Emanuel Björkquist
Interim Pastor 1920-1921
Emanuel Björkquist was born
July 3, 1865, in Edsleskog, Dalsland, Sweden. He was converted in 1881 in
Norway. He came to 
the
United Stated in 1885 and was baptized on November at Red Wing, Minnesota by N.
Morten. Emanuel attended Morgan Park in 1893 (Sw. Dept. DSU of C) to1895.
He married Emely Johnson, of Anoka, Minnesota on Oct 31 1889. They had
five children: Delia Annette, Myrtle, Milrud1, Milton and Lesley. He was
ordained September 15, 1895 at Cambridge, Minnesota. He was pastor at Vasa
Minnesota from 1894-1895, Cambridge, Minnesota 1895 to 1904, Leenthrop,
Minnesota 1904 to1906, a missionary in Red River Valley, Minnesota 1906
to1908. He was a missionary in Red River Valley, Minnesota from 1906 to
1908, a pastor at Milaca Minnesota from 1908 to 1910 and at Worthington,
Minnesota from 1910 to 1914 then served as a missionary in Minnesota
from1914 to1918. Pastor Björkquist then served as missionary in Oregon
from 1920 to1931. He retired in Warren, Oregon.
P. Ryden in his book, "Swedish Baptist in Minnesota
1918" says "Björkquist is a man that seems to have time to do
everything and to be along every where.... He has been pastor and
missionary, turn about, and serves equally well in either place. He is now (was
then) serving as conference missionary and corresponding secretary at the same
time.... He has done, and is doing a good work and has earned everyone's
respect and implicit confidence."
The following account was taken from Gordon
Carlson's book, "Seventy Five Years History".
Emanuel Björkquist is the
fourth and last of Oregon's Conference Missionaries. He served from 1920
until 1924. Pastor Gideon Sjolander writes concerning his life and
ministry in Oregon:
"This brother had worked successfully as pastor and
missionary in Minnesota for 25 years, when he received the call from
Oregon. It was with great joy that we received the news that the call had
been accepted. He came in January 1920, and settled with his family
in Warren, Oregon. He continued to live there after his retirement,
greatly attached to the church and beloved by its members. He was at
church in a meeting when he suddenly was taken ill and died.
Emanuel Björkquist was busy in other parts of Oregon
besides Warren. He gathered a considerable amount of money for the
building of the church at Cherry Grove. During his term of office he was
granted an extensive leave to Sweden, his native land, during the Baptist World
Congress in the early twenties. He returned to deliver captivating
addresses about his experiences." See
the notes of Harley Hallgren.
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not
all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of and
eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be
raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
I Corinthians 15:
51-52