Redeemer Lutheran Church (Elmhurst, Illinois)
Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church | ||
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41°53′28″N 87°56′18″W / 41.8912°N 87.9384°W | ||
Location | 345 S. Kenilworth Ave. Style Neo-Baroque and Gothic | |
Groundbreaking | October 1929 | |
Completed | May 1930 | |
Clergy | ||
Senior pastor(s) | Rev. Anthony Oliphant |
Redeemer Lutheran Church is a congregation of the
This church is designed in a reserved mixture of Gothic and Neo-Baroque styles, and possesses artwork covering a number of different movements, including medieval-style stained glass, carved wooden doors, and a contemporary piece representing the Holy Spirit which hangs in the northern transept.
History
Founding
Founded at an April 19, 1928 meeting at
The fledgling congregation chose to join the
Church building
In January 1929 the group purchased land in an elm-shaded residential area at the northwest corner of Kenilworth Avenue and St. Charles Road as the future site for their church. In April of that year they hired the Hotchkiss & Edgar architectural partners, the same firm that had designed Immanuel Lutheran, to design the Elmhurst building, and held the groundbreaking ceremony on Sunday, October 20, 1929. The building was initially larger than was strictly required by the size of the congregation, but members expected the congregation to grow through missionary outreach.[4]
The church building, described at the time as a restrained modern Gothic-style building, was complete by May 18, 1930 and was characterized as "one of the most attractive and imposing houses of worship in Elmhurst." Three worship services were planned for the dedication activities. At 10:45 a.m. Rev. W. F. Wilk of St. Louis preached, while Erwin Miller led Redeemer's choir. At 3:00 p.m. Rev. G. Schuessler, president of the English District, preached a sermon, while the St. John Lutheran Church choir of La Grange, Illinois, sang. LCMS vice-president Rev. William Dallmann preached at the 8:00 p.m. service, with singing by the West Suburban Male Quartet. On the three subsequent evenings services were led by English District vice-president Rev. E. F. Haertel; Rev. O. E. Geiseman, of Oak Park; and Rev. W. H. Prange, of Oak Park; with the St. John Lutheran male chorus providing special music.[5]
Church pipe organ
Initially, the church was equipped with a Møller pipe organ, but the instrument was repossessed by the organ builder during the Great Depression.[6] In 1953, a new Reuter organ was installed to take its place. Fifty years later, congregational leaders, led by cantor and organist Ann Burns, began to interview area companies to obtain bids on reconditioning and enhancing the Reuter organ. Berghaus Organ Co. of Bellwood, Illinois was hired for the job, which was funded by church members' sponsorship of individual pipes from the new ranks. Congregants who thus “bought” a pipe were entitled to take home one of the old pipes removed in the renovation. After six months of renovation, the pipe organ was rededicated on May 23, 2004. The ceremony featured four choirs singing hymns based on the Nicene Creed and highlighting the seasons of the liturgical year; the organ was backed by instrumentalists from the congregation.[6]
Expansion
Responding to what the pastor called “growing pains”, in 1955 the church added an annex to the north side of its 25-year-old structure to provide classroom space for its “Christian education activities.” In the groundbreaking ceremony on September 26, 1954, Rev. Setzer used the same shovel he had previously used in 1929 to break ground for the main building. The annex was dedicated with Rev. Dr. A. R. Kretzmann of St. Luke Lutheran Church of Logan Square, Chicago, presiding.[7]
On January 2, 1972, Redeemer celebrated the opening of “Titus Place,” across the street from the church, with a furnished kitchen, two classroom areas for meetings or
In 1977 a leaded stained-glass window was installed above the chancel; the window had been donated by congregation charter members Dr. & Mrs. Edward Marquardt 25 years earlier, in 1952.[9]
Pastors
Rev. Worth Setzer, a 1923 graduate of Concordia Seminary of St. Louis, Missouri, was installed on October 7, 1928 as Redeemer Lutheran Church’s first pastor. Setzer had previously been pastor of St. Stephens Lutheran Church in his hometown of Hickory, North Carolina.[3]
In February 1958 founding pastor Rev. Setzer left Redeemer for the pastorate of First Lutheran Church,
Bornemann left Redeemer in the middle of 1976 after being elected president of the English District of the LCMS and was succeeded by Rev. Richard Drews on May 15, 1977.[9]
On March 30, 2003, the congregation installed Rev. Robert Fitzpatrick as pastor. He had been serving this non-geographic district as the president’s executive assistant for missions, and he had previously served for 18 years with a suburban Cleveland congregation and for ten years with a small-town Nebraska church.[11]
Next in line, Rev. Scott Stiegemeyer, took on his responsibilities on January 24, 2010, and served until June 7, 2015, after which he took a call to Concordia University Irvine as an Assistant Professor of Theology and Bioethics.[12]
Redeemer's pastoral vacancy was filled by Rev. H. David Brummer. The current pastor, Rev. Anthony Oliphant, was installed on October 11, 2015, by the Rev. Dr. Jamison Hardy, Bishop of the English District.[13] Both Rev. Stiegemeyer and Rev. Oliphant are more-recent graduates of Concordia Theological Seminary of Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Previous ministers
Former senior ministers of Redeemer Lutheran Church, with their years of appointment:
- Rev. Worth A. Setzer (1928-1959)
- Rev. George W. Bornemann (1959-1976)
- Richard D. Drews (1977-2002)
- Robert Fitzpatick (2003-2010)
- Scott Stiegemeyer (2010-2015)
- Anthony Oliphant (2015- )
Notes
- ^ Redeemer Lutheran Church, Pastors and Staff
- ^ New Church Organized in Town
- ^ a b Redeemer Calls First Pastor
- ^ Redeemer Church Builds
- ^ Redeemer Lutheran Church dedicated Worship Facility
- ^ a b Redeemer Lutheran Pipe Organ Re-Dedicated
- ^ Redeemer Expands Facilities for Education Needs
- ^ Redeemer Begins New Year Dedicating Parish Center
- ^ a b Redeemer Church Welcomes New Pastor
- ^ The Rev. George Bornemann Welcomed by Redeemer
- ^ Redeemer Lutheran Calls its Fourth Pastor
- ^ Concordia University Irvine, Scott Stiegemeyer: Assistant Professor of Theology and Director of Pre-Seminary & Pre-Deaconess Studies Programs.
- ^ Redeemer Lutheran Church, Redeemer Lutheran Church, Rev. Oliphant Installation, October 11, 2015.