Church to celebrate 140 years with meal, service

COLERIDGE – Immanuel Lutheran Church has been celebrating a significant milestone this year - 140 years.

Church members have been celebrating all year long with special events since April but the festivities culminate with a catered meal and special service Sunday, Sept. 15.

Pastor Amanda Hefner will be assisting with worship service at 10 a.m. at the church. An anniversary choir will be providing special music for the occasion. The catered meal will follow the service at about 11:30 a.m. at the Coleridge Community Building.

“The anniversary celebration is an opportunity to thank God for all his provisions to us over these 140 years,” said Jacie Burbach who is organizing the anniversary activities along with Sheri and Kevin Krei, Julie Hefner and Joann Rathgeber.

The church celebrated with a brunch and quilt show in April, an old-time church service in June and a Prodigal Sons’ worship concert last month.

Immanuel Lutheran traces its start back to 1884 when the Rev. A. Fleischmann, a traveling missionary, organized the first congregation consisting of eight families. They chose the name Immanuel which means, God with us.

The first pastor, Rev. Charles Brandt, held church services in German at the Lawn Ridge school house on Sundays. Two years later, the congregation purchased a 10-acre tract for $200 and started to build on the land in 1891 including a church, parsonage and even some barns to store parishioners’ horses during inclement weather while at church services.

That building served the congregation well until 1926 when the decision was made to build a new church with more space in Coleridge. The building, still in use currently, was dedicated in February 1927.

The building served the church well for 20 years until it became evident that on quite a few Sundays, the building was filled to the doors with folding chairs having to be placed in the aisles to accommodate the worshippers.

In 1953, the decision was made to enlarge the church basement and superstructure.

Some improvements this plan allowed for included: room for an additional 125 worshippers, seven classrooms, and a large social room.