 |
 |
 |
Peace Lutheran
|
Psalms 23:6 |
The History of Peace Lutheran Church |
|
|
Guest Information TourPeace Church Small Group Ministries Online Bible Studies Peace Kids         |
In 1938, four existing Missouri Synod
congregations had been established, all about two miles from each
other: Holy Cross (Pastor Emil Voss); Bethlehem (Pastor Andrew Zeile);
Trinity (Pastor August Bernthai); and Redeemer (Pastor Waldemar Roth).
At that time, almost everything west of Mackinaw Street was open fields.
Mr. Martin A. Salvner, a very active layman at Bethlehem Church, lived on State Street (a two-lane U.S. highway #10) about two miles from Bethlehem and Holy Cross. On Labor Day, September 5, 1938, Pastors Voss and Zeile met with Mr. Salvner and a few other laymen. They studied a map which had been prepared by Mr. Salvner which showed about 225 communicant members of Holy Cross, 75 members of Bethlehem, 35 members of Trinity and a few members of Zion in Hemlock living in this west side area. That meeting led to many meetings of the Joint Board of Elders to carry out innumerable details that were necessary before a new congregation could be founded. One major step was the acquiring of property. The Saginaw Board of Education had acquired the acreage on which to move Arthur Hill High School. Next to that property lay 9.8 acres of farmland with a very old farm house and other farm buildings. It was an estate which was to be closed by October 1, 1938. In just a few meetings, the purchase of that property was finalized for $6,000 with the aid of the Church Extension Board of the Michigan District. To meet legal requirements, the purchase and devolopment of the property was placed in the name of four trustees: John Gottschalk, Trinity; Martin Salvner, Bethlehem; Herman Laesch, Redeemer; and J. Fred Goetz, Holy Cross. The property was subdivided into 34 lots, each measuring 60 x 160 feet. The most expensive lots were $400 plus another $400 for all improvements, gas, water, sewer, etc. A street was put down the center of the property from Mackinaw to Passolt. The street and subdivision had to be named, so they were called Peace, now Adams Street, in Peace subdivision. This was before the congregation existed. The trustees reserved eight lots for church property and a parsonage. On Memorial Day, 1939, fences and many small farm buildings were removed and the main part of the farm house and garage were moved to a lot facing Mackinaw Street. The house was remodeled for $3,300. The remodeling was completed on September 1, 1939, and the house was immediately rented out for $40 a month until it would some day be needed for a parsonage. Throughout the next year, many necessary meetings led to the actual beginnings of the new congregation. The pastors and people of the existing congregations were very supportive of planting a new church on Mackinaw Street. They canvassed the members in the area west of Bay Street and north of Alexander and encouraged their members to help found the new congregation. The historic day came on September 30, 1940. In a meeting of interested people, Mr. Gordon Sandall made the motion and Mr. Norman Reinke, who is still a member of Peace, seconded the motion to organize a congregation. The motion passed unanimously and Peace Congregation was born. In a somewhat unusual procedure the congregation officially organized, elected officers and board members, called a pastor, adopted a budget and began preparing a constitution while the people remained members of the mother churches until the end of the year. Nevertheless, everything seems to have worked out well under the blessing of God. The first officers were elected: Martin Salvner, president; Arthur Brock, vice-president; Otto Schmidt, secretary; and Herbert Kutch, treasurer. Trustees elected were Henry Graebner, Albert Schultz and Aaron Dinse. In a meeting on November 11, 1940, the congregation called the Rev. Lorenz F. Weber from East Chicago, Indiana, as its first pastor. It is somewhat of a coincidence that the call to PEACE Church is dated on ARMISTICE DAY. Pastor Weber accepted the call with permission to await the birth of their first baby expected on January 10. Sylvia Ann came into the world on January 11, 1941, and Pastor Weber with his wife, Gertrude, and daughter, Sylvia, arrived in Saginaw on January 30th for installation as Pastor of Peace Church on February 2, 1941. Meanwhile, on November 22, 1940, the Peace Ladies Guild was organized with fifty members; Mrs. Robert George, Sr. served as president. The Guild immediately went to work with one supporting service after the other to contribute to the life and growth of the new congregation. Plans for a building began immediately with the engaging of Hunter & Simpson, architects from Detroit. Because the new congregation was committed, not only to missionary activity but also to Christian education, the first building that was planned was a school with a small basement parish room with a kitchen, two classrooms on the first floor and a second floor left open to the roof for a worship area. There was, of course, a boiler room for Michigan winters. The congregation had no building when it first met for worship in January, 1941. Michigan Lutheran Seminary was kind enough to allow the congregation to hold its worship services and many meetings in its building (Old Main) for the cost of only $15 per month. Ground was broken for the first Peace Church building on April 6, 1941. The cornerstone was laid on May 18, 1941, and the building was dedicated to God and to His glory with services of praise and thanksgiving on September 7, 1941. In the evening, the new Peace Choir, which had been rehearsing in the parsonage living room, led the worshipers with a festival of song. (Until that time, special music which had enhanced the worship services had been provided by pianists Otto Schmidt and Irma (Salvner) Hicks and by a quartet of Martha Graebner, Lorna Salvner, Arnold Salvner and Elmer Schemm.) The Ladies Guild served a dedication dinner. The price was 85¢ for adults and 35¢ for children. On Tuesday, September 9, 1941, Peace Lutheran School began. You will find the story of the school by clicking here. The congregation began its Sunday-school in the basement of the parsonage on Easter Sunday, 1941. Forty-five children plus teachers were jammed into that basement; 29 children were from unchurched families. For a number of years Peace was the only church of any denomination in the area, a proof of the Spirit-filled vision of the founding congregations. By 1956, the Sunday school enrollment was 372 with a staff of 42. By June 15, 1941, five adults were ready to be received into membership by the rite of Confirmation. On September 15, 1941, the first wedding was solemnized, that of Adolph and Lois Bosenecker. In June of 1941, at a convention of the Missouri Synod held in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Peace congregation was officially received into membership in the Synod. Our golden memories indicate that the congregation has always looked and reached outside itself for the furthering of the Gospel throughout the world. When the Synod held its national convention at Arthur Hill High School in 1944, our little building and property became headquarters for many activities. A very large refreshment tent was placed on our property near the four apple trees which stood about where the church building now stands. A few months after we dedicated our second building, a Parish Hall in 1949, we became hosts to the Michigan District Convention. In many of the early years, because our growth in membership was rapid, the congregation exceeded the Mission offering which was suggested as its goal. At the congregation's 25th anniversary, the people brought a thank-offering of over $12,000 as a gift to build a chapel in Cotobato in the Philippines. For a number of years, the people of Peace also found a golden opportunity to serve the Lord by supporting Missonary Warren Arndt and Missionary Garry McClure with $10,000 annually over and above the regular Mission offering goal. While Peace was supporting Rev. McClure in Guatemala, the congregation gave him an additional gift of $9,600 for a new car for his missionary needs. Meeting all the opportunities for service to God's people found Peace congregation almost continually involved in building and property expansion. Within five years of dedicating the first building, which cost $32,000, the total debt was paid in 1946 by the 343 members. In 1949, the 484 communicant members dedicated the Parish Hall at a cost of over $170,000. In 1954, our school required additional rooms, so the congregation of 877 added four classrooms, an office section and basement rooms at a cost of $128,000. From 1941 - 1949, worship services were held on the second floor of the first school building. From 1949-1962, the Parish Hall served as worship area. In 1962, the 1230 members dedicated the church sanctuary, plus parlor, office section, organ and youth center (now school library) at a cost of $600,000. The Saginaw News reported that 3200 people attended the three services at the dedication of the church in 1962. When the church was built, the Saginaw Board of Education had given the congregation a 99 year lease on the strip of property where the rear driveway is. In 1984, when the school required more space and took over the Youth Center, the congregation met the need by buying the Becker house for a Youth Center. Every challenge became an opportunity for service. A church is not just buildings but people who are walking daily toward eternity and who need the ministry of the Gospel for young and old and for the circumstances of daily life. To meet this need, the congregation continually expanded its teaching staff. It also trained a dedicated staff of Sunday-school teachers under the leadership of people like Mr. Fred Lietz, Mr. Albert Rogner, and Mr. Alfred Christiansen. The congregation arranged church service schedules as attendance required and always expected its pastors to nourish people with the Word and Sacraments. It extended its ministry through its pastor to what was called the Homestead, the Saginaw County Juvenile Home, and offered worship services at the County Home regularly. For quite a few years there was no secretarial help. All correspondence, the writing and publishing of church bulletins and the keeping of any church records, was done by the pastor. Then Mrs. Marie George and Mrs. Esther Schemm developed our membership records and helped with other secretarial needs as volunteers. Later, Jean Hasso was engaged as full-time secretary. Eleanor Sturm served in that position for 17 years, followed by Ruth (Larson) List. Other dedicated workers have continued to serve the congregation. As pastoral duties increased, the congregation engaged the services of vicars (interns) for six years, from the Fall of 1958 to the Spring of 1964. Those vicars included Rev. Fred Stennfeld, Rev. James Fiegel (deceased), Rev. Edward Kast, now our senior pastor at Peace, Rev. Paul Prange, Rev. Ronald Kusel and Mr. Lynn Comstock. In 1964, the congregation called its first associate pastor in the person of the Rev. Richard Brendel. He served with Pastor Weber until 1972. Then the congregation called the Rev. Charles O. Smith, who served faithfully until 1985. In 1977, the congregation increased its pastoral staff to three with the Rev. William Ney. He served us until 1983. In 1979, Pastor Weber retired and the pastoral staff remained at two until the Rev. Robert Eggers was called in 1983. In 1984, the Rev. Edward Kast was added to the staff and then the Rev. Darrell Zimmerman in 1987. When Rev. Zimmerman took a call in 1994, Pastor Michael Roth was called as the third pastor. The congregation has always been intent on meeting the golden opportunities the Lord has placed before it, as is indicated in a pageant "God Our Help Our Hope," written by Lorna Salvner and Elda Rolf and presented in 1966 in celebration of the congregation's 25th anniversary. Various groups in the congregation's history have helped turn opportunities into Christian service. As soon as the congregation gathered for worship, the Walther League was organized with the purpose of offering young people Christian guidance with opportunities for Christian fellowship and service. They received their charter from the International Walther League on May 23, 1941, the day that was annually set aside to observe the birthday of the Walther League nationwide. Already in June, 1941, the Peace Walther League presented a variety show on the stage of Bethlehem School auditorium. They presented a program on stage annually for a number of years. They also enjoyed an annual canoe trip on the AuSable River and a trip to Silver Valley, formerly a resort for tobogganing and downhill skiing. During World War II, the young people assisted the pastor in publishing a monthly news letter, "The Wings of Peace," for the men and women in the armed forces. At Christmas, they formed a living manger scene on the church property near Mackinaw Street. As we have indicated earlier, the Ladies Guild was organized in November, 1940. They have enriched the lives of the ladies of the congregation with devotional exercises and a variety of program presentations. The members have served on the altar guild and as church greeters. They have always arranged to adorn the chancel with flowers, willingly honored the Sunday-school teachers each year with a dinner, and served meals to various conferences whenever asked to do so. The Ladies Guild has grasped opportunities for service too numerous to mention. At one time, the men of the church gathered in a Men's Club for Christian fellowship and service. For a number of years the Men's Club presented a Minstrel Show. They built elaborate stage sets and dressed in flashy costumes made by some of the ladies. People evidently enjoyed the fun presentations, because one show drew an attendance of 1300 people. The Solos, an organization for widows, met quarterly to share in Christian fellowship, always ready to give support to those who had been bereaved. The Retreads, retired senior citizens, meet twice a month for growth in Christian knowledge and Christian love which they share with each other. They always stand ready to offer service to meet whatever opportunities God offers the church. Whether it was teaching Sunday-school, singing in a choir, making evangelism calls every week, caring for people with Stephen Ministry, leading a small group Bible study, serving on a board or committee, or manning a booth at the Saginaw County Fair to share the Gospel, God's people at Peace have seized the opportunity for service. If manual labor was needed, digging a drain-tile trench, pouring concrete, refinishing the gym floor, cleaning the church, mowing the lawn, trimming the schrubbery or tearing down a garage, people answered the call. The house was the Lord's. Their service was an offering given for Him with joy and thanksgiving. Peace Church's history is a true story of God's love and blessings. It is also an account of God's people turning in love to their Lord in worship and dedicating themselves, their time, and talents and treasures to the sharing of the message of His saving love with each other, with our community, and throughout the world. Our God certainly will not cease to bless and we, His people, will not cease to praise Him with our words and actions in all future years. |
