Zion Lutheran Church Members join in ground breaking
This is what ran in The Evening Leader 50 years ago today.
Members of Zion Lutheran Church gathered on the former parsonage lawn next door to the church Sunday to participate in the service of ground-breaking of the new half-million dollar church.
They hope to have the new church completed and in use for the celebration of their 125th anniversary next year.
The congregation followed the pastor, the Rev. Theodore T. Stellhorn III from the church to the lawn following the second morning service.
There on the lawn the Rev. Mr. Stellhorn received assurance from the president of the congregation, Wilbur Lee the structural engineer, Trier and a representative the general contractor,
Mr. Dennis, that everything was in readiness to proceed with the construction.
Following the brief devotional service, Mr. Lee moved forward to turn the first three shovels-full of ground in an area at the approximate location of the altar in the new church. It will be short distance east of the North Wayne street sidewalk. Members of the Church Building committee continued with the ground breaking service and afterward the children and members of the congregation were invited to participate.
The choir led the congregation in singing the doxology to conclude the service.
For the morning worship services, the Rev. Mr. Stellhorn used as his sermon theme: “Don’t Waste God’s Grace,” based on II Corinthians 6:1-10. The contractor will move in at once to begin razing the garage and the former parsonage to make way for the new church edifice.
The congregation will continue to hold services in the present church until the new building is completed. The stained art glass windows will be removed for renovation before placement in the new church.