History

Growing in His Grace

 

Grow in the grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever.

IIPeter 3:18

 

 

 

How Lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty!

Psalm 84:4

 

Mt. Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church

Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod

 

 

The Lord certainly has blessed Mt. Zion Ev.  Lutheran Church.  And, as we recall the history of our congregation's life, those blessings unfold.

 

In the 1940s, the Rev.  Carl Buenger was pastor of Friedens Ev. Lutheran Church in mid-town Kenosha.  He hoped to establish a branch school of Friedens on the city's west side.  The school didn't materialize but a congregation did.  At the request of the Wisconsin Synod pastors in Kenosha, a missionary from the Seminary at Thiensville was called to Kenosha in 1945.

 

Pastor Elton Huebner arrived and began canvassing.  The response was encouraging and he was authorized by the Mission Board to rent suitable quarters and begin services.  Even though rental properties were scarce, an upstairs flat became available on 60th Street, near 37th Avenue.  Two weeks after the tenants moved out, the first church service was held in August 1945.  Seventy-three people were present.  The collection totaled $25.33.

 

The Ladies Aid was organized in 1946

 

For the next 16 months, this upstairs flat was the church, meeting room, and parsonage.  A music stand served as pulpit.  A library table was the alter; the crucifix and candlesticks were borrowed.  During that time, members started not a Sunday School but a Saturday School for 22 children.  The Ladies Aid was organized.  The Articles of Incorporation were signed there and we became the West Sixtieth Ev. Lutheran Church, later to be renamed Mt.  Zion.  After several months of steady growth, the Synod issued a check for the purchase of the property.

 

The Sunday School enrollment was increasing rapidly in the 1950s.

 

In December 1946, the downstairs flat became available and church services were moved into these quarters.  Major remodeling was completed within the next two years.  By 1951, we numbered 160 baptized souls, 106 communicant members, and 29 voting members.  That same year we welcomed a new pastor.  Pastor Friedel Schulz was installed as the congregation's second pastor in December.

 

Pioneering the concept in Kenosha, Mt. Zion conducted Vacation Bible School for the first time in June 1952.  Sunday School classes were introduced in 1954.  In February 1955, the original debt was retired, the mortgage burned, and Mt.  Zion became self-supporting.

 

The cornerstone laying for the new church was held in October 1958.

 

Soon it became necessary to build a new church and parsonage.  Voters approved the project and groundbreaking occurred in July 1958.  Dedication ceremonies took place in March 1959.  Project costs for the new church and parsonage totaled $85,000.  Steady growth continued with Sunday School enrollments soaring to 137 pupils, the organization of the Boy Pioneer Train, the creation of the Board of Elders, the initiation of a nursery program, and the establishment of the Student Aid Fund.

 

Once again it was apparent that the Lord's blessings would be the stimulus for adding classroom and meeting space.  Ground was broken for the educational unit in August

 

The educational unit is nearing completion in May 1969.

 

1968 and dedication took place in May 1969.  Plans included four classrooms, a fellowship hall, and additional office space.

 

Mt. Zion and a federation of churches in the area established Shorland Lutheran High School in 1971.  The educational unit served as home to the high school from 1972 to 1976.  During that time the enrollment increased from 45 students to 106 students.  Children once again visited Mt. Zion on a daily basis when the Mt.  Zion Co-op Preschool opened in 1982.  The program welcomes children from Mt.  Zion, other Wisconsin Synod churches, and the community.  Its outreach efforts share the love of Jesus.

 

After Pastor Schulz retired, our third pastor, Rev.  Gregory Gibbons, was installed in October 1985.  Evangelism efforts increased as we made use of Synod materials for advertisements, commercials, and mailings.  Members also canvassed from door to door in the neighborhood.  It was rewarding to see visitors attend our services.  In 1989, we made our fellowship hall available to the County Health Department's immunization clinic for one day each month.  Families attending the clinic may be interested in Bible classes, church services or Vacation Bible School.  We even spread the word across the ocean when Mt.  Zion families joined with other Wisconsin Synod families in the area to provide homes for orphans from the Ukraine.  Many of the children were adopted and several now call Mt. Zion their church home.

 

Several projects were completed in the late 1980s and early 1990s.  The paving of our parking lot improved the church property.  Major renovation projects at the parsonage created additional living space.

 

Mt. Zion joined the Vicar program in 1988.  We purchased the two story house to the cast of the educational unit and that became home to our six vicars.  Each of our vicars brought their special gifts to Mt.  Zion as they trained for the ministry.

 

In May 1995, Mt.  Zion's fourth pastor, Rev.  John Beck, was installed.  He soon began member visits with families in the congregation.  Late in 1995, a ramp was installed at the north door of the sanctuary to improve accessibility.  During Rev. Beck's 10 years of service, a $500,000 church remodel of the church was completed, and we called a staff minister, Mr. Phil Rehberger to aid in outreach and family ministries. 

 

In September 2006, Rev Steven Neumann was installed as the first pastor of a two man pastoral team to serve the growing family of faith at Mt Zion and to continue to reach out with the gospel of Jesus Christ to our community.  In May of 2007, the Lord answered our prayers and blessed us with Seminary Graduate Rev. Scott Bergemann to complete the team. 

 

God has been gracious to us.  We have the gifts to overcome our weaknesses.  We have the strengths to carry out a vigorous Gospel ministry.  We have the faith to see our way through this world of sin.  We have, in the love of Christ, the motivation to do the good works prepared by God for us to do. We trust that the Lord will continue to bless our efforts to grow closer to Him and to be involved in His work.