The Rev. Josiah P. Tustin, D.D., rector of St. Marks Episcopal Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan 1863-1870, was a member of the General Convention Committee on Friendly Relations with the Church of Sweden in 1871.  The Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad cooperated by sending him to Sweden as its personal representative in the summer of 1870 to induce Scandinavians to immigrate to Michigan. 

 

It's believed much of his success is attributed to the last famine in Northern Europe (1867-1969).  Sweden suffered from a food-supply crisis at this time, which was triggered by a major crop failure in 1867 and followed by a clear rise in mortality in 1868, especially in the two northernmost counties of Västerbotten and Norrbotten. Västerbotten had the highest mortality rate 35 dead per thousand of all Swedish counties in 1868. 

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Extreme rainfall in the summer of 1866 had a severe impact on the year’s grain harvest. Potatoes and vegetables went bad on the fields, and many other basic foods could no longer be harvested. A long winter aggravated the situation and only half of the normal harvest could be generated in 1867. Thousands of people had no access to food or sanitation, and as a result, malnutrition and disease became widespread. During the three “great hunger years,” 270,000 people died. Due to the scarcity of nourishment between 1866–1868, thousands of Finns and Swedes emigrated to the United States to escape poverty.

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Rev. Dr. Tustin succeeded in bringing one thousand Swedes to Michigan, some of them settled in Osceola and Newaygo counties.  They were so grateful to him that they named the town of Tustin for him.  Dr. Tustin is titled "Missionary to the Swedes of Michigan."  His time had been divided between Europe and this country.  He organized two Swedish parishes, St. Johannes at New Bleking ( now Tustin) and St. Ansgarius at New Swea in Osceola County.

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November 1870, the Rev. Peter August Almquist began the the "Mission to the Swedes" with residence in Paris, Michigan.  He reported a number of baptisms, confirmation and reception of members in Tustin, Reed City, Big Rapids, Morely, and Clam Lake (Cadillac) at Tustin.  An earnest desire was to build a parsonage in the deep forest and erect a church edifice as soon as money was available.

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January 1, 1872 was a great celebration when the first train came through the Village of Tustin.  The way for further development had now begun.  March 21, 1872 we read "We the undersigned, being personas attached to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden and acknowledging the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Michigan, do hereby agree to organize a church according to the usage of the Evangelical Church of Sweden." 

 

Then on July 17, 1872, the Continental Improvement Company granted to the trustees a town plat under and according to the statues of the State of Michigan. Said plat was for suitable grounds for a school house, cemetery and church.  Said cemetery, church and school to be under the control and subject to the management and government of the vestry of the parish to New Sweden, in Bleking, in communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden, and organized according to the canons of the Diocese of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the State of Michigan.  The sum of $4,532.45 (worth $117,655.12 today) was donated by the Company for this work.

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In 1874, Rev. Almquist reports 71 cummunicat members, 40 belonging to the Tustin organization.  Rev. Almquist lived in Big Rapids between 1872-1874.  Now and then the Bishop George De Normandie Gillespie, First Bishop of Western Michigan , made occasional visits in Tustin and vicinity and baptized persons here.  

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The Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tustin Michigan was officially organized April 4, 1874 when Mr. and Mrs. Otto Anderson and eight other people met at the Anderson's log cabin and the doctrines of the Augsburg Confession were accepted. A petition was made to the Augustana Synod on June 24, 1974 to be accepted to that church body.  

 

Rev. Almquist states that the new church embraced almost all the members of St. Johannes.  He continued to make his visits here now and then, but since it was of no avail, the Episcopal church disbanded.  The sum of money given to the joint churches became a storm center of arguments in 1876.  We read in our minutes that a committee was elected to meet and come to friendly terms.  The outcome was that the sum of $1,646.87 was given to the Diocese of the State of Michigan.  

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In the Summer of 1877, Rev. John Forsberg was called to Tustin perish.  He found societies without church organization and a place for worship. He organized a number of churches; Reed City, Cadillac, Hobart, Morely, and Bound Mills (Gilbert).  He had about 16 congregations to care for.  At Tustin, he added 125 members and in all some 500 souls.  It was voted to build a parsonage and lay a sidewalk in front of it.  The church was built on the land of Anderson and Lindstrom, who donated it.  He left Tustin in 1885.

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1889-1891  Reverend Martin P. Oden

1892-1984  Reverend  C.A. Johnson

1894-1897  Reverend O.S. Werner

1897-1900  Reverend Victor Vixell

1901-1904  Reverend F.A, Bonander

1905-1909  Reverend J.A. Norlin

1909-1911  Reverend John S. Syding

1912-1916  Reverend A. Sunderberg

1918-1932  Reverend John A. Berg

1932-1938  Student William E. Berg

1933-1940  Reverend Everett W. Norling

1940-1943  Reverend Lavern C. Anderson

1943-1952  Reverend Victor A. Lindeblad

1953-1956  Reverend J. Kenneth Soderquist

1957-1964  Reverend Fritz Soderberg

1965-1973 Reverend Frank Muller

1974-1980 Reverend James I. Mehan

1980-1988 Reverend Bruce Weber

1988-1993 Reverend Timothy Nilsen

1993-1994 Reverend Brian Seiler

1994-1999 Reverend J. Timothy Diemer

1999-2006 Reverend Jim Friesner

2006-2008 Reverend Michael Andersen

2008-2009 Reverend Del Hudson​

2009-2016 Reverend Michael Holman

2016-2019 Reverend Clayton Bates

2019-2020 Vicar Alex Ross

2020-2022 Reverend Dr. David Doane

2022-Present Reverend Sharon Van Dam

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