come in 1922, and from that time until 1947 the congregation belonged to the Virginia district. After that, Alango formed a new district, together with Idington. Pastors of the church have been, first, Heikki Anias, followed by Kaarlo Salovaara, John Wargelin, Mathias Ström, K. C. Rissanen, Heikki Sarvela, M. E. Merijärvi, Victor Kuusisto, Douglas Ollila and John Saarinen. The church building itself, long in the planning, was dedicated in 1928. This church

has had a very active sewing circle; it has also had a missionary group, Luther League, Deacons' Society and a Sunday school, in which the first teachers were Isaac Pihlaja, Jack Rautio and August Saarela. Church officers have included, chronologically, Carl Simonson, A u g u s t Saarela, Gust Gustafson, Peter Koski, Isaac Pihlaja, Alex Jackson, Andrew Pihlaja, V. Kuusisto and Douglas Ollila.

It was from Virginia, where the Unitarian church had

made headway among the Finns, that its influence reached Alango - via the Alango temperance society which had invited Pastor Risto Lappala to speak to them in a meeting on Christmas eve, 1914. He was well received and was invited to return on numerous later occasions. This led, subsequently, to the establishment of a local Unitarian church in October 1916. The new church elected Fred Leinonen as its chairman, Carl Simonson as its secretary, and Alfred Johnson as its treasurer. Services were held once a month at the Pihlaja school. Whenever Lappala was prevented from coming to hold the services he used to send his wife Milma, who was also ordained, and who took charge of all her husband's commitments after his death. Later, her second

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Alango-Field Suomi Synod Church.

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