Chicago Lutheran History- St. Andrew
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.
St. Andrew Lutheran Church is still at it’s original location in Chicago, 3658 S Honore St. The congregation was a member of The Lutheran Church––Missouri Synod until they left in 1973 for doctrinal reasons, an era in which in the LCMS throughout the country was split over differing beliefs about the way we use the Bible. St. Andrew reaches a diverse neighborhood, including a ministry to Chinese speakers. Since my research focuses on current LCMS churches, I won’t have as many pictures as I normally would.
The Evangelical Lutheran St. Andrew Congregation
In the year 1883, since several of their members and visitors settled farther southwest, it became necessary for Trinity congregation to found a school district in Brighton Park. To this end, three plots were purchased on Wood Street between 36th and 37th streets, on which a single-story brick building was erected for the school. On the 28th of October, 1883, on the 23rd Sunday after Trinity, The building was consecrated, and the school opened on the following day with 45 children.
Professor Th. Brohm from Addison held the inaugural address. Teacher W. F. Diener, teacher in Beardstown, Illinois, had been called as the teacher. Until the year 1888, this part of Trinity congregation remained a mission district, during which Pastor L. Lochner held the divine service in the school building every second and fourth Sunday of the month in the afternoon and every Wednesday evening during Advent and Lent.
On the 5th of March 1885, the Lutherans who lived in and around Brighton Park assembled as the Evangelical Lutheran St. Andrew Congregation. They called not only their previous teacher W. F. Diener immediately as the congregation’s school teacher, but Pastor W. C. Kohn, previously the associate pastor of St. James congregation, was also called as the pastor of St Andrew Congregationon the 13th of May, 1888. After taking the call, Pastor Kohn was installed into his office on the 8th of July 1888, the 6th Sunday after Trinity, by Pastor L. Lchner with the assistance of Pastor W. Uffenbecks.
Since the school had to be enlarged into two classes, the congregation had built a large, beautifully furnished schoolhouse in which divine service was held in the upper room and the school underneath it. This building was dedicated on the 15th of July 1888, the seventh Sunday after Trinity, at which pastor H. Engelbrecht held the festival sermon.
Under God’s blessing, the congregation and school grew quickly. Soon four classes were arranged. Teacher W. F. Diener taught in the first class, Teacher H. Christopher in the second, Teacher J. Landeck in the third, and teacher H. Pröhl in the fourth class with great blessing even now.
Since the school building now had to be assigned to its original purpose and the congregation had no place for their divine services, the congregation felt it necessary, notwithstanding the large expenses, to undertake the building of an appropriately large church. Trusting in God, they went about construction, and soon it was finished. The church, a large, well-furnished house of God, graced with two towers, equipt with a three-tone chime, a splendid organ, and gothic high altar, was consecrated on the 24th of January, the 3rd Sunday after Epiphany, 1892. The pastors L. Lochner, L. Hölter, and Theodor Kohn preached.
The congregation numbers: 345 voting members and 1,433 communicant members. It has a school with 397 children and four teachers.
