Springfield Lutheran Church

This folder contains letters of call, a congregational historical record, a booklet from the 25th anniversary, a congregational statistical record, a booklet from 1949, a booklet from the 1968 dedication, newspaper clippings, a letter from the Pacific Lutheran University office of Church Relations, a bulletin from 1981, a church relations visit summary, hymns booklet, and a letter from Harvey Neufeld.

Also includes two unscanned photographs of construction and finished church.

Alphild Kjorstad was sent as a parish worker by the Board of Home Missions of the Evangelical Church to initiate a survey of Springfield. As a result, first services were held in the Playmore Theater on July 7, 1946 with forty people in attendance. The congregation was officially organized on September 15, 1946 by Dr. H. L. Foss, then President of the North Pacific District, and Rev. Sterling Simonson was installed as the first pastor. Property was obtained in the summer of 1947 on Mohawk and I Streets, the growing edge of Springfield. Today it is the center of the community. A new sanctuary was begun and services in the first unit were held August 5, 1948. The new sanctuary was dedicated April 10, 1949. A second unit of the church, including classroom space and a parish hall, was completed on November 25, 1956. A third unit was dedicated on May 8, 1968, adding sanctuary space for over 300.