90 Years of Mission-Driven Stewardship

Prologue

The year 1919 was not one of notable achievement in the United States.  The country was winding down from the Involvement in World War I, which had ended on November 11, 1918 with the signing of the Armistice.   Almost 4.5 million Americans had served in that war and over 125,000 had died in uniform.  The influenza epidemic of 1918-1919 claimed 76,000 American soldiers and 500,000 American citizens with a total of 27,000,000 deaths worldwide.  In January 1919 President Woodrow  Wilson helped open a peace conference in Paris with his fourteen points for an equitable peace and the creation of the League of Nations.  President Wilson spent that year working on behalf of his plan to no avail in this country.  In November the Congress voted down his proposal and our nation never did join the League.  Broken in spirit President Wilson spent the fall of 1919 in bed.  On December 3rd he was able to send a message to Congress thanking them for passage of the labor legislation that established the eight hour work day.  In October of the same year, Congress also passed the Volstead Act, and prohibition was in.  Almost immediately bootleggers took over the distillers and helped to set the stage for the roaring twenties.

Here in Indianapolis, Booth Tarkington won the 1919 Pulitzer Prize for fiction with his satirical presentation of Midwestern life in “The Magnificent Ambersons”.  Tarkington wrote his novel a short distance from Our Redeemer, and no doubt it reflected the life he witnessed in the burgeoning and affluent north side of Indianapolis.  On Saturday, December 13, 1919, the Indianapolis Star reported that a group of Lutherans would be conducting their first service in English at 10:30 the following morning at the Garrick Theater located at 30^th and Illinois Streets.

The significant feature of the announcement of that first service was that it was to be in English.  The sponsoring body of this service was the English District of the Evangelische Synode of Missouri, Ohio and andere Staaten.  The District owed its origin to a group of English speaking Lutherans in the southeastern part of the United States.  A small group of them from the Carolinas and Tennessee helped to organize an English Synod in rural Gravelton, Missouri in 1872.  That group found themselves in agreement with the Missouri Synod and made repeated overtures to join them, but language remained a barrier.

The Missouri Synod did assist the English Synod financially to maintain its two schools at Winfield, Kansas and Conover, North Carolina.  The English Synod also produced Sunday school literature, published an English Hymnal and a journal called “The Lutheran Witness”.  On May 15, 1911, members of the English Synod, in session at Redeemer Lutheran Church in St. Louis, marched to Holy Cross Lutheran Church, where the Missouri Synod was in session, to celebrate their merger.  A young seminarian by the name of William H. Eifert was present to thrill to the inspiration when finally the two synods celebrated their union with the singing of the Te Deum.  The English Synod, which was now a district of the Missouri Synod, lost no time in establishing English missions in the metropolitan centers of America.

A Beginning

So it was that in the spring of 1919 Mr. Henry W. Fechtman wrote to the Mission Board of the English District, Missouri Synod, asking for their help in establishing an English Lutheran Church in a new section of Indianapolis.  Mr. Fechtman was spokesman for a group of eleven Missouri Synod families who had moved into the expansion of Indianapolis north of Fall Creek.  All were members of existing Missouri Synod Lutheran Churches in older parts of the city, but felt the need for a new Lutheran Church worshipping in English and more conveniently located near their homes.

The response was immediate.  The English District Mission Board called William H. Eifert, who had been serving for five years in Kansas City, Missouri.  He arrived in Indianapolis as a Missionary-at-Large early in November 1919.  A meeting was held on December 9^th in Mr. Fechtman’s home where Pastor Eifert met the eleven Lutheran laymen.  What transpired next is related to a quote from page 1 of the minute’s book of the group?  “Upon request of Mr. Fechtman the members of the various churches in the city reported the results from different church meetings as to their requests for permission to cooperate with the Missionary from the English District, with the object in view of starting an English Lutheran Congregation in the northern part of the city.  The members reported that they received permission to cooperate in this move”.

After surveying and preparing the field, the newspaper announcement of the worship service did appear and the first worship service was held.  The congregation worshipped at the theatre for over two and a half years.  Rev. Guido Schuessler, pastor of the 2000 member English congregation in Chicago and a member of the English District Mission Board, was preacher for the first service and installed Pastor Eifert as Missionary-at-Large to the area.  One hundred fifty people arrived to worship at the Garrick Theater that December 14^th.

What was so striking about this beginning was that the initiative came from aggressive lay people who were determined to establish a congregation to serve this area and also be relevant to the day.  They carried on their daily business, their commerce and their neighborhood activities in English.  They decided they and their children should be instructed and worship in the language that was part of their social interplay.

At the home of Charles F. Piel, a group of men met on the afternoon of Sunday, February 15, 1920, for the purpose of organizing an English Lutheran congregation.  A number of preliminary meetings had been held, a committee had drafted a constitution, and all was ready for a memorable event.  A prayer was spoken; a resolution was offered to organize an English Lutheran congregation; it was unanimously adopted.  “Our Redeemer” was chosen as the name of the new congregation.  The constitution was accepted and solemnly signed by the charter members.  Officers were elected and Rev. Eifert was chosen as pastor of Our Redeemer.  It was resolved the congregation would become self-sustaining at once.

A landmark motion adopted in March 1920 made it official that men and women could approach the altar together to receive communion.  Another important matter in March was formation of Dorcus Society, which has contributed mightily to the mission and ministry of Our Redeemer.

At about the same time, some members in the Missouri Synod proposed the use of English in the worship services to replace German which was the official language of the synod until 1935.  Some like-minded Lutherans in metropolitan Indianapolis flocked to the new English Lutheran Church.

After a search of several months, a permanent site for the church building was selected and at 8:00 a.m. on October 21, 1921, a group of members gathered at the corner of Fairfield and Park Avenues for the ground breaking ceremony.  On Sunday afternoon, November 27, 1921, members and friends of Our Redeemer gathered for laying of the cornerstone.  Rev. Rudolf F. Zimmerman, Pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Indianapolis, preached the sermon.

A day of rejoicing was Sunday, June 25, 1922 when the church building was dedicated to the Glory of God.  The morning sermon was preached by Rev. Martin Walker of Buffalo, New York, vice-president of the English District, Missouri Synod.  Pastor Eifert spoke the dedicatory prayer.  The speaker for the afternoon service was Rev. W.G. Polack, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church of Evansville, and the pulpit was filled by Rev. H.C. Steinhof from Chicago for the evening service.

The cost of the church building and furnishings exceeded $60,000, on which an indebtedness of $33,000 remained.  The bank loan was at a rate of six percent.  The building was financed without the aid of the Synod’s Church Extension Fund.

In the ensuing years

The congregation has had to respond to many and varied challenges.  In the fall of 1936 the church building was in need of major repair due to a faulty structure in the sub-soil.  More than $10,000 was poured underground in the form of concrete to send the foundations of the church down to solid load-bearing soil.  Far from being discouraged, the congregation spent an additional $3,000 for re-decorating the church and for new equipment.  On Sunday, March 14, 1937 a day of thanksgiving dedicating anew the house of worship to the Lord’s service was held.

For some time the need for additional facilities for Sunday school and church office purposes was felt.  Fortunately, property adjoining the church on Park Avenue became available.  It was purchased in February, 1941 and the resulting indebtedness was quickly liquidated.  Our Redeemer then controlled frontage of about 150 feet on Park Avenue providing space for possible future expansion.  The north side of the double residence was converted at once for use by the church with a small chapel in the front room while other rooms provided space for the pastor’s study and the church office and Sunday school classrooms.  Pastor and Mrs. Eifert occupied the south side of the double residence as the parsonage.  An additional double house to the south along Park Avenue was purchased for Sunday school use in March of 1949.

With the approach of the twenty-fifth anniversary, a spontaneous movement developed to beautify the house of worship.  Within a period of three years, seven stained glass windows, rich in design and color, were installed, gifts to the Church by a number of generous donors.  In the fall of 1944 the interior of the church was artistically re-decorated.

In 1953 a group of Our Redeemer members were given peaceful release to form Pilgrim Congregation on the far north side.  When Our Redeemer selected its name in 1920, “Pilgrim” had been the other name considered.

In 1955 a new three room addition was constructed with space for Sunday school and Youth programs.  In 1960 a resolution was passed to acquire all the remaining real estate along both Park Avenue and Broadway Street as it became available.  This process was continued for several years but was never fully completed.  Also in 1960, property was purchased at 3645 Watson Road to serve as a parsonage.  The property was later sold.

Our Redeemer began an inner-city ministry in September 1961, “Christ, the Redeemer Chapel” at 1823 Central Avenue.  Thanks to the efforts of volunteers from the congregation, this inner-city building was converted to a place where children of the neighborhood came together on Sunday afternoon and evening for times of inspiration.  This effort continued until November 1966, when Our Redeemer passed the baton for this inner-city ministry to the Federation of Lutheran Churches of Indianapolis.

Our Redeemer decided in June 1964 to remain at the Park Avenue location and re-affirm its historic program as a metropolitan parish ministering to all people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  So in September 1965 construction of the Education Building was started.  It was completed at a cost of over $330,000.  Property previously purchased at 62^nd and Rucker Road was sold to help finance the expansion.

In December 1970 Our Redeemer joined with North United Methodist and Tabernacle Presbyterian Churches to form the Tri-Church Council.  This organization, formed to witness and minister to the needs of the neighborhood, was later expanded as other churches joined, and became the Mid-North Church Council.

On May 22, 1973 the constitution’s bylaws were amended giving women voting rights, and they became eligible to hold elective office in the congregation.

A motion was adopted on May 20, 1976:  “That the English District remain in the Missouri Synod, but if that were not possible, to establish the English Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church”.  This was followed on September 29, 1976 by action of the congregation to leave the Missouri Synod and join the new English Synod at its first convention on November 12, 1976.  The vote was 125 to 12 in favor of this move.  The congregation later participated in the merger that created the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Following the final service of Our Redeemer’s 75^th Anniversary year, Pastor Harry Huxhold, who had served the congregation since 1965, submitted a letter of resignation to the congregation and offered his services to the Indiana/Kentucky Synod.  After a brief period of service as a vacancy pastor, he accepted a position at King of Glory Lutheran Church in Carmel.  His departure presented a period of difficulty for the congregation.

Renewing Our Redeemer’s Mission

Pastor Lyle McKee, called as co-Pastor in 1992, continued to serve at Our Redeemer and many efforts were undertaken to broaden the congregation’s outreach to neighborhood residents.  Most significant was the creation of Redeemer Hospitality Mission (RHM) in 1996.  This separate corporation housed at Our Redeemer, was granted 501 (c) 3 status allowing it to receive tax deductable grants and bequests for work among our neighbors.  In 1996 Our Redeemer, through the auspices of RHM, initiated an after school program for neighborhood children in cooperation with Gleaners Food Bank.  Initially known as “Kids Café”, the program evolved into a larger program on four week nights known as “Jump Start”, with tutoring and other activities in addition to an evening meal. 

The spring following the start of the after school program, Martin Mahlsan, a student at Concordia College in North Dakota, brought an idea to the congregation for a summer program known as “Simple Belief”.  This program evolved into the continuing summer day camp named “Son Seekers”.  The program has served about 45 neighborhood children with a six week program for over 13 years.

In addition to the outreach programs of RHM and the congregation, significant investments in Our Redeemer’s facilities have been made over the past 15 years.  These include the following:

A new sign was constructed on the corner of Fairfield and Park Avenues.  This allows Our Redeemer to share information with neighbors and passers-by about what is going within the walls of our building.

Major restoration was done on the exterior of the 1922 sanctuary building, including tuck-pointing, cleaning of the limestone accents and plaster repair and repainting of the interior.

A new electronic organ was purchased thanks to a major bequest.  This new organ replaced the pipe organ that had been rebuilt and expanded as part of the 6oth Anniversary celebrations.  The old pipe organ was in need of extensive repairs and was difficult to keep in tune.

A new entryway with a lift was constructed on the south side of the building next to the parking lot.  This idea was first considered as part of the 60^th Anniversary but was viewed to be too expensive.  Two major bequests totaling over $150,000 allowed Our Redeemer to make this new entry with lift a reality.  For the first time all three levels of the education building were now accessible to all our members and visitors.

Rehabilitation of the undercroft of the 1922 sanctuary building was undertaken and a neighborhood center known as the “Sonshine Family Drop-in Center “was created.  This space had been underutilized for several years following departure of the Mapleton-Fall Creek Development Corporation to their new location.  The rehabilitation work was accomplished with major volunteer assistance from Resurrection Lutheran Church on the south side of Indianapolis and with assistance from members of Our Redeemer congregation.  Funding came from many sources both inside and outside the congregation.  A small portion of funds from a member’s bequest  supplemented computer upgrade funding from Lilly Endowment allowing the creation of the computer learning center in the drop-in center.

Another major improvement was the re-roofing of the 1922 sanctuary building.  This work replaced the old tile roof with a new shingle roof with a forty year life.  The old tile roof required constant attention and continued to leak despite repairs.  This new roof addressed many areas that had persistent leaks.

The most recent improvements included rehabilitation and modernization of the sanctuary for the 85^th Anniversary.  This work, made possible with grant money from Lilly Endowment and gifts of many members, altered the choir loft to provide expanded space for the choir and additional musicians.  This idea had first been considered as part of the 60^th Anniversary Celebration proposals.  The altar area was also expanded and the pews were moved to allow more space for communicants to move across the sanctuary to approach the altar.  In addition the sanctuary was redecorated in a warmer color scheme with a white ceiling to better reflect lighting, and it was re-carpeted for the first time since the 50^th Anniversary.

New Leadership in the 21^st Century

In the fall of 2003 Pastor McKee announced he had accepted a call to serve St. Thomas Lutheran Church in Bloomington as their pastor.  Rev. Max Blankenburg, long time member of Our Redeemer, agreed to serve as Interim Pastor.

The call process was initiated early in 2004, and Rev Keith Kriesel was called as Our Redeemer’s new Pastor.  He arrived in October 2004 and was installed on January 16, 2005.  Pastor Kriesel continues to serve Our Redeemer Congregation as we celebrate our 90^th Anniversary under our new constitution.  The congregation faithfully looks forward to our centennial celebration in 2020.