In October 1896 twenty-one families from St. Paul’s Lutheran Church banded together to form a new church because that church forbade membership in the Royal Arcanum or Modern Woodman insurance fraternities. These insurance fraternities were groups of people who joined together, paid dues and then received payments in the event of the death of individual members.
                A search for a pastor to serve the fledgling group led them to the Rev. O.F Ebert of Milwaukee. He conducted services on three Sundays of each month. They worshipped with the members of the congregation of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, which is now known as Abundant Life Church on Oakwood Avenue. They paid the local Norwegian congregation $1 per Sunday for the use of the church. Rev. Ebert received about $3 per service. This arrangement continued through the years 1897 and 1898 with the walls of that church echoing sermons and hymns alternately in the Norwegian and German languages as the worship services of the day reflected the ethnic backgrounds of the people.

CHARTER 
MEMBERS

FIRST 
CONFIRMATION
CLASS

Richard Moos
George Moos
Amelia Langbecker
Amanda Kehl
Karl Brandt
Alice Zieman
Anna Meyer (Anna Meyer Barlett maintained her membership from her confirmation in1899 to her death in 1972)

THE BUILDINGS

Georgian style architecture
Ground breaking – July 29, 1966
Dedicated – October 27, 1957

1903 – House on Luther Avenue built, cost not to exceed $1200
(House was used for Sunday School and served as church offices for many years and eventually was moved across the street and became a private residence.)

First 25 Years

1896 – Services were held 3 times a month in German
1911 - Regular Sunday services in English were added
1913 – Affiliated with Iowa Synod, which became part of the American Lutheran Church
1921 – Silver Jubilee celebrated              (500 members, 382 communicants, 120 voting members)
   Morning service was in German, the afternoon service was in German and English, the evening service was in English.

Second 25 years

1932 – Pastor T. K. Herbener of Verona, North Dakota was called and served until the fall of 1957. His 25 years of service were the longest period of time any one pastor served the congregation.
1936 – 40^th Anniversary was celebrated with special services.
(Statistics to date: 610 baptisms, 353 confirmations, 325 weddings, 469 burials, 13,018 communions administered)
January 1945 – Constitution amended to give women right to vote, but another amendment enacted at the same time insured “the church council shall consist of male members.”
1946 – Golden Jubilee celebrated
    Since the church building could not accommodate the membership, morning and afternoon services and an evening banquet were held at the high school.
    Three charter members were recognized (Charles Hinz, William Schroeder, Sr. and Gustav Yahn)
1946 – Golden Jubilee Building Fund established to plan for building a new church raised $11,700

Third 25 Years

1948 – Pastor Hebener started a Sunday School in Delafield, where regular worship services  were being held by the end of the year. Dr. Martin Luther Sunday School provided staff and financial report until 1951 when the new Christ the King congregation secured their own pastor.
May 1949 – German language services discontinued
1955 – Barbara Bauer, Parish Worker hired to assist the pastor
1962 – An assistant pastor, was hired because the congregation had grown and it was too
much work for 1 pastor
1966 – Parsonage converted to Sunday school use; Pastor provided a housing allowance
1968 – and again in 1995 – Returned the 1896 favor of Ours Savior’s Church by letting them use our church for  weddings, funerals and youth activities while they remodeled their church.
1968 – Radio broadcasts of Sunday morning worship on WTKM began
1969-1970 Used 4 classrooms at St. Jerome’s Catholic Church for Sunday School. Later in 1970 the church offices were moved to the old parsonage and the Sunday school classes moved to the church.

Forth 25 Years
(The 1st 100 Yrs)

1972 – 75^th year of existence; New Education Building completed
1981 – Endowment fund established with generous gift from a long time member
1983 – “Search” bible study began and continues to present
1988 – New pipe organ installed
1990 to present: Provided space in education building for 1) St. Paul’s Day Care Center and 2) Lutheran Social Services Day Care Center
1990 – Purchased house on Summit Ave, razed it and created a parking lot with easy access to the education bldg
1993 – 1996: Participated in Seminary internship program; Three vicars served
1993 – Elevator Lift installed
1994 – Marble floor installed in the chancel
1996 - 100th Anniversary

Beginning Our 
2nd 100 Years