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St. John’s Lutheran Church

Johnson Creek

October 1, 2010

JOHNSON CREEK — St. John’s Lutheran Church of Johnson Creek will be observing its 125th anniversary Sunday, October 3.

The regular Saturday night service will not be held and the congregation and visitors will celebrate at the 9 a.m. Sunday service.

The service will be followed by a potluck luncheon served by the women of the church.

Some of the longest members of the congregation will be honored.

The service will also note several first occasions of the church, including the first baptism, first confirmation, first wedding service, first funeral, first communion, first choir, first women’s society and first men’s group.

Music for the service will be from the 1885 time period.

The Evangelical Lutheran Congregation of St. John’s was founded in February of 1885 by several former members of the Evangelical Lutheran Congregation in Farmington and some other Lutherans living in the Johnson Creek area, but without a church affiliation.

People purchased, for $700, an old, unused Baptist Church and the lot on which the present church and parsonage stand.

On Oct. 4, 1885, the congregation celebrated the dedication of the church and the installation of Pastor Johannes Becker from Welcome, Minn. At that time there were 41 members.

The congregation continued to grow, but there were conflicts over allowing lodge members.

In 1893, the congregation approved the construction of a new parsonage for $800. The old parsonage is still used by the village at 230 Watertown St. and became the home of a former church member.

In the winter of 1894-95, additional members of the congregation joined lodges, which again raised the concerns of the pastor. A special congregational meeting was called and a small majority decided that no lodge members would be admitted as members of the congregation.

On Nov. 8, 1896, Becker was succeeded by Pastor Henrich Haferman from Chippewa Falls.

The issue of lodge members arose again in the summer of 1899. A special congregational meeting was held again and it was decided by the majority that in the future, members of the congregation who were sympathetic with lodge membership would lose their rights as members of the congregation.

Haferman was called to pastor at Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ripon and their pastor, Pastor Zimmerman came from Ripon to Johnson Creek. He resigned in the fall of 1909 and Pastor Otto Pett of Watertown was called. He was installed on Nov. 21, 1909, and served until 1927.

On July 3, 1910, the cornerstone for the new church was laid. A church bell, which weighed 1,000 pounds and cost about $500, was also dedicated.

On April 16, 1925, the congregation celebrated its 40th anniversary. On Aug. 28, 1927, Pastor G.H. Herbener, who had been pastor at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church of Van Dyke, Mich., was installed. He left in 1941 and Pastor Keiser served for 11 years, during which many changes and improvements were made.

Services were held every Sunday in English and German. Until this time, St. John’s was a congregation unaffiliated with any synod. In 1927, it was received into the Iowa Synod. Today, St. John’s is affiliated with the American Lutheran Church.

In 1935, the congregation celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Keiser was released from St. John’s in order to devote his time to the new Trinity Church of Lake Mills. The Rev. Melvin Miritz of Ohio, Ill., succeeded the pastor. In 1956, Miritz accepted a call to a church in Racine and in 1956 Pastor F.E. Bloede of Fall Creek accepted St. John’s call.

The 75th Diamond Anniversary was held in 1960. In 1965, Bloede was succeeded by Pastor Luther Larson of Montana. In 1975, Larson accepted a call to Trinity Lutheran in Sparta and after a few months Pastor Michael Ideran from Highland- Avoca area accepted the call. He left in 1979 and Pastor Cyril Jandry accepted the call. The church celebrated its centennial anniversary in 1985.

In Sept. of 1993, Jandry retired and Pastor Joyce Heintz was installed on Oct. 16, 1994. She resigned on Jan. 15, 2000, and Pastor Keith Johnson began his ministry at St. John’s on Aug. 1, 2000. He resigned on May 31, 2009, and Pastor Larry Pinnow was hired as interim pastor. On Saturday, Oct. 9, at 2 p.m., the church will ordain Pastor Matthew Smith-Laubenstein. Fellowship will follow.

Over the years, the church has gone through many building and remodeling projects. Large stained glass windows were completed in 1998 and its sound system was upgraded in 2002. The church steeple was totally refurbished in 2003. The congregation is currently moving toward with a plan for handicap accessibility.