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Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church
member of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS)
In November 1888, a group of Lutherans in Marshall organized a congregation. For the first four years the congregation met in private homes and public buildings. In 1892, St. John’s congregation in Marshall rented the Icelandic Lutheran Church on Main Street. Doctrinal controversies disturbed the peace of the congregation in 1896. Lots for a church building were purchased on Lyon Street in April 1897 and that summer the church was erected. It was dedicated on Sunday, July 18th.
Several members severed their affiliation with St. John’s and formed "Ev. Lutheran Christus Geminde". Both branches of the German Lutheran Church continued to maintain organizations until the summer of 1908, when reconciliation was effected. In July 1908, members from both congregations met for the purpose of reuniting. It was decided to keep the name "Ev. Lutheran Christus Geminde" and hold services in that church. In January 1919, the church held services in German one Sunday and English the next Sunday. A parsonage was purchased in February 1919.
In 1927, the need for a larger place of worship surfaced. Nothing was decided at that time, but the need continued to be expressed. In 1931, a committee was elected to investigate the costs and methods of financing a new church. On May 15, 1938, a special meeting of the congregation was held and plans were made to build a new church. Construction began on the corner of Third and Marshall streets. The new church was dedicated to the service of the Lord on December 11, 1938. The total cost of the new church was $26,804.49.
In 1938, the 50th anniversary of the congregation’s organization, Christ Lutheran numbered 185 communicants, and 314 souls. In the next years, God’s kingdom in Christ Lutheran continued to grow inwardly. Outwardly, many improvements were made on the church property. In 1939, a colonial style 7-room parsonage was built to the rear of the church. On January 11, 1942, the motion to "affiliate ourselves to the Wisconsin Synod and the Minnesota District of the same" was carried.
The tenth anniversary of the new church was celebrated September 12, 1948. Christ Lutheran then numbered 439 souls, 291 communicants. In 1951, the window above the altar was installed. Since 1939, a painting of Jesus with Peter on the water had been above the altar, encircled with Jesus’ words from Matthew 14:31: "O Thou of Little Faith, Wherefore Didst Thou Doubt?" For the window theme, the congregation chose "Jesus In Gethsemane". In June 1973 property north of the parsonage was purchased. The basement was renovated into a teaching room. The house was later used as a teacherage and, when vacated, for Sunday School classes.
Enriching the spiritual care of the congregation’s children through a school was a desire that began to take root in the spring of 1975. Property on Village Drive, plus four acres of land, was purchased for a school. A year later, April 9, 1978, it was resolved that Christ Lutheran would proceed with the opening of a Christian Day School in the fall of 1978.
The year 1988 marked a milestone in the life of the congregation as they celebrated 100 years of God’s grace. It also marked the tenth anniversary of the opening of Samuel Lutheran School.
In 1998 it was decided to intensify the effort to move forward with plans to expand the narthex area of the church as well as make it handicapped accessible. Through memorials and bequests the Lord of the Church opened the door for us to begin to make our dream a reality. Plans were drawn up for an addition, which would include 1641 square feet of addition narthex area with new bathrooms and an elevator. A special groundbreaking ceremony was held on Sunday, July 29, 2001. During the time of construction worship services were held out to Samuel Lutheran School. A joyful dedication service of the new addition was held on March 10, 2002.
In November 1999 the church purchased the home to the east of the church which serves as the current parsonage.
In 2004 it was decided that Christ would allow its pastors to serve Zion Ev. Lutheran Church of Island Lake Township. In exchange Zion would cover added salary expense and help contribute to other costs of ministry at Christ. This pairing lasted until January of 2009 when Zion called a retired pastor to serve them.
Over the years nine different called Pastors have shepherded the congregation. Its current pastor is Rev. Keith Schreiner.God continues to shower his blessings upon Christ Ev. Lutheran Church. At present the church has 615 baptized souls with 476 communicant members. The church offers her members a wide variety of ways they can serve their Lord.
Samuel Lutheran School
pre-kindergarten through 8th grade
Christ Lutheran Center, as the West Bank building on Village Dr. was first called, was dedicated on April 17, 1977. At the voters meeting a week later, the center was renamed "Samuel Hall and School" commemorating the Biblical child, Samuel. Christ Lutheran Church resolved to open a Christian Elementary School in this building in the fall of 1978. Sixteen children in grades K-8 were enrolled on opening day, August 28, 1978. In January 1979, the congregation resolved to call another teacher; during the year the enrollment grew to 31 students. The next year began with 33 students. A sports program was begun, with the students choosing the name "Christ Lutheran Cougars". In 1980, a pre-kindergarten class was added. Two 1981 Dr. Martin Luther college graduates began teaching at Samuel that fall. The once a week hot lunch prepared by volunteer women was replaced with a daily program. The enrollment in 1984 was 78. May 11, 1986 was a special day in the school’s history as groundbreaking took place for the addition of three classrooms and a gymnasium. A teacherage would also be built on the school property. November 20, 1986, students and faculty joyfully moved into the new, roomy classrooms. The addition and teacherage were dedicated in a service held in the gym on December 7, 1986. At that time the mortgage on the original school building was burned. Included in the 1987 graduating class of five young men were the first students to complete nine years of education at Samuel. In 1998 a wooden gym floor taken out of the armory in Tracy was installed in the gym with volunteer labor. And in 1999 new bleachers were installed. The year 2003 marked the 25th anniversary of the school and the 115th of the congregation. A special service was held followed by a program highlighting Samuel’s 25-year history. Jesus’ command, "Feed my lambs" continues to be carried out at Samuel Lutheran School, by God’s grace and through the efforts of dedicated teachers, pastors, and members of Christ Ev. Lutheran Church.
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