Luther Memorial Church

Luther Memorial Church
Location Madison, Wisconsin
Country United States
Denomination Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
Website www.luthermem.org
History
Status Church
Founded 1907 (1907)
Architecture
Functional status Active
Administration
Synod South Central Wisconsin Synod, ELCA
Clergy
Minister(s) Rev. Brad Pohlman,
Senior Pastor
Rev. John Worzala Dumke, Associate Pastor
Rev. Rebecca Ninke,
Visitation Pastor

Luther Memorial Church is a Lutheran congregation at 1021 University Avenue in Madison, Wisconsin in the United States. A member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), it is known for its worship, music, education, social ministry and preschool programs.

History

Luther Memorial Church was founded in 1907 as a Bible study group. Later the congregation rented space in a synagogue for weekly worship, then moved into its first permanent location at 626 University Avenue, a designated Madison landmark once called Luther Memorial Chapel and now known as the Church Key Bar and Grill.[1] In 1923 Luther Memorial moved into its newly built Neo-Gothic building at 1021 University Avenue.[2][3] This building was designated as a Madison Landmark in 2011,[4] and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.

Worship

Luther Memorial’s worship has a traditional liturgy with Holy Communion every Sunday and on other holy days. A service of morning prayer is also held each weekday morning. Services also feature hymns and classical music.[5][6]

Music

Luther Memorial’s music program is led by Bruce Bengtson, who has served as the director of music since 1978.[7] Three pipe organs are used in worship: a 56 rank Austin pipe organ, a Steere tracker organ, and a small portative organ.[8][9] The church hosts the winter choral concerts presented by UW-Madison's choirs each December.[10] Luther Memorial has twice been a venue for concerts by the St. Thomas Choir of Leipzig, a boys' choir founded in 1212. Luther College and St. Olaf College choirs also regularly perform in the church's nave.

Performing regularly throughout the church year are the following ensembles:

Adult choir (50 members of all ages) performing Sunday mornings sacred music ranging from plainsong chant to contemporary compositions in English, Latin, and occasionally German or Russian (Church Slavonic).
Chant choir performing the monthly compline service, singing in English and Latin.
Training choir, ages K-2
Children's choir, ages 3-6
Youth choir, ages 7-12
Recorder ensemble open to all ages
Bell choir playing 5-octave and 2-octave sets of Malmark bells.[11]

Social ministry

The following programs are examples of the church's commitment to ministering to those in need:

The congregation began participating in the Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN) in 1999 as a host congregation. IHN, now called The Road Home, is a Madison-based organization that provides housing for homeless people in churches on a rotating basis.[12] Luther Memorial continued as host congregation until early 2018, when the Road home ended that program.[13]

Luther Memorial was the first Adopt-a-House church partner with Habitat for Humanity of Dane County, Wisconsin, raising money and providing volunteers in 1993 to build a house for a family in need.[14]

Campus ministry

The congregation embraces its location amid the Madison campus of the University of Wisconsin, by involving students in all parts of the church life.[15] Luther Memorial is also one of three covenant congregations in partnership with the Lutheran Campus Center (LCC) next door at 325 N. Mills Street. The LCC conducts worship at the church and its pastor often preaches at Luther Memorial.[16]

Preschool

The church operated a Christian-based preschool on site beginning in 1997. The preschool closed in 2015 after the city school district began offering free kindergarten to four year old children.

Pastors and program staff, past and present

This list is not complete. Some lay staff members served for more years than are indicated below. Others served the church in clerical, building maintenance and other capacities.

Pre-organization ministers

  • The Rev. W. K. Frick, Milwaukee held introductory meeting, 1905
  • Olga Nelson Berg, Organist, 1905
  • Paul Hoerlein Roth, G. H. Gerberding, C. K. Lippard, C. A. Naumann, A. C. Peterson, and Paul Wagner Roth, Chicago Lutheran Theological Seminary instructors and students, conducted services, winter 1905-1906.
  • Conrad Hoffman, Sunday school superintendent, 1906-1913
  • The Rev. A. C. Petersen, 1906
  • The Rev. A. C. Anda, missionary, 1907-1916

1. The Rev. Howard R. Gold, pastor, 1907-1916

  • Grover Rapps, organist
  • Rev. John F. Fedders, associate pastor in charge of educational and student work, 1911-1912
  • Mrs. Stevenson, choir director, 1912
  • Clarence Rowley, Sunday school superintendent, 1913-1916
  • Elsie Arnson, organist and choir director, 1915
  • K. M. Chworowsky, organist 1915

2. The Rev. Howard E. Snyder, pastor, 1916-1918

  • The Rev. Norman D. Goehring, interim pastor, 1918; acting pastor, 1918-1919; pastor for student, 1919-1920

3. The Rev. A. J. Soldan, pastor, 1919-1929

  • Alexander R. Graham, Sunday school superintendent, 1922-1929
  • Fletcher Wheeler, organist and musical director, 1923-1924
  • Arthur Bertelsen, organist and choir director, 1924-1926
  • Lydia Rodruan, choir director, 1926
  • Paul Jones, organist, 1926
  • Dr. Sigfrid Prager, choir director, 1926
  • Donald Larson, organist, 1928-1939

4. The Rev. Carroll J. Rockey, pastor 1929-1936

  • Frank A. Kuehl, Sunday school Seperintendent, 1929
  • Alvin Gillette, choir director
  • E. Earle Sweeney, director of music, 1931-1942
  • A. C. Johnson, Sunday school superintendent
  • C. A. Rowley, Sunday school superintendent
  • The Rev. Edward J. Blenker, interim pastor. 1937; pastor for students, 1937-1941

5. The Rev. Edwin Moll, pastor, 1937-1939

  • Miss E. Grace Soderberg, parish worker, 1940-1956
  • Gilman J. Voss, Sunday school superintendent, 1942

6. The Rev. Charles A. Puls, pastor 1940-1962

  • Ruth Pilger Andrews, organist, 1939-1942
  • The Rev. George E. Dressler, assistant pastor 1945-1947
  • The Rev. Robert A. Bartels, assistant pastor, 1948-1950
  • Larry Kelliher, organist-choir director 1950-1951
  • Sister Marian Maurer, deaconess, 1950-1951
  • The Rev. Kenneth Wieg, assistant pastor and director of religious education, 1951-1953
  • David K. Blamchar, organist-choir director, 1951-1952
  • The Rev. Henry B. Kleinert, assistant pastor, 1951-1953
  • The Rev. Earl M. Fritz, assistant pastor, 1955-1957
  • William Poenichen, parish worker, 1955-1957
  • The Rev. Franklin A. Swanson assistant pastor 1957-1963
  • Gerald Eisely, intern, 1958-1959
  • The Rev. Stafford L. Swing, assistant pastor, 1959-1961
  • Russell Paxton, choir director and Helen Paxton, choir director, 1952-1971
  • Erv Reinhard, director of religious education, 1957-1963; lay assistant, 1963-1976
  • Lee Longrie, director of youth activities, 1962-1963

7. The Rev. Frank Efird, senior pastor, 1963-1973

  • The Rev. Gerald N. Kissell, assistant pastor, 1963-1965
  • The Rev. Alan R. Lindberg, youth pastor, 1963-1967
  • The Rev. Robert W. Peterson, associate pastor, 1966-1970
  • Billy Baier, youth director, 1968
  • Roger Bullis, youth director 1969
  • The Rev. Jerome Bengtson, assistant pastor, 1970-1976
  • Roger Petrich, the first full-time director of music, 1971-1977

8. The Rev. J. Stephen Bremer, senior pastor, 1973-1990

  • Robert Harris, intern, 1974-1975
  • Marcelle Wysocki, lay associate (parish worker), 1975-1997
  • The Rev. Charles W. Polm II, assistant pastor, 1977-1978
  • The Rev. Ted Steege, associate pastor. 1978-1983
  • The Rev. Francis Strong, associate pastor, 1984-1986
  • Judy Bush, volunteer coordinator, 1985-1990
  • The Rev. Kirk Malnor, assistant pastor, 1987-1990
  • Bruce A. Bengtson, director of music, 1978-present
  • The Rev. Elmer B. Sterner, interim pastor, 1990

9. The Rev. Harvey Spencer Peters, senior pastor, 1990-1997

  • The Rev. Dyan M. LeVander, associate pastor 1990-1995
  • Janet Quello, director of education, 1991-1993
  • Jeannette Pranke, director of education, 1993-1995
  • The Rev. Amy E. Reumann, associate pastor, 1996-1997
  • Roban Clagnaz, church administrator, 1993-
  • Kathy Wall, director of Child Development Center, 1997-(date needed)

[17]

10. The Rev. Shelley Bobb, senior pastor, (date needed)-2007

  • The Rev. Timothy Dean, associate pastor,(date needed)-(date needed)
  • The Rev. Brad Pohlman, interim senior pastor, 2007-2008
  • The Rev. Craig Jan-McMahon, interim associate pastor, 2007-2008
  • Kim O'Leary, church administrator, (date needed)-present

11. The Rev. Franklin Arthur Wilson, senior pastor, 2008-2015

  • The Rev. Brad Pohlman, interim associate, then associate pastor, now senior pastor 2008-present
  • Suelyn Swiggum, Director of Shared Ministry, (date needed)-present
  • Suzanne Du Chateau,Director, Luther Memorial Preschool, (date needed)-2015

12. The Rev. Brad Pohlman, senior pastor, 2015-present

  • The Rev. Eric Jones, interim associate pastor, 2015-2016
  • The Rev. David Berggren, interim associate pastor, 2015-2016
  • The Rev. John A. Worzala Dumke, associate pastor, 2016-present
  • The Rev. Rebecca Ninke, visitation pastor, 1917-present

[18]

References

  1. "Luther Memorial Chapel: Madison Landmark". Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  2. Hove, Arthur O. (1991). The University Of Wisconsin: A Pictorial History. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press.
  3. "Madison Believers: Luther Memorial Church melds tradition and liturgy with fellowship and music in a historic campus cathedral". Isthmus. 23 December 2010. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  4. "Luther Memorial is Madison Landmark". Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  5. "Luther Memorial Lutheran Church: Where the liturgy lives and Christ welcomes all". Retrieved 1 Feb 2014.
  6. "Worship: Rooted in Tradition". Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  7. "Music at Luther Memorial". Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  8. "Madison Believers: Luther Memorial Church melds tradition and liturgy with fellowship and music in a historic campus cathedral". Isthmus. 23 December 2010. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  9. "Multi-phase restoration of historic Gothic Revival church". Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  10. "Luther Memorial Church Hosts UW Choirs". Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  11. "Choirs & ensembles". Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  12. "Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN) Shelter Reflections, Host Congregations:". Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  13. "THE ROAD HOME FOCUSES ON HOUSING SOLUTIONS FOR FAMILIES EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS". Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  14. Fuller, Millard (1994). The Theology of the Hammer. Madison: Smyth & Helwys.
  15. "Madison Believers: Luther Memorial Church melds tradition and liturgy with fellowship and music in a historic campus cathedral". Isthmus. 23 December 2010. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  16. "Covenant Congregations". Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  17. Gruber, Bonnie, ed. (1997). Luther Memorial Church: A Firm Foundation, a Faithful Future. Madison, Wisconsin: Luther Memorial Church. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  18. "Luther Memorial Church staff". Retrieved 14 May 2014.

Coordinates: 43°04′23″N 89°24′12″W / 43.07298°N 89.40345°W / 43.07298; -89.40345

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