Saint Mark Lutheran Church

This folder contains an invitation to the dedication service in 1958, a 25th anniversary booklet, a bulletin from 1967, a bulletin from 1956, a congregational historical record, a bulletin from 1952, an early history of the church, a youth handbook, a booklet from the 50th anniversary, a bulletin for Edward Bernard Meyer for his comissioning as a missionary, a bulletin from 1955, a booklet from the groundbreaking, a booklet from the 1958 dedication, various letters, a St. Mark planning document, “Partners in Missions” covenants, S-T-P Joint Inquiry, “Change in the Church” document, Agenda for Special Task Force, a survey for the ideal congregational life, installation service for Franklin A. Wilson 1998 program, 13th Sunday after Pentecost Service 1988 program, constitution and by-laws.

On April 10, 1927 a group of people met in Salem to organize an “American” Lutheran church in a community that was served largely by Lutheran churches with strong ethnic traditions. The idea also gave the congregation its first name (American), used by the church until 1945. Growth was strong and rapid. Within five years after the initial meeting, membership had passed the 400 mark. The old Presbyterian church was the first church home. In 1934 weekly broadcasts of the services began. In the course of its history, St. Mark also sponsored two other LCA churches in Salem, Faith and Good Shepherd, a response to the growth of Oregon’s capital city. In 1957 construction began on a new church, located on the edge of the state capitol campus.