IMMANUEL LUTHERAN CHURCH AND SCHOOL
OUR HISTORY
100 YEARS IN THE MAKING
Humble Beginnings
Steadfast. When you start out from a log cabin styled church in Kansas to where we are now it's amazing what God does. He's been steadfastly working through it's people and sharing the Gospel message. Jesus said that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. It's comforting in a world full of change that God doesn't. In fact, that's what Immanuel means in Hebrew, "God with Us."
The Frontier to
Fellowship
In 1860 Lutherans and other Evangelical Christian European immigrants arriving in New York were recruited to settle in the Kansas Territory, helping ensure it would enter the Union as a free state. As homesteaders labored to carve out a life on the frontier, they soon realized that “one thing needful” was missing—the Word of God and Christian fellowship.
In response, a young seminary graduate from Fort Wayne, Indiana, Pastor F. W. Lange, was sent. Traveling by train to Iowa and then by open wagon for three weeks, he later wrote, “We were under God’s open sky by day and night… we bought bread from settlers and brewed our coffee wherever we stopped.”
On August 13, 1861, Pastor Lange arrived at the log cabin of pioneer Christian F. Wetzel. Just days later, on August 17, he led the first Lutheran service there.
From the Clark's Creek base in the cramped loft of the cabin, in one year he organized multiple preaching and teaching stations in seen locations within horse travel range. Each preaching station was visited every 3 weeks as he taught Bible history and catechism to young families. By 1871, ten Lutheran Church Missouri Synod congregations were established.
St. Paul's Clark Creek near Junction City, Kansas is the "mother" congregation of Immanuel Lutheran. Immanuel was organized on May 3rd, 1926. The Reverend Frederic J. Raasch was installed as Pastor in January 1940. On May 10th, 1942 dedication service was held for the building at 7th and Madison, now the Flint Hills Church. The guest speaker for the dedication of the new building at that time was Dr. Walter A. Maier of the Lutheran Hour.
The Reverend Arnold Oldehoeft was installed as Pastor in September 1946. A Christian Day School was constructed and dedicated to the Glory of God on July 18, 1954 with an enlargement of the same being accomplished in 1957.
The Reverend Arlen Bruns was installed in February 10th, 1964 and served until the position of President of the Kansas District.
The Reverend Kenneth Studtmann was installed as Pastor in August 1970. As a part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Immanuel, a new pipe organ was installed and dedicated.
Original 7th St and Madison location
630 S Eisenhower
The Reverend Donovan J. Sprick was installed as Pastor in November 1976. In 1986, the congregation voted to trade the church at 7th and Madison for the uncompleted First Assembly of God church at the present location, 630 South Eisenhower.
The Immanuel Lutheran School was also sold as the new building was being constructed to include classrooms for the day school. The church and school were dedicated to the Glory of God on November 29, 1987.
Since that time, Immanuel has been served by God's undershepherds: Reverends: David C Mueller, Robert Schermbeck, Matthew Christensen, Alan Estby, and currently: George Timothy "Tim" McCall.
