Showing 108 results

Pastor Karl Kilian of Peace Lutheran, an Ohio Synod congregation in Puyallup, established this congregation as a mission in Elbe, Washington. He conducted services periodically in the Town Hall. Most of the members came from Germany and services were conducted in German. One of the members, Heinrich Lutkens, donated the building site and the present church, now on the National Register of Historic Places. It once was a feature in “Ripley’s Believe It or Not” because of its unique size and design.

Karl Kilian served until 1933. Other pastors who came from Puyallup were Fred H. Theuer (1933-1937) and E. H. Jahr (1937-1947). The congregation was closed in 1948. After that time the little church went through of variety of stages, and in 1973, under the leadership of retired pastor Ervin E. Krebs of Tacoma, the place revived. The physical plant was restored, services began to be held on a monthly basis, and the church became a tourist attraction. Many volunteers worked in various phases of the restoration. In April of 1984 the Historic Elbe Church Association was organized. The title for the property was given to the American Lutheran Church, and administration of the Association is the responsibility of the Rainier Conference. The church has been designated as the Bishop’s Church of the North Pacific District, and all District Bishops and Presidents of the Lutheran Church worldwide have been designated “honorary pastors”.

Pastor Vern Jeffers presided over the first services in October 1954. In January 6, 1956, the congregation was organized as Epiphany Lutheran Church of Portland, Oregon. They dedicated their building June 2, 1963. From 1970-1975 the congregation held kindergarten in the building. In 1977 some of the property was sold, and October 11, 1981, they voted to disband. Their last service was held October 25, 1981.

Prior to the organization of the congregation in 1896, Reverend Rieke came once a month to hold services in someone’s home. In the early 1900s the congregation had grown enough so that services began to be held in the Adventist church. At about this time Farmington combined with Colfax. In 1904 the congregation built a church, and in 1912 the parsonage was purchased. A choir was organized on May 9, 1934. The 75th Anniversary was celebrated in 1971. The church has been served by interim and/or pastors from nearby parishes through the years.

On Palm Sunday of 1944 the first worship service of Trinity Lutheran Church of Kirkland, Washington, was held in the American Legion Hall with Pastor Charles Crouch leading the service. Not long afterwards the old funeral chapel and apartment was purchased and remodeled to serve as Trinity’s church building and parsonage. Trinity worshiped in this space until 1959. Pastor Justin Torgrimson arrived in 1948 and served Trinity until December 1951.

Upon Torgrimson's departure, Pastor Haaland and Pastor Hjelmeland helped Trinity through the transition time of calling their next settled pastor, Pastor Ernest Raaum, in June of 1952 Trinity. The church purchased a new property for $4,750.00 in 1953 to accommodate a growing congregation. The parsonage was completed in 1956. Pastor G.A. Almquist assisted Trinity in calling their next settled pastor, Pastor Chester Blake, who arrived in August 1958. The congregation consulted the Board of Home Missions for help in building its new church building. With their help and the help of the Church Extension Fund the groundbreaking began on March 15, 1959. On Thanksgiving Day of that year Trinity gathered for their first service on these grounds.

In 1960 Trinity became affiliated with the American Lutheran church through the merger of the Lutheran Free Church with the American Lutheran Church. In 1964, Pastor E. Melvin Bremer was called to serve the congregation. After Pastor Bremer’s service to the community of Trinity, Pastor W.J. Stakkestad was called in 1975. Pastor Stakkestad served Trinity until 1990. In his time of service Trinity opened a Christian Preschool (1979-1994) and added the north end addition and basement.

Pastor F. Philip Stain was called in 1991. In 1992 the NW addition was constructed, and in 1996 an interior restoration took place. The pews were restained, the cross area was restored and repainted, and lighting was reworked, and the partition wall was extended to the ceiling. In 1996 Trinity partnered with several other congregations from various faith traditions and created the Greater Kirkland Ecumenical Parish (GKEP). In 2005 Trinity rented its parsonage to a member of the congregation, and welcomed a Korean Seventh Day Adventist congregation to worship in the building on Fridays and Saturdays.

In 2009 the Northwest Washington Synod called Pastor Diana Bottin to a 3 year term call at Trinity. A congregational vote was taken on June 23, 2013, to hand over assets to Holy Spirit Lutheran Church, Kirkland (ELCA) for the development of a young adult ministry to develop in this place. The last worship service held in this building under the name of Trinity Lutheran church was on June 30, 2013.

This congregation was organized as Salem Lutheran Church on July 17, 1960 with Donald G. Reese, pastor. It was started by the Board of American Missions of the American Lutheran Church. On December 4, 1960, the name was officially changed to Our Savior’s when the congregation was officially established by the synod. The church was dedicated on April 30, 1961. The church voted to leave the ELCA on June 26, 2011

This congregation was a mission project of the American Lutheran Church. Pastor Delbert Zier organized the congregation and served from 1979-1980. The congregation worshiped in the Community Center of Fairlawn Towne, a Lutheran Retirement community located in Gresham. They put a modular building on a lot, and were able to move in October 23, 1987. At the height of the congregation their membership was 139. This did not last long, and after several failed attempts to increase membership the congregation voted to close April 11, 2004.

The early history of Zion Lutheran Church of Juliaetta, Idaho is closely connected with the history of Lutheran families of this vicinity. Florian Schaupfer came from Steirmarck, Austria, to Juliaetta in the fall of 1883 with his wife and two children. The first Lutheran services in this community were held in a log school house on the Florian Schaupfer Homestead. These first services were conducted by Reverend Zelle of the Missouri Synod, who came from Pendleton every six weeks. Reverend Anton Horn, Ohio Synod missionary in the Northwest, was the next to conduct services in the Florian Scharpfer home. He also started work in Cameron. Reverend H. Rieke was located in Genesee, Idaho, and organized the Cameron and Juliaetta congregations.

In 1904 the church was purchased at a cost of $400. In the summer of 1937 it was completely redecorated and other renovations were made. Fire destroyed the church in the early 1950’s, and a new structure was built 1956. After declining in numbers the congregation voted to dissolve July 1, 2012.

In 1919 Reverend W.F. Schmidt, the Field Missionary of the North Pacific District of the Lutheran Church, began a nucleus of a church in Baker after several prior attempts were made to organize a congregation were unsuccessful. A Ladies Aid was formed in 1920. In July of 1920 Reverend Joh Groschupf became the first permanent pastor. He organized the Sunday School and began confirmation classes. Official organization occurred on July 12, 1922.

In 1923 the lot on which the church was built was purchased by the Mission Board of the church (prior services were held in the Adventist Church). Consecration for the first church took place on June 20, 1926. The present building was dedicated on July 22, 1951. The congregation voted to remove their membership from the ELCA on March 15, 2011.

Community of Life was organized June 18, 2000. They worked with Trinity Presbyterian Church and talked about having a joint congregation. When this did not work out the congregation voted to dissolve in fall of 2003.

On October 10, 1976, an exploratory meeting was held at Michael and Kathy Nida’s home to discuss starting a preaching ministry. The first meeting of the fledgling group was October 24 in the Brownsville Recreation Center. There were 35 people in attendance, and at the meeting officers were elected.

The first move took place April 24, 1977, when the group moved into the Brownsville Elementary School for their education classes and worship services. The first services of the congregation were conducted by the Lutheran pastors of the surrounding area who took turns being responsible for their assigned Sundays.

On February 26, 1977, the mission group moved into the newly built Community Library building at Spalding and Averill and Reverend Ed Anderson of Eugene became the third pastor to serve this mission group. This group was formally received as a congregation of the American Lutheran Church on May 21, 1978. The congregation's last service was Easter Sunday, March 31, 1991.