About Us

Church History The pioneers of Heartland Community, An Evangelical Covenant Church, were Swedish Mission Friends who had moved to the Ripon area from various parts of the United States. Itinerant pastors began to visit this small group of settlers and conduct worship services for them. They eventually organized a church at the home of Mr. and Mrs. J. Emanuel Johnson on Friday afternoon, January 21, 1916, as The Swedish Bethany Mission Church of Ripon. The first services were conducted by Rev. John Safstrom, a charter member of the congregation, and by various visiting ministers.

For the first few years, meetings were held in the local high school and in homes. A church building was later erected on lots donated by Mr. And Mrs. Claus Lindblom, at an approximate cost of $10,000. This new building was dedicated in 1920. On April 6, 1916, a decision was made by the church to organize a Swedish Sunday School. However, in 1921, the church also voted to start an English class as a part of the Sunday school. With the Bible as its basic text, the Sunday school performed an important ministry in teaching children, young people, and adults the way of life through Jesus Christ and in building them up in the Christian faith.

At its annual meeting on January 1, 1921, the church organized a young people's society to be composed of Christian youth. In 1926, one of the society's initial projects was the purchase of a lot at Mission Springs, upon which a cabin was built about ten years later.

The young people also helped pay off the church debt, contributed toward the purchase of an airplane for the Alaska mission field, and supported foreign missions and the Mission Springs Conference Center. For several years the young people even gave partial support to a missionary in Congo, David Lindblad.

In the 1930's, with services still being conducted in Swedish, the church began to really wrestle with the language transition. Initially, they began to use both Swedish and English in the church. On January 1, 1941, they decided to conduct all Sunday services in the English language, and to change the name to Bethany Covenant Church to reflect this change.

At the start of the 21st century, Bethany began to reinvent itself for a new generation once again, while staying true to its rich heritage as a mission church.

In 2003, Bethany Covenant Church voted to change its name again to Heartland Community, An Evangelical Covenant Church. This change was meant to reflect their desire to be a community church, their heart to serve the entire community, and their focus on matters of the heart. Heartland was also chosen because of the church's physical location at the heart of Ripon, and Ripon's location at the heart of California.

In one form or another, the church has been a mainstay in the Ripon Community since its inception in 1916. It has seen many generations trained and educated in the teachings of Christ, many lives impacted by its ministry, and several "home-towners" go into the ministry both at home and abroad. Though the original Swedish language and customs are now only a part of its rich history, Heartland is an enduring testimony of God's faithfulness to His people, and the church's desire to fulfill its part of the Great Commission in every generation.