For four decades, Mark Seeley has lifted his gaze toward the horizon as a faculty climatologist at the University of Minnesota. For 26 years, he’s lent his voice as a climate commentator every Friday morning on Minnesota Public Radio’s “Morning Edition.” And he appears several times annually on Twin Cities Public Television’s popular “Almanac” public affairs program.

On Sunday, Seeley doffs a different hat entirely, though his focus is still heavenward.

Seeley is the longtime church historian at the Fairmount Avenue United Methodist Church in St. Paul.

That’s no small responsibility at a 165-year-old religious institution that was founded six years prior to Minnesota’s statehood.

The church has occupied four locations since 1852. The church, which features distinctive stained-glass panels, also served as the home church of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun.

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Family, work and opera filled Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s final summer United Methodist will mark its 100th year at its present location with two public events this month. St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman has confirmed his attendance at an Oct. 24 harvest dinner, which is open to the public.

On Dec. 3, Bishop Bruce Ough, who oversees the Minnesota and Dakotas area for the Greater Minnesota Methodist Conference, will deliver the sermon. Another celebration dinner will follow.

Seeley, an author who will retire from the University of Minnesota faculty in January after 40 years of teaching, took a break this week to talk with the Pioneer Press on the history of his church.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES, SOCIAL JUSTICE MISSION

Seeley noted that architect Cass Gilbert, designer of the Minnesota Capitol, had a hand in the design of the Van Slyke Court Church, which was home to the congregation from 1892 to 1917. In particular, Gilbert worked on the large stained-glass windows, which were relocated to the red-brick Fairmount Avenue church in 1917.

The windows depict a sower, a reaper and Jesus the Comforter, among other scenes.

A window also depicts John Wesley, who founded Methodism in the 1700s.

“For our centennial celebration, they needed to be refurbished, which was a sizable expense,” said Seeley, who said costs exceeded $100,000. “They’re probably the most striking feature of the sanctuary. They’re beautiful works of art.”

Seeley said members of the congregation have remained engaged through a variety of “social justice” efforts, including serving on the board of the Emma Norton Residence near downtown St. Paul since its founding.

It houses 50 single women who have suffered abuse or life-changing conflicts.

“Our congregation is a member of the United Methodist Reconciling Coalition, which is a subset of the Minnesota Methodist conference, and we demonstrably welcome same-sex couples,” Seeley said.

“We currently have 300 members, plus or minus a handful, and our Sunday attendance is probably 125,” Seeley said. “We were bigger in the past. … The widespread decline in church attendance — certainly that’s affected us as well. Early in the 20th century we were a congregation of 600, so we were double.”

Justice Blackmun’s parents taught Sunday school and participated in the church choir, Seeley said.

“He participated in the children’s choir at church, and later, when he went to college, he sang in the choir at Harvard,” he said of Blackmun. “Our church history contains a lot about his family, but I didn’t know him. My wife and I have been members since 1979. I’ve only been church historian for 10 years.”

The church played an interesting role during the Sioux Indian war in 1862, Seeley said.

Among casualties in southern Minnesota from the conflict was a young pioneer girl. No one claimed her body, he said.

“The United Methodist church congregation learned of this, so they dispatched some members down to southern Minnesota to retrieve her body, and they brought her back and gave her a proper burial in St. Paul,” Seeley said. “She wasn’t a member of the church congregation, but everybody felt so badly about this unclaimed child not having a proper funeral and burial.” Related Articles St. Paul PD highlights surveillance photos of looting suspects, seeks tips

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The church has a cross-denominational partnership with St. Albans Church — a historically black church in St. Paul. The two churches share music and worship several times each year, Seeley said.

The two churches also share in-person ministry, bringing music, prayer and crafts to members in their last years of life.

Together, they deliver prayer shawls to those who have gone through life-changing trauma.

“Their pastor there is very fond of our church,” Seeley said. “We enjoy when he comes to guest preach — the Rev. William Land. It’s a different denomination, which makes it even better in our regard.”