Zion's Neo-Gothic Structure Zion Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Detroit

A Brief History of

Zion Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Detroit

Allen J. Kerkes

Revised Edition

All Souls Day

2009


Founding
Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church of Detroit was founded on June 4, 1882, by 51 men. Ten were members of the mother congregation, Immanuel, then located at 17thand Pine; forty-one were mostly recent German immigrants from West Prussia, now a part of Poland. The Parish is the outgrowth of a branch school organized by Immanuel on Wesson, south of Michigan, then a part of Springwells Township, in 1877. In this wooden house turned School, midweek Advent and Lenten Services were conducted by Immanuels Pastor, the Rev. Konrad L. Moll, until Zion was officially organized. Wilhelm Burhop was the first Teacher, followed by Johann Von der Au in 1880.


On October 15, 1882, at a Service in Immanuel Church, the Rev. Christian F. Schatz was installed as Zion's first Pastor. Almost immediately thereafter, the school building was moved to Welch, now Military Avenue.
The Dedication of the first Church, a 700 seat wooden edifice with tall steeple, occurred on July 8, 1883.

Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church ~ First Building, dedicated July 8, 1883 A.XD.



Two years later, a second School was built with four classrooms. The enrollment, all children of parishioners, increased so rapidly that a branch school had to be opened 1/2 mile away on 31st Street.  Also, additional space was made available in the first Zion Young Mens Club Hall across the street from the Church.  Within a few short years, the Day School had almost 500 pupils, the largest Lutheran parochial school in America.  To alleviate the crowded conditions, two classrooms were added in 1901.


Initial growth
With Lutherans moving away from the near-Downtown location of Immanuel Church, and with hundreds of West Prussians continuing to arrive in Southwest Detroit until 1900, Zion, to relieve the pressure on her Pastor and Teachers, organized or assisted in organizing seven daughter congregations: Bethlehem, 1887; St. Stephen, 1890; Concordia (Delray), 1901 and Tabor, 1916.  She solely organized Gethsemanein 1891 and St. Matthew in 1903.  In addition, Pastor Schatz ministered to the Lutherans in West Dearborn, and under his supervision, Emmanuel Church was organized in 1895. Immanuel German Evangelical Churchon Livernois (later United Church of Christ) was started by dissident members of Zion , several of whom had been excommunicated.


At Zion s numerical peak in the early 1890s, she had almost 3,100 parishioners, and was, at the time, the largest congregation in The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, which she had joined in 1883.  For several years, Pastor Schatz officiated annually at 200 infant baptisms, over 75 youth confirmations and 150 burials of members.  

                                                                                 
The three Bells of Zion were installed in 1890, and ring to this day. After serving Zion for 32 years, Pastor Schatz retired on November 1, 1914, and was succeeded by the Rev. Walter E. Lussky, who was installed on February 15, 1915.  That same year, the new Mens Club Hall, consisting of auditorium, bowling alleys and dining, choir and meeting rooms, was built.  The Rectory was dedicated the following year, 1916.


In 1924, Zion again peaked in membership, with 2,500 souls and 417 students in her Day School.  The following year, 1925, saw the beginning of English language Services, though only once a month.  After October 6, 1974, German was no longer employed in public worship at Zion .

The New Building
Following the Golden Anniversary Services in 1932, the first Church was demolished and building begun on the present 600 seat neo-Gothic stone edifice.  Stone used in the building was obtained from the recently demolished Post Office/Federal Building in Downtown Detroit.  On May 27, 1933, the new Church was dedicated, with thousands present for the various Services.


Newspaper article on new Church Building, May 27, 1933 A.XD.


In 1936, Teacher Gottwaldt Wendt, who also served as Day School Principal, died, after serving Zion for 53 years.  Other longtime Teachers included Ludwig Maurer, Knud Hansen, George Bernhard Sohn, Melchior Zehnder, John Nuechterlein, August Trapp, Christian Kaiser, Karl Wittkopp, Armond Schoof, Robert Schultz and Flora Loeb.

The Tenure of Pastor Runge
In 1938, Candidate Kenneth E. Runge became unordained assistant to Pastor Lussky, becoming Assistant Pastor following his Ordination and Installation on June 5, 1938.  Following Pastor Lusskys resignation in 1939, Pastor Runge became Pastor of the Parish.


For the final time, in 1940, membership peaked with almost 2,100 souls, at the time the seventh largest congregation in the Missouri Synod. 1941 saw the bricking of the School and also the commencement of World War II, with six members perishing corporeally, including Edward Klann, sailor-cook on the USS Arizona, and well over 200 parishioners serving in the Armed Forces. (Two members died in  the Spanish-American War of 1898; four in World War I; and one, Kenneth Fletke, during the Korean Conflict.)

Faith Faces the Future, the expansion program begun in the early 1960s, saw the installation of a new parking lot and the Dedication of the new School and Activities Center in 1964, together with three landscaped gardens, at a cost of $750,000. The debt was declared terminated in 1978, a year early.

The Present Era
After returning to the practices of the Evangelical-Lutheran Confessions, especially the celebration of the Holy Eucharist every Sunday and holy day, Pastor Runge retired on October 6, 1974, after serving Zion for 36 years.  Following the Pastoral Vacancy, the Rev. Gene Evans was installed as fourth Pastor of Zion on May 25, 1975.  During his Pastorate, the Centennials of both Day School (1977) and Congregation (1982) were celebrated and the Second Century Fund and Endowment Fund were initiated. Also, the console of the Holtkamp Organ was modernized at a cost of $25,000.


Because of overwhelming expenses to the Parish and a rapidly declining enrollment, the parochial school was moved into the Activities Center in 1994, with most grades eliminated.  The School, oldest in Detroit Lutheranism, was finally closed in 1998.    
On July 23, 1995, the Rev. John W. Fenton was installed as Zion s fifth Pastor.  In 1998, the School and Activities Center were leased to a charter school, providing needed funding to the Parish. In 1999, an Annex was built next to the School at a cost of over $500,000.  Following the 120 thAnniversary in 2002, Zion began a major restoration of the interior of her Church.  Almost $200,000 was expended for this purpose.


On October 29, 2006, Pastor Fenton resigned, and several dozen Parishioners left with him to organize a heterodox congregation.

On August 26, 2007, the Rev. Larry K. Loree, Jr., was installed as Zion s sixth Pastor.  He resigned and preached his final sermon on April 20, 2008.  

Over 300 worshippers were present as Zion celebrated  her 125 thFounding and 75 thDedication Anniversaries with Holy Mass on

May 18, 2008 at 4:00p.m.  This celebration came at the end of her 125 thAnniversary Year.

The Rev. Mark P. Braden was installed as Zion s seventh Pastor on January 4, 2009.  Under his leadership, adult and childrens classes resumed, with mens and womens groups organized.  Renovation of the Undercroft, at a cost of $105,000, was recently completed, with restoration of the Rectory to follow.

Several Parishioners, over the years, have  served   Zion as long-time Church Office secretaries:  Florence Sohn, daughter of Teacher Sohn and sister of Professor Sohn, served Zion for 28 years, Jean Wrenbeck and Sherrie Williams.  Dorothy Geisler served 13 years as School Office Secretary.  In addition, Allen Kerkes served as Lay Worker.

 
Church Interior
Zion is rich in Christian art and symbolism.  Entering the Nave and facing the loft rail, you will notice depictions in wood of the Apostolic Creed.  Looking up, one sees numerous plaques in the roof trusses with symbols of the Apostles and of the Faith.  On the lower walls of the Nave and Transepts are the traditional Fourteen Stations of the Cross. In the Transepts and underneath the Balcony are various holy pictures, including a diptych of the Annunciation to St. Mary by the Archangel, St. Gabriel. A separate Baptistry includes the large stone Font with elaborate cover, Altar with carved wooden reredos, Piscina and various carvings.  In the niches to both sides of the Chancel are European carved statues of Christ and of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the Infant Jesus.  On the Lectern is the Agnus Dei, Christ as the Lamb of God; symbols of the Four Evangelists adorn the Pulpit, with a Crucifix of Christ as King and Priest above it.  A Tabernacle (Aumbry or Sacrament House) in the Sanctuary (the area around the Altar) features a carving of a Pelican and her chicks, representing what Christ does for us in the Holy Eucharist.  At the opposite end of the Sanctuary is the Sacrarium.  The Altar reredos has Angels holding lilies (symbolizing purity) and a wooden carving of the Last Supper and carvings of the Resurrection:  a peacock and victorious Lamb of God. The Altar Wall includes golden Fleur-de-Lis, representing the Holy Trinity and St.Mary.  The Altar itself is constructed of various Italian marbles.  The Chancel Window features the Ascending Christ with the Archangels, St.Michael and St. Gabriel (the first Church contained a painting of this subject matter on the Altar reredos).  The various windows in the Church were made by the Detroit Stained Glass Company in 1933.  Also notice the artifacts in the Narthex, including communionware from both the closed Gethsemane Churchand Zions first Church, the German Bible of Pastor Schatz, the St. Michael Veterans Memorial and a framed photograph of Zion s first House of God.

In the Loft or Balcony is the 2,128 pipe Organ. Additional pipes are located in the Chancel. Zions first organ was installed in 1883 for $1,200 by the J. G. Pfeffer Company of St. Louis, Missouri.  This instrument was replaced by the 1914 Felgemaker, costing $5,000.  Because Zions present Church was built at the height of the Great Depression, the Vottler-Holtkamp-Sparling Organ Company of Cleveland, Ohio, saved the Parish thousands of dollars by incorporating the 1914 pipes into the new instrument.  Famed organ builder Walter Holtkamp personally took charge of the construction and installation.  There are five divisions:  Great, Swell, Choir, floating Chancel and Pedal with three manuals.  The organ, primarily meant to be a Church Service organ, rather than a concert organ,  also includes a harp and cathedral chimes.Longtime organists have included Teacher Wendt, Teacher Nuechterlein and Allen Kerkes.  Additional well-known organists were Teachers Harold Rutz, Lowell Borcherding  and  Norman Tiedje.

Zion's Role in the Church
Zion has had eight sons of the congregation enter the Holy Ministry, the first being the Rev. Dr. Otto Sohn, long-time Professor at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri, and Editor of Synods German language periodical, Der Lutheraner.  Others were the Rev. Adolph Koslowsky, the Rev. Arthur Zehnder, Jr., the Rev. Kenneth Haupt, the Rev. Evan Schiller and the Rev. Roland Holder.  Two others have left the Lutheran Churchfor false-teaching denominations.A large number of Vicars have served Zion , both year-round and summer.  Part-time Assisting Pastors have included Rev. Frederick Lussky, Rev. Henry Quitmeyer, Rev. Paul Czamanske, Rev. Arne Kristo, Rev. J. H. Gerdes, Rev. Earle Beck, Rev. Roger Ruff and Rev. Robert Cullinan.  Only two men have served as Assistant or Associate Pastors:  Pastor Runge and the Rev. Richard A. Zeile (1991-1993). Vacancy Pastors since 1882 have included Rev. Konrad Moll, Rev. Frederick Tresselt, Rev. Herman Metzger, Rev. Robert Cullinan, Rev. Arthur Zehnder  Rev. Allen Lunneberg, Rev. Joel Baseley, Rev. Dr. Frank Pies and Rev. Christopher Thoma. Fifteen sons and daughters of Zion became Synodically trained Teachers and Professors in the Missouri Synod school system.


In addition to organizing seven daughter congregations, Zionhas contributed to the well-being of The Church At Large by assisting in the founding of the Lutheran High School Association of Greater Detroit (in her Undercroft in 1943), the Lutheran Homes of Michigan, the Deaf Institute, the Glen Eden Lutheran Memorial Park , the Lutheran Center Association and other organizations.  In addition, she sponsored Synodical meetings that eventually resulted in the formation of Americas first Lutheran monastery, St. Augustines House in Oxford, Michigan.