Our church was organized on September 7, 1903 by a small group of persons of Scandinavian descent.  In 1906 it was incorporated as "The Scandinavian Evangelical Mission Church."  Because of its membership in the Evangelical Covenant Church denomination, in 1931 its name was changed to First Covenant Church.

The Evangelical Covenant is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois and traces its origin to the spiritual awakenings in Northern Europe.  It has been from its pioneer beginnings to the present a non-creedal church.  While affirming the principles of the Protestant Reformation, it bases its life and beliefs on this statement of faith, "We believe in the Holy Scriptures, the Old and New Testaments, as the Word of God and the only perfect rule for faith, doctrine, and conduct."  We believe in a personal and vital relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord, brought about by the work of the Holy Spirit.

It is the prayer of the people of this congregation that you may know the joy of salvation which is ours through Jesus Christ and that through the warmth of our fellowship you may grow in God's grace and love.  Welcome to First Covenant Church.  It is great to have you share in our worship and other activities.

The First Covenant church is a member of the Lake Superior District of the Northwest Regional Covenant Conference. Together with the other District churches we own and operate Covenant Park Bible Camp in Mahtowa, Minnesota. This summer camp provides children, youth, and adults programs to encourage a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. During the school year, various youth activities are sponsored by the camp for the district churches. Annually the district churches hold a missions conference. Foreign missionaries from the Evangelical Covenant visit the churches, sharing their mission work from areas around the world.

First Covenant Church is a member of the Virginia Area Ministerial Association. This association of local churches sponsors ecumenical gatherings such as, Good Friday worship service, National Day of Prayer gathering at the St. Louis County courthouse in Virginia, baccalaureate service at Virginia High School, and a Community Thanksgiving service. Together with the area churches, we assist in various community outreach efforts through the Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency and the Salvation Army.