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History
from the Diamond Jubilee Booklet, May 7, 1961
God's Story in our History
Our Beginnings
Shortly after the first Hastings and Dakota steam locomotive crossed the frontier plains of southwestern Minnesota, the village of Renville was founded. The townsite was platted and surveyed in September, 1878. Already in 1879 the village had its first railroad agent and postmaster. Land companies bought up thousands of acres and offered them to newcomers at attractive prices. Sales commenced from $8.00 an acre, soon rising to $10.00 and $12.00, and by 1890 had reached $15.00. After 1884 large numbers of immigrants representing many European nations settled in and about Renville. Hollanders, Norwegians, and Germans made up the majority.
Many of the German pioneers made their new homes on the farm. Realizing that their heavenly Father had blessed the land with fertility they trusted that he would supply them with food, clothing, and the other necessities of life. However, they did not forget their Savior's words to first seek God's Kingdom and His righteousness. Therefore they gathered together to hear the saving gospel of Jesus. Pastor Frederick Spindler of Bethany Lutheran Church in Emmet Township administered to their spiritual needs.
The Rev. Gervasius Fischer succeeded Rev. Spindler as pastor of Bethany congregation in 1886. He continued to serve the German Lutherans of the Renville area. Worship services were held in the public school house. Under his guidance the Renville group formally organized the German Evangelical Lutheran St. John's Church on June 13, 1886. The charter members were: Carl Diekow, August Penke, Claus Postel, August and Ludwig Hannemann, Wilhelm Goetz, Gustav Dusterhoft, Gustav Hermann, Albert Bratsch, Fritz Leistikow, and Michael Zarske. Between 1886 and 1888 God showed his presence by increasing his flock from eleven to twenty-six voting members. Bethany congregation of Emmet and St. John's of Renville formed a parish and were members of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Minnesota. (Note: The Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Minnesota is now the Minnesota District of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.)
Our First Resident Pastor
In May, 1888, St. John's congregation, separated from its mother church in Emmet to form a parish with St. Luke's Lutheran Church of Winfield Township. Using their God-given right to establish the office of public ministry in their midst the members of these two congregations called Pastor Paul Burkholz. He was installed January 6, 1889.
Our First Church Building
Because God added to His Church those who should be saved, the congregation at Renville realized the need of a church edifice. A lot had been purchased in 1888 for $25.00. Two more were added by donation. The cornerstone of the first church building was laid April 28, 1889. The wooden frame building was dedicated to the Triune God on October 20, 1889. The local pastor conducted the farewell service at the school house. Dedicatory sermons were preached by Pastor Fischer of Emmet, S. Deuber of Sleepy Eye, and A. Winter of St. Paul. It was indeed a solemn day of rejoicing in the Lord. (Note: The cornerstone of 1889 was found when the building was razed in 1958, but its box and papers had turned into ashes.) In late autumn of that same year a modest parsonage (26X16X14) was built at the cost of $425.00. A barn was also constructed for the pastor's horse and buggy.
The Cyclone of 1894
God revealed his power and goodness on Wednesday, June 27, 1894, when he allowed a cyclone to strike the east side of Renville. The high school and Norwegian Lutheran Church buildings were completely destroyed. The barn and wood shed of St. John's were leveled to the ground. The church and parsonage suffered only minor damage. Pastor Burkholz and his family were out of town at the time. His only loss was his sled and other small items.
In 1895 the congregation found it necessary to incorporate under the laws of the state of Minnesota. At that time it adopted its official name - the Evangelical Lutheran St. John's Congregation of Renville, Minnesota. The men who were elected to serve the church and aid in the work of the Lord were: Frederick Standfuss, president; F. H. Berning, secretary; Joachim Schemel, treasurer; Wm. Goetz, Herman Kaatz, and Gustav Hermann, elders; and Wm. Schufft, C. F. Diekow, and Gustav Stern, trustees.
In 1895 Pastor Henry Albrecht followed Pastor Burkholz as spiritual shepherd of the congregation. Pastor Albrecht left in 1899. In that same year God sent Pastor W. Ulrich to St. John's. After serving for three years he accepted a call to Germany. The pastors and people appreciated the ministry of reconciliation which God had entrusted to them.
Church Building Remodeled
Jesus' words "the harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few" were keenly felt. After calling several times without success the congregation finally received word from Pastor Martin Schuetze that God had moved him to accept its call. He was installed on May 17, 1903.
Because the Holy Spirit had led more to confess that Jesus is the Lord the building was enlarged and remodeled. A basement was dug to the south and the church moved on it. A front vestibule and altar niche were added. The seating capacity was increased with the addition of a balcony. A one-half ton bell was placed in the tower to call the people to praise their Redeemer. The cost of the renovation was $3,600.00. The church was rededicated to the everlasting and unchangeable Triune God on September 11, 1904. Pastors G. Albrecht and F. Kohler were the guest speakers. (Note: The contents of the 1904 cornerstone were found well preserved and were replaced in the stone which is now part of the east wall of the narthex of the new church.)
The congregation thanked God, the Lord of the Church, for his many blessings, both temporal and spiritual, which he bestowed upon it so abundantly during the first twenty-five years in special outdoor services on July 2, 1911. Pastors Fischer and Burkholz spoke praises to God.
1n 1913 Pastor Schuetze was succeeded by Pastor Rudolph Korn. The Rev. Korn served the people with the pure Word of God until 1918. His successor in office was the Rev. Reinhold Schierenbeck. A seven rank Reuter pipe organ was dedicated to the Lord's service May 29, 1921.
Our Fiftieth Anniversary
Pastor Schierenbeck accepted a call in 1929. St. John's congregation elected Pastor August Sauer to preach the gospel and administer the holy sacraments in its behalf. In the spring of 1931 the barn was replaced by a double garage. Stained glass windows and new light fixtures for the church were purchased by the Ladies' Aid that same year at a cost of $425.00.
On June 14, 1936, St. John's celebrated its fiftieth anniversary. Four former pastors were the guest speakers. The statistical records showed that God had kept His promise that His Word would not return to Him void. 607 souls were baptized in the name of God, 437 publicly confessed their faith in Jesus in the rite of confirmation, 116 couples asked God to bless their marriage, and 230 fell asleep in Jesus' name. The membership list showed 325 baptized souls, 230 communicants, and 78 voting members. The officers were Louis Grunert, president; Erich Blauert, secretary; Albert Lembke, treasurer; Ferdinand Lenz, Wm. Schemel, and Joachim Schemel, Jr., elders; and Albert Tolzman, August Wilcken, and Fred Kluth, trustees.
In 1943 new oak flooring was laid and new pews were installed. On September 1, 1943, Pastor Sauer resigned his sacred office because of ill health.
Our New Parsonage
The Rev. Wilbur Dorn was installed in January, 1944. On June 16, 1946, the congregation observed its sixtieth anniversary. Pastors Korn and Schierenbeck were the festival speakers. On that occasion, God was thanked for His care and watch over the thirty-three men and women who served in the armed forces during World War II. The anniversary bulletin revealed that the congregation numbered 371 souls, 296 communicants, and 96 voters. The officers were W. Markgraf, chairman; Charles Wulf, secretary; Albert Lembke, treasurer; Wm. Schemel, Albert Hoffman, and Wm. Pape, elders; and Fred Kluth, A. Goetz, and Robert Peik, trustees.
The present parsonage was dedicated to God September 16, 1951. Its cost was $17,000.00. In 1954 serious efforts were begun to raise money for a new church building. Pastor Dorn preached his farewell sermon September 25, 1955.
Our New Church Building
After a short vacancy the Rev. Lloyd Wenzel was installed as pastor on October 23, 1955. On April 5, 1956, the voters rejected the plan to remodel the church and adopted the resolution to build a new one. It was further resolved in the same meeting that 75% of the cost of the new church must be on hand before building operations could begin. A building committee of ten spent the next two years visiting the new churches in a hundred mile radius of Renville. In a special meeting called April 8, 1957, the voters rescinded the motion to have 75% of the necessary funds on hand. On April 8, 1958, the congregation gave the building committee the signal to commence construction. The church property was mortgaged to the sum of $56,000.00. The general contract was awarded to the Leo Schoenrock Construction Company of Garretson, South Dakota.
Worship services were held for the last time in the old church on April 13, 1958. On the next day the men of the congregation began tearing down the building which had housed the preaching of Christ and Him crucified for sixty-nine years. By the end of the week the grounds were cleared of wood and debris. Services were held in the auditorium of the public school house during the time of construction. After regular morning services the ground was broken May 4, 1958, and the cornerstone was laid June 15, 1958. A pre-dedication service was conducted March 8, 1959, an on May 3 the new church was formally set aside to the glory of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Pastors W. Dorn, Lester Schierenbeck, and District President M. Lenz preached the festival sermons. Some 2000 people were present. All raised their voices to God and thanked him for his rich blessings. The cost of the entire project was $110, 785.00.
Our Seventy-Fifth Anniversary
Our entire membership (360 communicant members and 515 baptized members), together with former members and friends, raise their happy voices in song to the Lord of the Church on this Diamond Jubilee. We cannot review the past history of our congregation without seeing the Lord's hand graciously guiding and supporting it in times of infancy and growth, peace and war, prosperity and depression, and last, but not least, times of truth and heresy. By the grace of God we still have the gracious Means of Grace in our midst, whereby the Lord our God grants his salvation in Christ Jesus, and nourishes our faith on the way to eternal life. Many, indeed, are the times when with sinful neglect and ingratitude the congregation made itself unworthy "of all the least of thy mercies." Yet the Lord in his mercy and faithfulness did not forsake and leave his redeemed people. Because the history of our congregation is God's story among us we say with the Psalmist: "The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad." (Ps. 126:3).
Soli Deo Gloria
from Rev. Lloyd Wenzel, May 15, 2000, upon the impending occasion of the congregations 125th Anniversary
Special Memories
I remember our arrival in Renville in 1955
Riding with me in the car with a South Dakota license were my wife Irma, our four young children-Ellen, Kenneth, Larry, Carol and a stray Indian mutt that we adopted ten years before. We moved into a large, comfortable house after living ten years in a small dwelling with the bathroom in the basement. One of our first visitors was the little neighbor girl, Jodie, who asked if we had a baby whom she could take care of.
I remember the old frame church building
It was a half-=century plus twenty years old. The nave had become too small for the size of the membership. There was little room for other activities. A Sunday School class was held in the furnace room. Two summer bible classes met in the parsonage basement and in the garage. The felt pads of the old organ often leaked air allowing the pipe to sound continuously. I climbed into the pipe chamber, searched for the trouble and glued the faulty pad so that the organ was ready to play the hymns Sunday morning.
I remember planning the new church building
A building committee of ten men spent many hours on the road visiting newly constructed churches in a radius of thirty miles of Renville. We carefully noted what we liked and what we disliked. After two years we met with an architect from Minneapolis who agreed to draw working plans according to our desires and needs. We also met with a contractor from South Dakota who specialized in building churches. He hired area bricklayers and local carpenters whom we knew had excellent reputations. After consulting with the architect the committee decided not to build a church with a full basement but one on ground level and also to build a small tower instead of a large one. This change made it possible to have the Sunday School rooms above the fellowship hall.
I remember razing the old house of worship
During the week following Easter Sunday morning and evening crews of up to 25 members tore down the building board by board. I have a picture of the two oldest members pulling nails out of the boards placed before them on sawhorses. The two corner stones were carefully removed-the contents of the oldest had turned to dust. The removal of the bell was an engineering task. The cable of a garage towing truck lowered it inside the tower. The Ladies' Aid furnished lunch at noon to the hungry workers. By Saturday noon all that was seem on the property was the basement hole. Thank God that no volunteer was injured on the job. An outdoor museum in northern Illinois bought the old altar and pulpit and placed them in a historic church building.
I remember the construction of the new church building
We watched the cement trucks pour the reinforced footing. The bricklayers raised the exterior walls in perfect alignment and the carpenters firmly secured the roofing on the arches. Three of the members donated their time hanging doors, building cupboards and hallway coat racks. Our kids sold Kool-Aid to the thirsty workers for a nickel a glass. Here I must confess a dumb thing. I climbed a ladder to see how the bell would be anchored in the new tower. Standing where the bell would be placed I froze-I could not come down. A worker saw me and helped me descend the ladder. There was a silent prayer on my lips that the cable would not snap and the scaffold would not collapse as the old heavy bell was raised and slid into position. God answered my humble prayer.
I remember holding our services in the Renville public school building
The congregation rented the school auditorium during the time of construction. For one year chairs and a makeshift altar were set up and removed for each service. Sunday school classes gathered in the permanent spectators area. The children sang praises to the Christ-Child Christmas Eve. I put on my clergy gown in a storeroom at the east end of the auditorium. Other church gatherings were held in the parsonage, the parlor of the old Norwegian Church and in the second floor Co-op meeting hall.
I remember the first service in the new church
May 3, 1959 was set as the day of dedication. A week before a member of the Council died unexpectedly. His family asked if it would be possible to hold the funeral service in the church. Volunteers worked in different sections of the building late in to the night to complete the finishing touches. The first service was a Christian funeral. The mourners heard the Good News of the Gospel-all who believe that Jesus is the Son of God will not perish but have eternal life. (Note: The father of the above deceased was the last to be buried in the old church.)
I remember the day of dedication-May 3, 1959
A large crowd of members, former members and friends gathered outside at the front entrance and followed the Church Council, the Building Committee, and the pastors into the building. The first thing they saw were the beautiful Trinity windows above the altar-a memorial to God the Father, our Creator; God the Son, our Redeemer; and God the Holy Spirit, our Sanctifier. Earlier a question arose whether or not the statue of Christ should be included in the new church. It still stands today on the new altar portraying the risen Christ ascending into heaven, assuring us that we and all believers will also be received by our Heavenly Father. The chancel and other church furnishings were purchased as gifts and memorials. The guest pastors in the three services called upon the congregation to thank God for his many blessings. The old pipe organ was completely modernized and played hymns of praise to God. I appreciated the faithful organists we had-at one time four high school students played. The Ladies' Aid served a fine noon meal and an afternoon lunch to the many guests-enjoying the convenience of the new social hall and kitchen. A newspaper headline read, "Nearly 2000 persons attended the dedication services at St. John's Lutheran Church." A sentence from the dedication booklet, "May God's richest blessings rest upon this house which we dedicate to his service today." A fond remembrance-my elderly father and mother came by bus from Milwaukee to attend the dedication services. (The last time we worshiped in St. John's was 1986. We saw many interior and exterior improvements of recent years which made the building even more attractive.)
I remember the activities of the church organizations
The ladies lived up to their name-they were an Aid to the congregation in many ways. It supported missions and charities at home and away. After a funeral service it prepared a lunch for the family and friends. With broom and dust rag in hand the ladies supervised the annual cleaning of the building. Bible study was not forgotten at their monthly meetings. One year they studied a different side of the Reformation-Luther, his wife Katherine Von Bora and their six children living in the first Lutheran parsonage.
The Men's Club also gave a helping hand to the congregation. It planned the church picnic and provided fellowship for members with a pancake supper. In their meetings they studied the Christian Church Year and the Lutheran Liturgy.
On my installation day a high school girl asked me about the young people in the church. We organized two groups-The Junior Lutherans for grades 6 to 8 and Senior Lutherans of high school age. Each group met once a month for Bible study and recreation. Tobogganing in Redwood Falls Park was fun. A special activity for the juniors was the district summer Bible Camp at Lake Shetek. A weeks stay cost only $16.00. The seniors toured the historical sites of the Sioux uprising of 1862 and ate their picnic lunch at the stone ruins of Brown's Castle north of the Minnesota River. They also invited the youth groups of the area WELS churches to Renville and helped organize the Sioux Trail Lutheran Young People.
The choir was directed by the music teacher from the public school who was a member of our church. The members praised God in song throughout the year, in particular, Christmas and Easter. I recall them singing Bach's Chorale, "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring." Organ chimes were added in 1961.
"Family Night" was held the first Sunday in February. The evening began with a luscious potluck supper and a program arranged by the different organizations followed. One year the Men's Club patterned its skit after the radio show "Doctor I Q." Questions were asked and whoever knew the answer received the prize of a chocolate wrapped in silver foil.
In 1959 the Sunday School enrollment was 110 children. Ninety boys and girls attended summer bible school. In 1961, I confirmed a class of 21. No longer was the furnace room needed. The new classrooms made it possible for the teachers to present the Bible stories uninterrupted so that the children could come to Jesus as he desired for his blessings. The Sunday School teachers met twice a month to prepare the lessons. The congregation owes them its sincere thanks for their faithfulness throughout the years.
I remember our home life in Renville
We consider Renville as the place where our children grew up. They attended grade school and the two oldest started their high-schooling in the "Prep" department of Dr. Martin Luther College. They were good friends of the neighborhood kids. My wife Irma was my "volunteer" secretary-she answered the phone when I was away making calls. Members often invited her to their "Koffee Klatsch" which she enjoyed. In our last two years she worked as a part-time R.N. in the newly opened nursing home. I often watched the train speed by the Renville depot dropping off and taking on the U.S. mail without stopping. While walking I passed by the "hobo jungle" along side the railroad tracks east of the cattle sale barn. I joined the Renville County Historical Society, helped at the museum in Morton and led car tours of the many historical sites.
I remember our departure from Renville to Wisconsin in 1964
As we drove out of the garage for the last time a father stopped the car and gave me a large picture of Christ on the Cross. His handicapped son had painted it and he wanted me to have it as a gift. It has hung on the wall of my study for thirty-six years and will be given to one of my children. In the car with me were my wife Irma, our five children-Ellen, Kenneth, Larry, Carol and Nadine and a lost hunting dog which we adopted two years before.
Last but certainly not least, St. John's congregation and its pastors will always remember Jesus their Savior and his holy Christian Church
My above comments speak of our "Special Memories" and also our "Fond Memories" of our stay in Renville. I now write about the great memories which all of us cherish now and forever. In happy times and sad times we heard God's Word in our church and shared its truth with others. The demands of God's Law show us our sins-it convicts, curses, and damns us. The Good News of Christ's Gospel shows God loves us and that Jesus kept God's Law in our place and paid in full for our sins with his blood which he shed on the cross-it forgives, pardons, acquits and saves us. We live our new life in Christ by our faith-we love God and our neighbor. As the Holy Spirit keeps the whole Christian Church on earth with Christ in the one true faith so we are not to be indifferent to false teaching which can endanger our souls and we make no compromises of biblical doctrine to achieve a false church unity. Paul describes the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, in his letter to the church in Ephesus, "You are members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone...a dwelling in which God lives in the Spirit." (Ephesians 2:19-20).
113 2nd St NE | PO Box 416 | Renville MN 56284-0416 | 320.329.3826
