Church History

History of Our Savior's

In September of 1872, a group of Danish people met and

 organized what is now Our Savior's Lutheran Church.

These people named their new church the Danish

Evangelical Lutheran Church and for the first fifty years,

Danish was the only language used in both church and

Sunday School.  For the first two years, Rev. Rasmus

Anderson of Waupaca made the long trip by horse and

buggy for monthly services.  His salary was $100 a year. 

In 1874, the Rev. Niels Thomsen became the first resident

pastor.  He was a man who 'spoke straight out' and loved

singing.  He was well respected by his congregation.

In the late 1920's Danish was being replaced by English at some services, and by 1930 the word 'Danish' was taken out of the church's official name.  We were now 'Our Savior's Lutheran Church'.

In 1954 land was purchased on South Commercial Street and in 1956 a new church was built and dedicated.  We are still in this location today, having had a major remodel/addition in 2010.

History of the ELCA

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America was formed over 20 years ago. This new church was formed from three separate and well-established North American church bodies:  

       *  The American Lutheran Church 

       *  The Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches, and

       *  The Lutheran Church in America.

Beginning January 1, 1988, these churches, with shared beliefs and missions, officially formed the ELCA. Two decades later, this energized church is composed of 4.8 million members and nearly 10,500 congregations across the U.S. and Caribbean. Today, the ELCA reflects the rich and diverse heritage of the people it serves.

But to understand our heritage fully, one must trace our roots back through the mid-17th century, when early Lutherans came to America from Europe, settling in the Virgin Islands and the area that is now known as New York. Even before that, Martin Luther sought reform for the church in the 16th century, laying the framework for our beliefs.

Go to our own What is the ELCA page >>