German church at 3rd St. and 16th Ave. North" and later in a rented hall (WPA report, p. 1). Joining with two other groups (Grove City and Atwater), they build a new church at Sixth Street and Twenty-fourth Avenue, dedicating it on August 14, 1887. In 1910, the growing congregation erected a large church of red brick at 25th Ave. North and Lyndale (2598 N. Lyndale), which was "one of the twelve largest churches" in the Norwegian Lutheran Church of America Synod (WPA report, p.2).
The congregation merged with Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran in 2002 to become River of Life Church, which was located in the former Bethlehem church at 2200 Fremont Ave. North. The Zion church "Zionbuilding was sold at that time. In 2012, the building was occupied the New Salem Missionary Baptist Church, and in 2021 it was occupied by Iglesia Vino Nuevo MN, a chapter of Ministerio Internacional Vino Nuevo.
A photo of the building is in the Minnesota Historical Society Collections.
- Christ the River of Life Lutheran Church. "History" 2020 https://riveroflifempls.weebly.com/history.html
- "Minneapolis, Minnesota. Zion Lutheran Church." Works Progress Administration Report. n.d. (Minnesota Historical Society)
- Zion Lutheran Church, Twenty-Sixth and Lyndale Ave., North, Minneapolis. Minnesota Historical Society. http://collections.mnhs.org/cms/display.php?irn=10864067