The History of Grace Lutheran Church
The first divine service of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church of Western Springs, Illinois, was conducted by the Rev. Theophilus William Strieter in the Public School (now Grand Avenue School) of Western Springs on the evening of June 26, 1925. The service was the realization of Pastor Strieter's missionary zeal. It was the personal conviction that Western Springs presented a field wihch promised a flourishing Lutheran congregation. Others also held this hope and among them were several Western Springs' families who attended Zion Lutheran Church of Hinsdale, which Rev. Strieter was then serving as pastor.
Encouraged by the progress made, and also because of the unsuitable circumstances for public worship, Grace Lutheran Church was officially organized on November 15, 1925. The first move was purchasing property for building a church on the southeast corner of East Boulevard (Wolf Road) and 41st Street (it's current location).
The first service in the new house of worship was conducted on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1925 just six months after the the first service held in the public school. Pastor Strieter conducted the dedicatory service on January 17,1926. Walter R. Roehrs, a student of theology doing post-graduate work at the University of Chicago, was offered a call and on June 27, 1926 he was ordained and installed as the first resident pastor. On March 12, 1928 a resolution was adopted the Grace officially join the Missouri Synod.
On January 12, 1930 Pastor Roehrs preached his farewell sermon having accepted a call to teach Hebrew and German at St. Paul's College at Concordia, Missouri.
On February 9, 1930, Rev. Herman Christian Seitz was installed as its second pastor.
The Rev. Randolph E. Mueller from Columbus, Indiana, was called on April 4, 1946 and was installed on May 19, 1946, and served until May 26, 1949 upon his acceptance of a call to Spencer, Wisconsin..
The Rev. Arthur E. Bohlmann was then called on October 10, 1949 and installed on November 13, 1949 as its 4th called pastor and served until retired from full-time ministry on May 1, 1969.
In July 1969, the Rev. Robert B. Ehlers was called and installed as Grace's 5th pastor on August 31, 1969. After 20 years of service to Grace Pastor Ehlers gave his retirement service on August 27, 1989.
Pastor John Carrier was then called and installed on April 9, 1989 as the 6th called pastor and served until May, 1996.
Rev. Sidney Frazen served as Interim Pastor from June 1, 1996 to August 17, 1997. Rev. Mark Lundgren was called as the 7th pastor and installed on August 17, 1997.
(To be brought up-to-date)
The 75th Anniversary of was held in 2000. This 75th-Anniversary-Church-Brochure.pdf gives a more detailed description of Grace's history and its pastors and lay leaders.
A kick-off event beginning the celebration of Grace's 100th Anniversary in 2025 was held on October 13. This event included a wonderful presentation by Judy Josefek on the history of Grace as a congregation.
A 100th year celebration will be held in November 2025. Over the next 13 months there will be various programs and special events commemorating this milestone under the theme of Grace upon Grace.
UPDATE - March 2025
On Sunday March 16, 2025, the Sunday divine service will be enhanced by the choir rom St. John's La Grange. St. John''s, along with Zion, Hindsale, were the two churches that helped in establishing our own Grace church. Timing was everyting back in 1925. Because little mission church structure was completed quickly the first service was Christmas Eve 1925, with the dedication on January 16, 1926. It was in that service that St. John's choir first united their voices with Grace members.
And so, in this March 16 service, we will be remembering the dedication of the little mission church and once again St. Joh's chori will be uniting their voices with ours. Please join in this 100th year celebration service. A reception will be held afterwards with the theme "A Taste of Grace" featuring food items through the decades.