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A Brief History of
Trinity Lutheran Church
by
Eunice Pines, Church
Historian
In writing the history of a
Christian congregation, we merely trace the hand of the Eternal God. He is
the Lord of all of our yesterdays, even as He is the Hope of all of our
tomorrows. God’s hand is evident throughout the Congregation’s past
history – a hand that guided, that helped, and that has and will continue to
heap blessing upon blessing.
The first
Lutheran missionaries to come to this northern section of Michigan in the 1870’s
held divine services in the homes of the faithful. As Pastors Bruss and Karrer
worked to establish missions in the northwest section of the State, the Holy
Spirit continued to work in the small living room based flocks.
The first
pastor and organizer of Trinity Lutheran Church was the Rev. M. H. Feddersen, an
1881 graduate of Concordia Seminary in Springfield, Illinois. Pastor Feddersen
was ordained in Petoskey on September 4th, 1881 by Pastor John Karrer
of Leland as missionary-at-large to Northern Michigan. In time, Pastor
Feddersen’s preaching circuit included 10 stations, which included Traverse
City. Trinity’s first records, written by Pastor Feddersen, show he visited
Traverse City for the first time on May 16,1882. He visited Traverse City two
more times that year on July 16 and October 6.
On Easter
Sunday, March 25th, 1883, Trinity Lutheran Church was officially
organized. Officers were elected and the Constitution of the new parish was
read. The Constitution was later recorded in the Grand Traverse County
Registrar’s Office on June 21, 1883, together with the Articles of
Incorporation.
Perry Hannah, a
pioneer in the Grand Traverse region, donated land at the corner of Seventh and
Oak Streets for the first Trinity Church building. Members of the congregation
gathered $700.00 to build a modest frame building of hand-hewn cedar and hemlock
measuring 28 feet wide, 40 feet long and 16 feet high. When it was dedicated on
July 13, 1884, there was no indebtedness. The dedication service was conducted
in both German and English with singing accompanied by the brass band from
Immanuel Lutheran in Leland.
The small
congregation of German and English speaking settlers continued to meet and grow
by God’s grace. The Word of God was preached; the saints were baptized and fed
the Lord’s Supper. Soon the young congregation outgrew its humble site and in
1909 expanded the building. Expansion was necessary again in 1938 when the
congregation added a basement, chancel, balcony and steeple.
Several Pastors
and divinity students in the early days helped this fledgling congregation. The
Rev. John Harsch became the first resident Pastor in 1885. The congregation
built a parsonage on Second Street and Pastor opened a Christian Day School in
his home .The earliest record of confirmation at Trinity was on April
18,1886 by Rev. Harsch. The confirmands were: Johanna Carolina Christina
Hacker, Karl Christian Ludwig Hacker, Louise Koenig, Agnes Augusta Koenig,
Julius Koenig, Delia Ottilie Pilz, Rosa Emilie Pilz, Johanna Philoppine Rehder.
On August 8, 1886, he confirmed Paulina Augusta Janke. Additional confirmation
classes during his tenure were April 1, 1888 with a class of 8 and April 14,
1889 with a class of 3. Rev. Harsch served Trinity and other mission churches
in the area until 1889. To reach these missions, he traveled by horse and buggy
in the summer and by cutter and sleigh in the winter.
On the 7th
February 1886, Rudolf Wiedoeft donated communion vessels and a baptismal font to
the congregation. The cost was $23.40. He and his son raised $40.00. The
balance was to be used for an organ.
After graduating
from Concordia Seminary, Springfield, IL in 1894, the Rev. William Bekemeier was
commissioned to be a traveling missionary in the northwest area of Michigan with
headquarters in Traverse City. Under Pastor Bekemeier’s guidance, the
congregation joined the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod in 1895. He accepted a
call to Trinity Lutheran in Arcadia in 1899.
In 1899 the Rev.
Louis Mueller became Pastor of Trinity and organized the Young People’s Society
and Trinity’s first choir. In 1901 the Rev. Wm. Schweppe was called to serve
Trinity, but was to remain pastor to St. Matthew’s in Mancelona traveling
between the parishes and residing in Traverse City. He accepted a call to
Sandorus, IL in 1906.
Trinity remained
without a shepherd until the Rev. Samuel Bruer was called in September 1908.
Under Pastor Bruer’s leadership the congregation made significant progress. In
1913, the Rev. E. F. Hutfilz was called as pastor and remained until 1921. In
1922, he was succeeded by the Rev. C. A. Rook who served Trinity until 1929.
Pastor Rook was highly regarded by the young people of the church and the ”
Young People’s Society” or Walther League grew and flourished under his
pastorate.
On November 10,
1929, Rev. Lorenz C. C. Grueber was installed as pastor to Trinity. The 1932
congregational records show that Trinity had grown to a membership of 187
baptized souls and 110 communicant members. The Reverend Grueber shepherded
Trinity through the great depression and two world wars. In 1948 he became
full-time chaplain of the Traverse City State Hospital. During Pastor Grueber’s
ministry, the need for a larger church became evident and initial plans for the
move to 13th and Maple were laid under his guidance.
In 1948, the
Reverend W. Harry Krieger was called to serve Trinity and began guiding the
construction of the new facility. The groundbreaking service was held on July
18, 1948 and on May 1, 1949, the cornerstone was laid at the corner of 13th and
Maple Streets in Traverse City.
The new church
was splendidly appointed with ecclesiastical furnishings and art to show the
reverence of this congregation for their Savior. A marble altar and pulpit were
made in Pietrasanta, Italy. Stained glass windows, in the style of the Munich
school, were designed to tell the story of the life of Christ. The congregation
also purchased its first pipe organ, a nine rank Schlicker Organ that
incorporated the cathedral chimes from the former church building. It was the
first new church building built in Traverse City after World War ll.
On Reformation
Sunday, October 30, 1949 the new sanctuary and school were dedicated to the
glory of God. Louis DeYoung Sr. carried the communion ware and Harold (Skip)
Ramoie carried the cross in the processional march from the old sanctuary on Oak
and Seventh to the new on 13th and Maple Streets. Louis DeYoung Sr,
died in 2004 at the age of 104 while Harold Ramoie died at the age of 91 on Nov.
21, 2007.
Trinity Lutheran
School opened its doors in 1950 with Merle Bredehoeft serving as principal and
Mrs. Marie Bathke as kindergarten teacher.
In 1952, with
membership expansion continuing, Trinity’s Mission Board asked for authorization
to begin a mission congregation on the east side of the city. St. Michael and
All Angels Lutheran Church was the result. After years of work, St. Michael’s
dedicated their sanctuary on August 19, 1956.
Trinity
congregation expanded rapidly in its new home. By October 1953 the communicant
membership had doubled. Organizations including the Ladies Aid, Dorcas Society
(organized in 1946), the Daughters of Mary of Bethany Altar Guild (organized in
1948), LWML, PTA, Men’s Club, and Walther League were all formed to meet the
needs of the growing congregation.
In 1957, Pastor
W. Harry Krieger was elected President of the Michigan District of the Lutheran
Church-Missouri Synod. While the duties of the position were full time, Dr.
Krieger wished to keep his position as Trinity’s Pastor so his brother the Rev.
Eugene Krieger was called to help with the Pastoral duties of the congregation.
He had previously served as a vicar to Trinity from 1953-54. Other vicars during
this time were the Rev. Ray Martins (19545-54) and Rev. John Elliot (1958-59).
In 1960, the
congregation’s planning committee recommended the construction of a larger
school building. Before this could be accomplished, Dr. Krieger was asked to
devote full-time to the presidency of the District and ended his Pastorate at
Trinity. At the same time, his brother Eugene accepted a call to serve Our
Savior Lutheran Church in Grand Rapids, MI.
The Rev. Arthur
Hawlicheck was installed to serve Trinity as its pastor in 1961. During his
pastorate personal evangelism and attendance at Bible classes were stressed with
renewed emphasis. Pastor Hawlicheck accepted a call to Patterson, New Jersey in
1964.
In September
1965, the school addition became a reality during the ministry of Reverend
Walter Pieper. The new facility was constructed in 1966 at a cost of $130,000
and added four classrooms, a principal’s office, a storage room, restrooms and a
small library to the east end of the building.
In 1967, Mrs.
Belle Payne retired from Trinity after 43 years of faithful service as Trinity’s
organist.
In 1971, the
Reverend Edwin V. Fitz was installed as the new pastor of Trinity Lutheran
Church. Under the guidance of Pastor Fitz and the work of the Holy Spirit the
congregation’s membership continued to grow. By the time of Trinity’s
centennial celebration in 1983, the congregation had grown to 1,046 baptized and
719 communicate members. Trinity also participated in the vicarage program and
had a vicar every year from 1976 to 1985. The school mortgage was paid off,
summer services began at Jellystone Park and weekly Saturday evening services
began at Trinity. The beloved Pastor Fitz retired and preached his last sermon
at Trinity on October 5, 1986. Pastor Fitz entered eternal life April 19,
2007. Funeral services were held at Redeemer Lutheran Church, Marquette, MI on
April 22, 2007.
In 1985 the
Reverend Charles Gieschen was called to serve Trinity as Assistant Pastor.
Following the retirement of Pastor Fitz, the Reverend Raymond Pollatz was
installed as Administrative Pastor on June 14, 1987. At the same service,
Pastor Gieschen was elevated to the position of Associate Pastor of the
Congregation.
By 1986 the
congregation was again running low on space to serve its growing membership. In
the Fall of 1987, the “Building for Christ” fund raising program was initiated
and it surpassed its goal of securing at least $650,000 in pledges from
Trinity’s faithful toward a building expansion.
Groundbreaking
ceremonies were held on May 1, 1988.The faithful watched as senior members Louis
DeYoung and Gladys Johnson turned over the first spades full of dirt.
Construction began with the building of the new gymnasium, which was to serve as
the congregation’s temporary sanctuary while work was done on the expansion of
the church. On July 31, 1988, final services were held in the 1949 sanctuary.
Following the 11 o’clock service, the congregation moved in procession from the
sanctuary to the newly completed gymnasium with the sacred vessels and
appointments. On October 30, 1988, the cornerstone was laid with holy rite and
ritual.
On March 19,
1989, after almost seven months of worshipping in the gymnasium, the
congregation returned to its expanded sanctuary in procession, bearing the
sacred vessels and appointments back “home”. The pulpit, baptismal font, and
altar were reconsecrated at the 8:30 service. A weeklong celebration began in
April and climaxed on Sunday April 16, 1989 when the congregation processed from
the gymnasium to the new entrance where the ribbon was cut and the doors
opened. Rev. John Heins, then President of the Michigan District, was the
preacher.
The loved 1949
sanctuary was turned around end-for-end and a new chancel was built.
The new
sanctuary now has the traditional cathedral shape of a cross, with transepts
going out to the north and south to allow for additional seating. Great care was
exercised in designing it to match architecturally with the Modern Gothic design
of the original sanctuary. Almost all the furnishings of the 1949 church were
incorporated into the new sanctuary. Complementing the two previous “great”
windows is a new window in the south transept. Renovation of the former
classroom wing (1949) created a new entrance to the Church, ground level
restrooms, coatrooms, member mailboxes, nursery a large meeting room and an
elevator. Other additions were a 120-space parking lot. In addition to the
gymnasium, two new classrooms, an expanded library, an expanded kitchen, new
archives storage rooms, additional storage space and new offices were all part
of the $2.1 million building project.
In 1989, the 39th
rank Schantz pipe organ was installed, over 2200 pipes some of which were
reused from the Schlicker organ. The new organ again incorporated the Maas
Cathedral Chimes originally in the church on Oak and Seventh Streets.
Pastor Pollatz
accepted a call to serve Chapel of the Lakes Lutheran Church in Mecosta, MI in
1994. Pastor Gieschen remained and was advanced to the position of Senior
Pastor. In 1996,the Rev. Dr. Charles Gieschen, who had been serving as Trinity’s
Senior Pastor was called to teach at Concordia Theological Seminary, Ft. Wayne,
IN. Pastor Donald Engebretson, Trinity’s Associate Pastor, was called to serve
as Senior Pastor and served in that capacity until 2000. During this time, he
also served briefly as interim principal of the school during a vacancy in the
late 90’s. He was assisted in the interim period by the Rev. Dr. Paul Zimmerman
(retired) and Pastor Eugene Krieger (retired) before another pastor could be
issued a divine call. In 1997, Rev. Charles J. Koehler Jr. began to serve
Trinity Lutheran Church as Assistant Pastor. He resigned as Pastor of Trinity
in 2002.
Pastor
Engebretson accepted a call to serve St. Peter Lutheran Church of Polar, WI in
2000 to be near his ailing mother. The Rev. Dr. Paul Zimmerman was called to
serve as Interim Senior Pastor to Trinity congregation in 2000 with the
departure of Pastor Engebretson.
In 2006 Trinity
completed a renovation and expansion of its school facility with the addition of
two pre-school classrooms, school offices and Media Center, a renovated
kindergarten classroom and renovation to other rooms in the 1978 education
wing. The completion of a renovation and expansion of the congregation’s pipe
organ to 67 ranks by the George M. Buck Pipe Organ Company of Grand Rapids was
accomplished as well in 2005-06.
Presently in
2008, three Pastors serve Trinity. Pastor Robert M. Zagore was installed as
Senior Pastor in 2001. Rev. Chad Erwin Hoover was installed as Assistant Pastor
in 2004. The Rev. Dr. Charles W. Webb accepted a call to serve as Assistant
Pastor and its Medical Missionary-at-Large in January 2006.
The congregation
has experienced renewed growth and stability, and an interest in mission
outreach, particularly on an international level. Trinity congregation has
participated in mission trips to Guatemala, Kenya and Cambodia and is active in
the efforts to re-establish a Lutheran presence in Wittenberg, Germany
(birthplace of the Lutheran Reformation) with the Wittenberg Project. Pastor
Robert Zagore, Senior Pastor, led the first mission trip to Guatemala with
Trinity’s youth.
Rev Chad Hoover,
former Assistant Pastor to Trinity, led a trip to Biloxi, MS following Hurricane
Katrina and a 2008 mission trip Cambodia. Dr. Webb has participated in
or led mission trips to Guatemala and Kenya. He is also the Trinity Lutheran
Church Web Master.
As Trinity
celebrates its 125th year of God’s grace, its baptized membership
stands at 1704 souls with 1133 communicants. Trinity Lutheran School enrollment
numbers of 143 students, which includes 31 students enrolled in the Preschool
and Pre-Kindergarten programs. Bible classes, children’s Sunday School,
confirmation classes for youth and adults and adult education classes comprise
other areas of education at Trinity. In addition there is the Deaf Ministry,
CORP youth program from 5th – 12th grade, MOPS
(Pre-school Mothers), LA TLC Medical Mission Society, Dorcas Society, Trinity
Altar Guild, Boy Scouts and others.
Trinity supports
a Food Bank and participates in the Community Meal Program and hosts the
Thanksgiving and Christmas Meal Programs.
Our Heavenly
Father has given His children of Trinity Lutheran Church a glorious history of
service and dedication to Jesus Christ.
SOLI DEO GLORIA
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