Olof Gustaf Hedstrom (11 May 1803 – 5 May 1877) was a Swedish-American minister who oversaw the Bethel Ship mission serving sailors and immigrants arriving in New York City from 1845-1876.

[1] At age sixteen Hedstrom left home to apprentice as a tailor and migrated to neighboring Blekinge county.

The Chapman and Tapperheten sailed to Cartagena, Colombia but in March 1826 they were redirected to New York City after the deal failed.

Stranded in New York City, Hedstrom found work in the shop of tailor named Townsend and became an unintentional immigrant.

Dr. Daniel Steele a professor of Theology at Boston University recounted his experience as a youth in Windham listening to Hedstrom's preaching:[5] In his sermons he displayed an extraordinary seriousness.

His warmheatedness and sympathy increased greatly the influence of his sermons.In 1844 Peter Bergner and Dr. David Terry established a mission in the New York City harbor sponsored by the Methodist church.

[6] He served the North River Mission, commonly referred to as the Bethel ship or Bethelskeppet, for three decades.

[2][8] The Bethel Ship mission came to act as a training ground for new ministers serving Scandinavian Methodist congregations in America.

Sven B. Newman, Victor Witting, Ole Peter Petersen, Nels O. Westergreen, among many other ministers served at the North River Mission.

[2][3] The work of O. G. Hedstrom at the Bethel Ship mission had an important influence on the settlement of Swedish immigrants in the United States.