We Begin…
On July 13, 1924 a group of people in south Lansing wished to start a new church. After much work and planning, George D. Tuerk, whose father was a minister of the Ohio Synod, wrote to Rev. Frederick Volz of Saginaw and Rev. W. Asall of Reese and to the district president of the Northern District of the Ohio Synod, the Rev. H. P. Dannecker. They referred him to Rev. C. G. Althoff who was a minister in Fowlerville, Michigan and assisted with all the charter members to organize Bethlehem Lutheran Church.
The first meeting was held at the home of Mr. Fred Ristau, 327 Moores River Drive. Another meeting was held on July 27, 1924 at the home of George Tuerk, 1104 S. Grand Avenue. Dr. Dannecker and Rev. C. G. Alhoff were present at this meeting. Twenty-four men signed their names to start the congregation. Temporary officers were elected.
The first service was held August 10, 1924, at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Gustav Rotzol, 1615 Delevan Avenue. Two services were held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Julius Fiedler, 1416 Linval Street.
Two lots were purchased in the fall of 1924 on Mount Hope and Ray Streets for $2100. This amount was raised at one time by pledges and donations of the charter members. There were 55 members when the congregation was incorporated on September 23, 1924.
On October 20, 1924 ground was broken for the chapel. The original chapel was erected by the members of the church on Thansgiving Day 1924 during a rain and snow storm. The chapel was 26' by 50' and cost $3700. Dedication of the Bethlehem Lutheran Church was on December 14, 1924 in sub-zero weather.
The first Church Council was elected on January 11, 1925 to address the issues of the new church.
On December 22, 1924 the congregation extended a formal call to Rev. C. G. Althoff to become their resident pastor. He was installed by his father, the Rev. C. H. Althoff of Genera, Ohio on March 22, 1925. Rev. Althoff served until July 1928.
A small church with a large program and many activities, 400 individuals were often crowded into the main auditorium on special occasions. The basement was equipped for the Church School and contained organization rooms for recreational purposes and for family-night get-togethers.
Pastor George C. Bubolz, a graduate of Capital University Seminary, was installed on September 23, 1928. During his pastorate a parsonage was purchased, remodeled and occupied in 1932. The chapel was enlarged in 1931 to better serve the congregation. The congregation became self-supporting in 1939 and all mortgages were paid in 1942. At this time, plans for a new church began to develop and by 1945 the first campaign toward the new church was launched. Besides improvements in the chapel, a Wurlitzer electronic organ was purchased in 1948. The congregation enjoyed continued growth. Pastor Bubolz resigned in 1948.
Pastor Edward J. Nest became the interim pastor until Pastor Walter F. Koepplin arrived and was installed on January 16, 1949. In 1949, approximately $17,000 was in the Building Fund. Building plans were developed and a church building program approved on October 8, 1950. Ground breaking ceremonies were observed on October 29, 1950 and the cornerstone was laid on June 25, 1951.
The church was constructed of waylite block and faced with Napoleon sandstone. The overall dimension of the church was 50' by 82'. The nave of the church measured 50' long and 38' wide, (the same dimensions as today) and accommodated 304 people. With the balcony, 390 could be seated with an overflow in the narthex of 50 or more. The chancel with divided choir loft and organ console was 18 feet deep with room for 32 choir members. The lectern was on the right and the pulpit on the left. To the right of the lectern was a marble baptismal font. The stained glass window above the altar was designed to include all the colors of Luther's emblem. The old chapel served as a social and parish hall for many years to offer adequate space for church activities.
Rev. John C. McCollister was installed on February 7, 1965 to be an assistant to Pastor Koepplin. Pastor Koepplin retired in April 1967, at which time Pastor McCollister assumed responsibility for the entire congregation until his departure in August 1971.
On November 28, 1971, Rev. James A. Schalkhauser became pastor at Bethlehem. One of Pastor Schalkhauser's dreams was to serve jointly with his father. That dream was realized when Rev. E. H. Schalkhauser was installed at Bethlehem on September 22, 1974. Pastor (Rusty) Schalkhauser served as assistant pastor until March 1980. Rev. Noel Niemann was installed as assistant pastor on September 7, 1980. Shortly after Pastor Niemann's departure, Rev. James R. Lichtenberger was installed as associate pastor on April 20,1986.
The Bethlehem family has been blessed with continued growth. In our efforts to spread the Good News, our involvement with the needs of the community continue to increase. The ever increasing use of our church facilities prompted the pursuit of yet another building project. This project included updating our current building as well as the addition of more classrooms and offices for our pastors and staff. The addition to the east of the church encroached on an already tight parking situation. The property to the east of the parking lot was purchased to maintain the parking needs.
In recent years, we have become actively involved with Neighbors United in Action; joined in the efforts of Christian Services as a host for the Lansing Area Rotating Sanctuary and the Quality Living program; hosted the summer lunch program for the Lansing School District; worked with the Greater Lansing Area Food Bank as a food closet; and worked with Habitat for Humanity and organizations. We also continue our ongoing summer summer day camp and Neighborhood Kids Night programs. Additionally, our facilities are used by Neighbors United in Action, Narcotics Anonymous, Recovery, Police Athletic League, and Child Abuse Prevention Services Family Growth Center.
As we move into the future, our strong and continued presence will only increase our opportunities for sharing God's love and the gospel of Jesus Christ. This congregation of Christians will continue to "Lift High the Cross" in our neighborhood, our community, our nation and our world…
and so the ministry continues………
Thank you Almighty Father for the blessing of the past 75 years. We are grateful for the courage and foresight of our forebears and the strength of our continued leadership. We look with excitement and anticipation to the future of your disciples here at Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church. Amen