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St. John's History
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Founding of Congregation
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First Pastor
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Changes and Challenges
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Growth and Building
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Founding of Congregation
St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hemlock (Fremont Township), Michigan has its beginnings in the Lord's use of both lay people with genuine concern for the Christian training of their children and a synod reaching out to scattered Lutherans. By the late 1890's the lumbering era was over in the Hemlock area. Many immigrants had moved into the area to farm, including many German Lutheran families. At this time Lutheran congregations existed in Saginaw and north of Hemlock. A preaching station, located at Garfield (near Lakefield and South Graham Roads), was served by a Saginaw pastor. Lutheran families in the area would travel to one of these places to worship, but the distance and poorly drained roads made regular church attendance difficult.
Confirmation instruction at that time at St. Peter's, the closest congregation to the Fremont Lutheran families, required daily attendance for one year at the parochial school. The five mile distance was hard for the children to walk, especially in the winter. Some children did make the daily trek to school through the woods. Other children boarded with families closer to the school. To pay for their board, the boys would do farm chores and the girls would work in the house. Crowded living conditions and homesickness discouraged the children. The Fremont Lutheran families asked if a church could be started south of Hemlock, just as one had begun in Iva, northwest of Hemlock. Nothing came of the repeated requests. Finally, when one girl became severly ill as a result of the trek to school, the Fremont families decided the time to begin their own congregation had come.
In December, 1898, a meeting was held at Forest School (Trinklein & S. Orr Rds.) for the purpose of organizing a Lutheran congregation south of Hemlock. Fifteen men were present. Missouri Synod officials had been invited to the meeting, but none came. St. Paul's of Saginaw pledged $100 to the mission congregation if it joined the Michigan Synod. the assembly accepted the offer and thus joined the Michigan Synod. It also accepted a donation of two acres of land on Pretzer Road. Another meeting was scheduled for January, 1899, but was postponed due to a snowstorm.
On February 7, 1899, the group met to organize the new congregation. The chairman of the meeting was Rev. Michael Bode of the Michigan Synod. Rev. Bode served St. John's, Saginaw, and the preaching station at Garfield, as well as being a professor at Michigan Lutheran Seminary. The group chose St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church of Fremont Township as the name of the new congregation. Plans were also made for a constitution and the construction of a church building. At the next meeting, on February 12, 1899, the constitution was adopted. The first constitution was signed by men from the following families: Ammon, Ballien, Barkschmidt, Feuerhelm, Fischer, Guttlet, Hauman, Hofman, Holz, Jeschke, Kutzback, and Wegner. Rev. Bode was chosen to serve the infant congregation until a pastor could be called. the first worship services were held monthly in member's homes with students from Michigan Lutheran Seminary preaching, usually in English.
The Lord granted an early spring, so construction of the church building began already the next month. The foundation was made by laying timbers on large stones. Members felled trees and took them to the sawmill to provide the lumber for the structure. The gift from St. Paul's congregation paid for finished lumber for the interior and a carpenter to supervise the work. he also built the altar and pulpit and carved the baptismal font. In less than four months the church was ready to be dedicated.
June 11, 1899, was filled with thanksgiving to God for providing a church building so quickly for the new congregation. Over a hundred people gathered for the morning service, which included a German sermon by Rev. Bode. After a dinner served by the ladies of the congregation, and afternoon service with both German and English was held. There was an overflow crowd, and many had to stand outside the new building. "Kirchweih Sonntag," or "Church Dedication Sunday," was celebrated for many years thereafter. That summer Franz Cares, a student at Michigan Lutheran Seminary, conducted the first confirmation classes. God's blessings on the new congregation were evident.
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First Pastor
Rev. Franz Cares became the first pastor and teacher of St. John's congregation. He had been born in Germany and was a teacher at a boy's school there. He immigrated to the United States in the late 1890's and graduated from Micigan Lutheran Seminary in Saginaw in April, 1900. that same year he marries his wife, Amalia Kornrumph, who was from Frankenmuth. The Lord blessed the couple with five children, all born while at Hemlock: Herman, Hildegard, Elizabeth, Margaret, and Gerhard.
The young couple first lived with an older couple, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Graham, at their home (Ederer and Pretzer Roads) until a parsonage was built. Rev. Cares' starting salary was $122 per year, which came from the yearly church dues of $8 per voting member. Sometimes part of this was paid as meat and produce. The parsonage was completed at a cost of $187.50 and dedicated in November, 1900. Other buildings on the church property included a barn and a chicken coop.
In addition to serving St. John's, Rev. Cares preached at Garfield and did other mission work. His 1901 report to the Michigan District listed 260 souls, 80 of them communicants, under his care. In 1903 the Garfield preaching station was finally closed, and its members were invited to join St. John's or Christ Lutheran, a new congregation organized in Swan Creek Township. The two congrgations continued as a dual parish until 1921. Also in 1903, St. John's purchased two acres across the road for a cemetary.
Rev. Cares began the parochial school at Hemlock in 1900 and taught a full course of school nine months a year for the next three years. German was the main language used. Attendance varied between 20 and 30 students. Classes were held in the church. After the founding of Christ congregation in Swan Creek, the school became for the most part a confirmation school. One year school would be held at St. John's; the next at Christ. In 1910 an old house was donated to the congregation; members tore down the house and used the lumber to build a school behind the church at a cost of $150 for labor and additional materials.
Church life was, in some ways, very different from today. German was the main language of worship and instruction, although English was used. The church bell would call people to worship, starting an hour before the actual service times and then ringing again at the half and quarter hours. Members traveled by horse and buggy; in winter sleighs were used. The horses were put in the barn during the service. men sat on one side of the church; women and children on the other. Offerings were collected with the "dime bag" or "klingelbuetel", a bag on the end of a long pole. Baptism of infants often took place in the home rather in church. People knelt during communion services; these were held only two to five times a year, often on holidays. There was a pump organ, which Rev. Cares was known to play in the earliest years. At other times the congregation sang acapella. A choir would be gathered only for special occasions. At least one tradition from that time still remains; the children's Christmas Eve service and the candy treat afterwards.
The young congregation had few activities beyond worship and instruction. Instead of Sunday school, at times there would be a brief catechism lesson before church. The ladies would meet some afternoons in the parsonage. The youth had an occasional box social, but the demands of farm work precluded meetings on a regular basis.
In 1909, St. John's, along with the rest of the Michigan District, rejoined the Joint Synod of Wisconsin, and Michigan, the precursor to today's Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. The split which had occured in 1890's over the conversion of Michigan Lutheran Seminary to a prepatory school, ended when that school's enrollment dwindled to zero in 1907. Since its reopening in 1910, Michigna Lutheran Seminary had provided high school level training for future church workers and leaders. Numerous St. John's members are MLS alumni.
In 1914, the timber and stone foundation of the church was replaced with a cement block foundation. Also, a basement was put under the parsonage that year. Total cost of the project was $300.
The last years of Rev. Cares' service at St. John's were complicated by the advent of World War I. Rev. Cares preached in German, his native language, and had difficulty preaching in English. The German language and people were looked at suspiciously by their English-speaking neighbors. Rumors reached some congregational leaders of threats to "tar ad feather" Rev. Cares. Members quietly kept watch at the parsonagee at night, but the threat was never carried out. In the fall of 1918, the Lord called Rev. Cares to serve at St. John's, Frankenmuth, whose large population was friendlier. (Rev. Cares served the rest of his ministry in Frankenmuth until his death in 1932.)
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Changes and Challenges
Rev. Adolph Zuberbier came to St. John's in the spring of 1919 from the Apache mission in Cibecue, Arizona. He was accompanied by his wife, Marie (nee Wietzke), and three young daughters: Vivian, Eleanor, and Dorothy.
Rev. Zuberbier served the joint parish of St. John's and Christ from 1919 to 1921. he held services at Christ every two weeks until that congregation recieved its own pastor in 1921.
Services were conducted in English more often, though German was still used extensively. Sometimes the children were invited to the front of the church for a special lesson. Rev. Zuberbier led the children's Christmas Eve service, which included both German and English hymns. Confirmation instruction in Saturday school was generally still in German.
In 1919 plans were made to enlarge the front of the church, but these plans had to wait. Problems in the congregation over lack of church attendance by some and lodge membership by others, already a concern in the first two decades, became more pronounced. Patient admonition by pastor and elders was not heeded, and some members were excommunicated. Within a short time, some of these repented and were reaccepted. Still the congregation was discouraged by the process. However, the writing of a Ladies Aid constitution in 1923 showed that the Lord's work continues in spite of adversity.
In March, 1923, Mrs. Zuberbier died suddenly, leaving Rev. Zuberbier with three young daughters, ages 8 and under, to care for alone. Mrs. Zuberbier was buried in Owosso, her original home. Later that year the Lord called Rev. Zuberbier to the home mission field in Muskegon Heights, Michigan, to begin Grace Lutheran Church.(Rev. Zuberbier did eventually remarry and had several more children. He also served parishes in Hamburg, WI; Stirum, ND; and Eden Valley and Trotsky, MN. He retired in 1960 due to illness and died that same year at the age of 72.)
Professor Winfred Schaller of Michigan Lutheran Seminary served as vacancy pastor for the next year and a half and taught midweek confirmation classes. On June 15, 1924, St. John's celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary with a day of thanksgiving to God. The first pastor, Rev. Franz Cares, preached in the morning service. In the afternoon service Prof. Schaller preached in German, and Tutor Otto Eckert preached in English. The women of the congregation served a meal after the services. The congregation reported 200 baptized and 146 communicant members that year. The Lord's grace was also evident later that summer when he spared the church buildings from destruction after fire had spread from a neighboring barn.
Rev. Otto J. Eckert came to St. John's in 1925 after serving as a tutor at Michigan Lutheran Seminary for two years. He married Gertrude Fritz in October, 1925. One son, Otto, was born to them while at Hemlock.
Christian education was a high priority for Rev. Eckert. In September, 1925, the Christian day school was reopened, and Rev. Eckert taught all eight grades while at St. John's. Unfortunately, no enrollment figures have survived. He also taught parochial school for Christ, Swan Creek, while serving as vacancy pastor there during 1926-1927. Saturday school continued. The Saturday classes were for elementary age children, those approaching confirmation, and met from morning to the afternoon. The instruction included catechism, Bible passages, and many hymns.
The plans for enlarging the church, originally made in 1919, were carried out in 1926. An altar niche, sacristy, and supply room were added, a new heating system was installed, and the church interior was redecorated. The cost for the renovation was about $2000. Rev. Eckert built a new altar and pulpit himself.
Unfortunately, the congregation continued to be plagued with the problem of lodge membership, a problem shared with sister congregations in mid-Michigan. Some members were upset by the pastor's Biblical stance against lodges such as the Gleaners, Grange, and Odd Fellows. Families left the congregation. These troubles led to the closing of the day school in 1928. Rev. Eckert accepted a call to Emanuel, Tawas City, MI, that same year. (The Lord blesses the Eckerts with three more children: Adela, Paul, and Anita. Rev. Eckert also served St. Paul's and Gethsemane congregations in Saginaw. He died in 1974 while still serving in the pastoral ministry.)
Rev. Walter Voss of Christ, Shields, served as vacancy pastor for the next year. He continued the Saturday school at St. John's. When he accepted a call to Emanuel, Tawas City, MI, both congregations were left without a pastor. The Depression was in full force, and both congregations had suffered significant losses of membership due to the lodge problem. The two congregations decided to call one pastor and become a dual parish again. Since the day school was still operating at Christ, the new pastor would live there.
Rev. Carl Kionka came to St. John's and Christ from a tri-parish in the thumb of Michigan: Emanuel, Port Huron; St. John, Silverwood; and St. Paul, Mayville. Previous to this he had served as a vacancy pastor in Maribel, WI for seven months. He was single for most of the years he served the two congregations. He married Marie Rexius of Swan Creek in December 1938. Their son, Walter,(currently of Abilene, TX) was born in September the next year.
The Lord's faithful love sustained pastor and parishes during a difficult decade. The members of the dual parish experienced high unenployment and low farm prices. Although a combined salary of $1200 had been promised Rev. Kionka, many years he recieved only half that amount. Coal was expensive, so as a single man he heated only the kitchen and study at the Shield's parsonage. Often he didn't know how he would buy gas for the car to make his trips to St. John's to teach a full day of school on Saturday and then return Sunday morning to conduct services. Yet the Lord provided the promised daily bread, and pastor and parishes learned to depend on Him.
During these years no milestones observed or projects completed. However, the work of faithfully preaching and teaching God's word continued. In addition to serving as both pastor for both parishes, Rev. Kionka served as teacher of the day school in Shields from 1930 to 1934, when it closed due to lack of students. He taught Saturday school at both congergations; in the later 1930's he would bring the students from Christ with him and hold combined classes at St. John's. Sunday school continued, taught by lay members. The youth of both parishes alternated their meetings between the two congregations at the beginning of the decade; later teens from Christ would ride with Rev. Kionka to activities at St. John's. Although the church minutes were kept in German until 1937, English had become the predominant language in the congregation. Church attendance was very low at times, especially at the monthly German services. In late 1940 Rev. Konika accepted a call to St. John's of Dogagiac, Michigan. (The Lord also blessed the Kionkas with three daughters: Rosemarie,(currently of Saginaw - 1942); Margaret,(currently of Petoskey - 1943); and Kathryn(currently of Reese - 1947). Rev. Kionka later served a parish in northern Wisconsin: St. John, Rib Lake; St. Peter, Greenwood; and Zion, Spirit. He retired to Saginaw due to ill health in 1956 and died that same year. His wife, Marie passed away on December 15, 2009.)
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Growth and Rebuilding
In December, 1940, a joint meeting of St. John's, Hemlock, and Christ Shields, was held. The congregations, at the urging of synod officials, voted to become seperate parishes again, each with its own pastor. Since St. John's had struggled paying $550 a year towards Rev. Kionka's salary and the new pastor would recieve $900 a year, the congregation recieved salary sunsidy from the synod for a time. Rev. Nathanael Luetke, a 1940 graduate of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, was ordained at St. John's, Hemlock, in February, 1941. He was single at the time. In October 1942, he married Olga Schroeder of Eitzen, Minnesota. Two children were born to them while he served at Hemlock: David and Lois.
The Lord blessed St. John's in many ways during Rev. Luetke's tenure. The parsonage, which had been empty for twelve years, was updated with electrical wiring and indoor plumbing. in January, 1944, the congregation cancelled the synod's salary subsidy and accepted full responsibility for the pastor's salary of $1200. in 1945 the building committee reported that the size of the church building needed to be doubled, modern conveniences should be installed, and a new organ should be purchased. In response to this report, a building fund was begun.
Faithful preaching and teaching of God's word bore visible fruit. The congregation doubled in size to over 300 souls, 200 communicants. Sunday school and Saturday confirmation classes were held year round. By 1943, Rev. Luetke was urging the congregation to reopen the Christian day school.
By this time many old customs had disappeared. Families sat together instead of men seperate from the women and children. German communion services were held least until 1941 with eighteen, and then only four communicants reported at the two services. By 1943, Rev. Luetke was given the authority to continue German services at his discretion; it seems as though they were discontinued then.
In October, 1945, Rev. Luetke left to serve New Salem Lutheran Church, Sebawing, Michigan. ( The Lord blessed the couple with six more children after leaving Hemlock: Grace, Ruth, Rachel, Daniel, Joel, and Paul. All eight children eventually entered the public ministry, two as pastors, and six as teachers. Rev. Luetke started Pilgrim Lutheran Church in Denver, Colorado; served a dual parish in Goodhue and Minneola Twp., Minnesota; and then Nicollet, Minnesota, until his retirement in 1967 due to Parkinson's disease. He died in 1987 at the age of 71.)
Rev. Raymond Frey was called as St. John's pastor in October, 1945. Rev. Frey, who was single at the time, had begun serving Immanuel, Findlay, Ohio. In July, 1950, he married Ethel Zimmerman of Flint; she had been a teacher at Salem Lutheran School in Owosso.
The Lord continued to shower blessings on St. John's congregation. In July, 1946 the congregation sent Rev. Kionka the amount of his unpaid salary from the 1930's, over a years wages. The fiftieth anniversary of the congregation's founding was in 1949; the congregation had grown to 306 baptized members and 213 communicants. Rev. Frey organized an active Ladies' Aid group in 1951 and also led the adult choir and youth activities during his term in Hemlock. He also built a new altar and pulpit and drew plans for a new church.
Continued improvements to the parsonage and schoolhouse were made at this time. A new garage was constructed and, in 1951, a telephone and a furnace were finally installed in the parsonage. The need for a new church was still felt, but the problem of finances halted any action.
The most visible blessing from the Lord during this period was the reopening of the Chrisitan day school two decades after its closing. The day school reopened in the fall of 1947 with 24 students in grades 1 through 8. Rev. Frey served as full time teacher, in addition to his pastoral duties, for six terms, from 1947 until 1953. In the fall of 1953 Miss Victoria Spaude became St. John's first full time teacher. In December, 1953, Rev. Frey left to serve St. Luke's, Vassar, Michigan. (Rev. and Mrs. Frey later adopted a daughter, Linda. He also served congregations in Northfield Twp.(Ann Arbor), Michigan; Kimberly, Wisconsin; and Battle Creek, Michigan. He died in 1982 at the age of 65 while still serving Battle Creek.)
God used faithful lay leaders to lead His church. During the pastoral vacancy several meetings were held under the direction of Herman Walter. The building of a new church, first recommended in 1945, was undertaken. Construction of the present church building began in the summer of 1954, The total cost of the new church, with organ and furnishings, was about $50, 000. Half of the money was raised within the congregation; a loan of $25,000 was obtained for the remaining amount. The new building was built on the site of the old church. The old church was being moved back on the property, and services continued to be held in it until the basement of the new church was ready for use. The congregation then worshiped in the basement until the church was completed.
By this time five pastors had returned the call to be St. John's pastor. Because of this and the ongoing construction project, Vicar LeRoy Boernecke served St. John's during the summer of 1954. His service was short since the Lord led Rev. Otto Drevlow to accept the call to St. John's in July, 1954.
Rev. Otto Drevlow came to St. John's after serving as one of the first WELS missionaries in Lusaka, Zambia, Africa. His wife, Elaine, and daughter, Deborah, accompanied him to Hemlock. While at Hemlock four more children were born to them : Mark, Eunice (who died in infancy), Paul, and John.
Wrok on the new church building continued. The cornerstone was laid in August, 1954, and the church was dedicated in April, 1955. In the fall of 1955 the school classes were moved to the church basement, and the school house was sold in 1956. The state permitted the congregation to hold classes in the church basement with the stipulation that plans to build a new school would be made in the near future.
Growth in the use of the means of grace was evident at this time. Beginning in 1956 communion was offered on the las Sunday of each month; previously it was celebrated five to seven times per year, mainly on church festivals. Advent services are first reported at this time. Christian education continued in the day school, Sunday school, confirmation classes, and youth group. The congregation grew by almost 150 baptized souls; 130 additionall communicant members were also reported. In June, 1962, St. john's began to hold two worship services each Sunday.
The Lord used the missionary talents of Rev. Drevlow. In the fall of 1964, Rev. Drevlow began services for a daughter congregation, Hope Lutheran of St. Charles, with a nucleus of 40 members from area WELS congregations. A few months later St. John's transferred 34 members to the new congregation. In November 1964, Rev. Drevlow accepted a call to St. John's, Renville, Minnesota. (Rev. Drevlow later served Bethany, Saginaw, MI and in Virginia. He died in 1990)
During the five month vacancy that followed, a committee was appointed to see if the parsonage, built in 1900, could be repaired at a reasonable cost. Instead, in January, 1965, blueprints for a new parsonage were authorized. In April approval was given to build a new parsonage, directly behind the old house, for $22,500. Construction began in June, and the parsonage was dedicated in February, 1966. THe garage was also refurbished that spring.
During this time, in April, 1965, the Lord supplied another pastor for St. John's. Rev. Norman Pommeranz came from St. John, Summit, and Rauville, South Dakota, with his wife, Helen, and daughter, Diane. Another daughter, Janice, was born to them while at Hemlock
Rev. Pommeranz served St. john's longer than any other pastor except her first Rev. Cares. For the first two years he also served as pastor of Hope, St. Charles, until that mission recieved its own sheperd in July, 1967. During this time the congregation at St. Charles purchased land for a future church building.
Christian education of all ages expanded at this time. Sunday school enrollment grew substantially. Vacation Bible school was held inn 1966 and 1967 with enrollment averaging 70. Adult Bible class, which had been tabled by the church council in 1961, began in 1965 as the adult club. Confirmation classes and youth group work was also continued. The Lord also blessed the congregation with a substantial increase in baptized and communicant membership as well as in church attendance.
The Christian day school also expanded in several ways. In 1965 a half day kindergarten teacher was added to the faculty. By 1967, two full time teachers were serving a school enrollment in the middle forties. Twelve years had passes since the school had been moved temporarily to the church basement. The State Inspector of Schools informed St. John's that, if it did not provide definite proof of actually building a school, the Christian day school would not be allowed to conduct classes in the church basement in September 1968. Immediate action was taken to build two classrooms and also expand the church at a cost of about $90,500. The cornerstone for the addition was laid in September, 1968, and the dedication was in February, 1969. Also at this time, in August, 1968, two acres of land north of the parsonage were purchased for future use.
Improvements to the church building continued. Bathrooms were removed from the basement and the kitchen expanded. Pews for the addition were dedicated in January, 1971. New carpeting was installed in 1972. Dedication of new chancel furnishings was held in 1975. The organ fund was begun in 1977.
St. John's celebrated its 75th anniversary with three special services on June 9, 1974. Previous to this, in 1971, Waldemar and Elsie Jeshke had translated an early history of St. john's. The congregation praised the Lord for His evident blessings on St. john's congregation; the preservation of the faithful preaching and teaching of His Word, replacement of the congregation's building since its fiftieth anniversary, and a membership of 715 baptized souls with 510 communicants in that jubilee year. The congregation celebrated the 125th anniversary on the WELS in May, 1979. The burning of the bank mortgage on the church buildings was observed in November, 1977. In early 1979, Rev. Pommeranz accepted a call to serve Mt. Calvary (now Northdale) in Tampa, Florida. (Rev. Pommeranz later served at Zion, Cesaning, and Our Savior, Perry, Michigan, and Faith, St. Petersburg, Florida. He retired from the ministry in 1997 and now lives in Auburndale, Florida.)
After having their call for a newpastor returned by two different experienced men, the congregation went to the synodical assignment committee for the second first time since 1940. Rev. Paul Nauman, a recent graduate of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, was assigned to St. John's and ordained here in July, 1979. His wife, June, and son, Stephen, accompanied him. The Lord blessed the couple with four more sons while at Hemlock: David, James, Joel, and Daniel.
St. John's had become accustomed to experienced pastors during the past generation. These men often handled the bulk of the congregation's everyday work. The Lord used a novice pastor to increase the involvement of the church council and other lay leaders in the work of the congregation. Financial stewardship also grew. In spite of a decline in membership, offerings for the Lord's work at home increased by seventy percent, and offerings for missions increaded by fifty percent. This allowed the mortgage burning for the church and school addition to be celebrated in November, 1980.
Christian education for all ages recieved even greater attention. Sunday school, catechism classes, and the Christian day school continued their work. In 1984, St. John's recieved its first male teacher and principal, Mr. Kieth Schroeder, from the synodical assignment committee. Besides relieving the pastor of school administration duties, Mr. Schroeder's service to the congregation included heading the Sunday school and leading the youth group. Adult bible class was switched to Sunday morning at the same time as children's Sunday school. Cradle roll mailings to parents of infants and preschoolers were begun. Lutheran Boy Pioneers began in 1980, and Lutheran Girl Pioneers were added in 1983. In 1982, the church library was begun with a memorial gift. A church sound system, cassette deck, and tape duplicator were added in 1985 and 1986 to aid older worshippers and allow better taping of services for shut-in members.
&nsbp nbsp Two changes in worship also took place during the early 1980's, with the congregation beginning to use the New International Version of the Bible in worship and classes, and use of "individual" communion cups in 1984. Approval to use the "Sampler" for the new WELS hymnal was given in 1986, but not actually begun until 1987. In December, 1986, Rev. Naumann left to continue his ministry at St. John's, Riga, Michigan. (Rev. Naumann now serves Good Sheperd, Benton Harbor, Michigan, and is the first vice president of the Michigan District.)
&nsbp Rev. Tim Zarling came to St. John's in the fall of 1987 after serving for one year at Sola Gratia, Perry, Georgia. He was single at the time. In 1992, he married Sally Aspin; her two children, Kate and Kurt, joined them in the parsonage. A daughter, Charis, was born to the Zarlings at the very end of his service in Hemlock.
St. John's began a formal "greeters" program in 1987. In 1989, Vacation Bible school was reinstated and has been held continuously since then. A district elders program began in 1990, and a trial use of "open forum" meetings took place in 1991. Summer midweek worship services began in 1994. The congregation began to use Christian Worship, the new WELS hymnal, in 1994. Sunday school, confirmation instruction, the Christian day school, and adult Bible classes continued throughout these years. However, the Ladies Aid group suspended meetings in 1991, and the youth group became inactive as it had several times in preceeding decades.
In 1989, St. John's celebrated ninety years of God's grace with anniversary services in April, May, and July. That year the congregation counted 592 baptized members, with 462 communicants. In January, 1995, the congregation celebrated the seventy-fifth anniversary of the school.
Several improvements took place in the church building from 1987 through 1990: a new roof on the addition, carpeting for the school and part of the church basement, a new church furnace, updated wiring and fire alarm systems, installation of fire doors in the church basement and kitchen inprovements. Then in 1991, the congregation purchased two and a half acres of land, north and west of the present property. Funding the congregation's operational budget, as well as these projects, presented a challenge. The Lord Himself answered the congregation's doubts about its future plans with a large, unexpected gift from the Walter Hoffman estate, This gift cancelled the congregation's outstanding debts and provided the impetus for the construction of a teacherage on the newly purchased land. In June, 1992, ground was broken for the new house. The congregation resolved to build the house with as much of its own labor as possible. The dedication of the teacherage was held in August, 1993. Even though th e total cost of the project reached $75,000, the congregation finished 1993 with no building fund debt. God's blessing on the undertaking was certainly evident.
Rev. Zarling accepted a call to Trinity Lutheran in Marinette, Wisconsin, in May, 1995, where he still serves.
The Lord quickly answered St. John's prayers for a new pastor when Rev. Andrew Backus accepted the first call the congregation extended. Rev. Backus moved from Trinity Lutheran, Johnson, Minnesota, in August, 1995, with his wife, Delores, and four youngest children: Sarah, Steven, David, and Laura. Rev. and Mrs. Backus also have four older childfren: Andrew, Robert, John, and James.
Rev. Backus immediately began visits to every congregational household in order to become acquainted with the members of St. John's and the congregation's strengths and needs. During the vacancy, older members of the congregation formed the "Young at Heart Seniors" for fellowship and service to the congregation. A handicap accessible entrance to the church was first officially mentioned in 1992; in 1997 a committee began to actively pursue this project. During 1997 "Invisible Sunday School" mailings began, and both the youth group and a ladies group began meeting again. Planning for the congregation's centennial in 1999 also began that fall. Projects completed in preparation for this celebration included painting the church interior and installing new carpeting and shades, erection of new church highway signs and paving the driveway. At the beginning of its centennial year, St. John's Lutheran Church had 532 baptized members and 402 communicants.
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 | 1900-1918
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 | 1919-1923
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 | 1925-1928
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 | 1929-1940
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 | 1941-1945
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 | 1945-1953
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 | 1954
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 | 1954-1964
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 | 1965-1979
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 | 1979-1986
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 | 1987-1995
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 | 1995-present
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