Gottlieb Bender Christiansen (October 27, 1851 – September 27, 1929) was an American Lutheran Minister who served as President at Trinity Seminary in Blair, Nebraska and was the first president of the

United Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church The United Evangelical Lutheran Church (commonly known as the United Church) was one of the many denominations formed when Lutherans came to the United States from Europe. Originally known as the United Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Uni ...

Background

G.B. Christiansen was born in Røjle Mark, Vejlby Parish,

Odense County Odense County ( da, Odense Amt) is a former province in Denmark, located on the northern half of the island of Funen in central Denmark. Odense County was established in 1806 and abolished in 1970 when it merged with Svendborg County forming the ne ...

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

. His parents were Christian Gottliebsen and Else Cathrine Nielsdatter. He came to America with his betrothed Jensine Larsen on August 15, 1877, via the SS Gellert (part of the Hamburg German American line). From 1877–1881, he attended

Augsburg Seminary Augsburg University is a private university in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. It was founded in 1869 as a Norwegian-American Lutheran seminary known as Augsburg Seminarium. Today, the u ...

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

. He was ordained on June 23, 1881, at

Shell Rock, Iowa Shell Rock is a city in Butler County, Iowa, United States, along the Shell Rock River. The population was 1,268 at the time of the 2020 census. The city is located along the county's eastern border, between Butler and Bremer counties. Geogra ...

. He died September 27, 1929, at the Ebenezer Home in Brush, Colorado, later Buried in

Elk Horn, Iowa Elk Horn is a city in Shelby County, Iowa, United States. The population was 601 at the time of the 2020 census. Elk Horn is known as an enclave of Danish ethnicity and is home to the Museum of Danish America. History Elk Horn was platted in ...

Career

He served as Pastor at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in

Council Bluffs, Iowa Council Bluffs is a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The city is the most populous in Southwest Iowa, and is the third largest and a primary city of the Omaha–Council Bluffs ...

from 1881–1885. In 1886, he was called to Owatonna Danish Lutheran Congregation in

Owatonna, Minnesota Owatonna () is a city in Steele County, Minnesota, Steele County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 25,599 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. It is the county seat of Steele County. Owatonna is home to the Steele County Fair ...

. Rev. Christiansen served there until 1890. He was also Pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in

Albert Lea, Minnesota Albert Lea is a city in Freeborn County, in southern Minnesota. It is the county seat. Its population was 18,492 at the 2020 census. The city is at the junction of Interstates 35 and 90, about south of the Twin Cities. It is on the shores of ...

from 1885–1890. On January 1, 1889, Reverend Christiansen came to serve Brorson Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church. Pastor Christiansen was called to be the second president of Trinity Seminary in

Blair, Nebraska Blair is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 7,990 at the 2010 census. History Blair was platted in 1869 when the Sioux City and Pacific Railroad was extended to that point. It was n ...

in 1890. He served as both President and theological professor at Trinity Seminary until 1896. He was also Pastor for congregations in Blair, Nebraska area during this period. Christiansen was called to be the first president of the newly formed

from 1896–1921. The United Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church was organized at Minneapolis on October 1, 1896 from the merger of the Danish Association of 1884 and the Danish North Church of 1894. He was named Knight of the

Order of Dannebrog The Order of the Dannebrog ( da, Dannebrogordenen) is a Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single class known ...

King Christian X Christian X ( da, Christian Carl Frederik Albert Alexander Vilhelm; 26 September 1870 – 20 April 1947) was King of Denmark from 1912 to his death in 1947, and the only King of Iceland as Kristján X, in the form of a personal union rath ...

of Denmark during 1921. He retired from active ministry and moved to

Brush, Colorado Brush is a Statutory City located in Morgan County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 5,339 at the 2020 United States Census. Brush is a part of the Fort Morgan, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area. History Brush, Colorado was na ...

during 1922.''North American Medal Recipient Index'' (compiled by William P. Jones, J.D., M.A.)

Selected works

* '' Vink for Gennemlæsning af Bibelen''(Blair, Nebraska. 1918) Which is translated into "tips for reading the bible" Danish * ''Recollections of Our Church Work'' (published posthumously. United Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church: 1930) English

References

Additional sources

*Christensen, William E. ''Saga of the Tower: A History of Dana College and Trinity Seminary'' (Blair, Nebraska: Lutheran Publishing House, 1959) *Petersen, Peter L. ''A Place Called Dana: The Centennial History of Trinity Seminary and Dana College'' (Blair, Nebraska: Dana College, 1984) *Jensen, John M. ''The United Evangelical Lutheran Church: An Interpretation'' (Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1964) *Nyholm, Paul C. ''The Americanization of the Danish Lutheran Churches in America: A Study in Immigrant History'' (Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1963) *Christiansen, Christopher S. - Great Great Great Grandson, Family Historian.

External links

Christiansen SocietyThe Danish Immigrant Museum
{{DEFAULTSORT:Christiansen, Gottlieb Bender 1851 births 1929 deaths 19th-century American Lutheran clergy Danish Lutherans Danish emigrants to the United States Danish-American culture in Nebraska Augsburg University alumni Knights of the Order of the Dannebrog People from Odense Municipality 20th-century American Lutheran clergy