BEMIDJI — Those driving along Bemidji Avenue this week may have spotted a work crew installing an array of solar panels on the roof of Bemidji’s iconic First Luthern Church.
The significant solar initiative is a direct reflection of the congregation's growing commitment to environmental stewardship.
Senior Pastor Corey Fuhrman attributes the project’s inception to Rollie Morud, a council member who brought his personal experience with solar energy to the church.
“I would have to say that Rollie Morud who joined the council about a year and a half ago has solar on his own property and kind of brought it forward as an idea,” Fuhrman said.
Associate Pastor Kayla Billings elaborated on Morud’s role in bringing the idea to the group.
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“He has had solar on his property and had the chance to experience the benefits and thought it would be a good thing to share with the church and for the church to consider,” she added.
Annalise Braught / Bemidji Pioneer
Morud, a former superintendent of Bemidji Area Schools, has been instrumental in advocating for the project.
“It’s not new to the church I would say. We are called to take care of the gift of the Earth that God has given us,” Fuhrman said.
The solar panels are expected to offset about 20% of the church’s energy consumption. Currently, the installation is nearly complete.
“They are putting the final five or six panels up currently,” Billings said on Thursday afternoon. “Two of the three sections are complete with the final section being completed as we’re talking.”
Fuhrman said that all $138,000 of the project is fully funded by church members. Planning began about a year and a half ago, with more concrete discussions starting around May 2023. He added that since its inception, the project has encountered minimal obstacles.
Annalise Braught / Bemidji Pioneer
“It has gone pretty smoothly,” Fuhrman noted. “There hasn’t been any resistance to the idea.”
Billings affirmed how quickly the project has progressed, with most of the installation taking only a couple of days.
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The installation is being done by TruNorth Solar out of Arden Hills, Minn. After a quick week of work, the solar technicians finished the installation on Friday morning, June 28. The panels are set to be up and running in the next week or two.
According to Fuhrman, the church’s current future prospects are just getting the solar panels up and running and seeing what incentives they can receive from the state to help recoup costs and save on electricity.
Annalise Braught / Bemidji Pioneer
“At this point, this is the end goal,” Fuhrman explained. “The state of Minnesota incentivizes 40-kilowatt or smaller projects, so we are at the top of that. It’s a 40-kilowatt project.”
This project not only represents a strategic coherence with Minnesota's incentives but also highlights the growing trend toward smaller-scale renewable energy initiatives. Such projects are crucial in the context of net metering, where individuals and businesses with rooftop solar systems, classified as distributed energy resources, play a pivotal role.
Annalise Braught / Bemidji Pioneer
Net metering enables these systems to not only meet their own electricity needs but also contribute surplus energy back to the grid, earning credits or payments from utility companies. This symbiotic relationship between renewable energy producers and utilities underscores the evolving landscape of sustainable energy solutions.
The payment for this extra electricity is typically based on the average retail energy rate set by the utility company and can change every year.
Utilities use special meters to keep track of both the electricity a building uses and the electricity that is sent back. This ensures that solar users are fairly compensated or credited on the electricity bills for the energy that is generated. Net metering helps offset electricity costs and encourages the adoption of renewable energy sources like solar power.
Annalise Braught / Bemidji Pioneer
First Lutheran Church hopes the solar project will set a powerful example of community-driven environmental care, reflecting a proactive stance toward sustainability and land stewardship.
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“Our church vision is to be a beacon church, to be a church that is leading the way,” Billings said, highlighting the church’s broader vision. “To be a church that’s able to say yes, we care about our Earth and God’s creation enough to take this step and to help make a difference not only for the people of today but for future generations.”
Annalise Braught / Bemidji Pioneer
By Ashley McKenzie
Ashley McKenzie is a news reporter at the Bemidji Pioneer with a focus on local government, crime and courts. She is originally from southern North Carolina and is a member of the Lumbee Tribe of NC.
