Chicago Lutheran History: Concordia Lutheran Church– 1891
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In 1896, the German Lutheran churches of Chicago published Geschichte der Gründung und Ausbreitung der zur Synode von Missouri, Ohio und Andern Staaten gehörenden Evangelisch-Lutherischen Gemeinden U. A. C. zu Chicago, Illinois, a history of their growth in the city beginning with First St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, now located on LaSalle and Goethe streets in Chicago. As far as I know, there is no English translation of this document, so I offer this translation to share this history with you. Follow me to get updates about the rest of this work.
Concordia Evangelical Lutheran Church is still located at Belmont and Washtenaw in the Avondale neighborhood. Concordia’s church building is unique among the Lutheran churches I have visited. Most Lutheran congregations in Chicago follow the popular architectural trend at the time they were built. St. Matthew and Holy Cross have basically the same structure with only minor variations.
Similarly, First Bethlehem and Grace Lutheran Church have interiors that follow the same pattern as well. Notice the arch of the ceiling, how the pillars are constructed, and even the curve of the pews.
Some of the newer churches follow similar patterns as well. Here is Messiah Lutheran Church and St. Paul Lutheran Church. Notice how the ceiling has the same shape and bracings, and the side aisles have similar arches.
While Concordia has some similar elements, it doesn’t follow the pattern as closely as others built in this era. The decorative arches that come down to a point are the most obvious.
If you have been following along with the translation, you’ll notice that each history gets a little shorter, because the younger congregations have less history. Simple, right? Concordia was founded only 5 years before the book was published. The next church, St. Philip, was founded in the same year as it was published.
Evangelical Lutheran Concordia Congregation
On the 29th of June 1891, 6 members of Evangelical Lutheran Christ Congregation who lived in Avondale were released to found a congregation, the Evangelical Lutheran Concordia Congregation. As their pastor, the new congregation called Pastor P. Brauns, who was the associate pastor at that time of the Evangelical Lutheran St. Matthew Congregation. After the school building, located on California and Center Avenue, had become too small for the quickly growing congregation, they decided, in December of that year, to build a church on a plot donated to the congregation and located at Belmont and Washtenaw Avenue. This happened.
In April 1893, Concordia congregation’s large beautiful church was dedicated. The number of members in the congregation and the school grew quickly. In September 1893, Teacher P. Appelt was called, who still is active in the school, and, in August 1894, they set up the second class, which was provisionally maintained. Unfortunately, this young congregation had to overcome very many difficulties. But this was the worst of them: In May 1895, their pastor at the time ignored all the repeated advice and exhortations of his brothers in ministry, resigned his office in a reckless, irresponsible way, formed an opposition church with the largest part of the congregation, and joined the union synod.
The small congregation found itself in an extremely difficult situation. But in their great need they also experienced the help of the Lord, who is the true guide and helper. He gave the forlorn congregation first a faithful pastor in the person of Pastor C. F. Dietz, and then he saw to it that the troubled congregation would receive help through the brotherly love of their sister congregations in all Illinois and in Chicago.
Pastor Dietz was installed into his office on the 18th Sunday after Trinity, 1895 by Pastor E. Werfelman with the assistance of the pastors F. Döderlein and J. E. A. Müller. Ever since then, the congregation once again increased and grew strong. It is one year after the split has passed, and already the number of members of the congregation has more than doubled in this timeframe. Concordia currently numbers 80 voting members and 285 communicant members. Also, progress is being joyfully made in the school, which now is attended by 90 children, and so the second class was recently set up, in which the pastor of the congregation temporarily teaches.
