A sad church closing

We knew this was coming but had hopes there was a chance it could be avoided. St. John's Lutheran Church in Maryville decided their last service will be this coming Sunday, January 2. Dale preached there in October (actually Halloween) for its 175th anniversary and listened to many members grieving over this possibility. Membership had been going down for some time, there had been no full time pastor as well.

What makes this particularly sad is this is the mother church for almost all the local Lutheran churches in the area, most of whom are doing well. It is a beautiful church, a historic white, clapboard exterior with a gorgeous sanctuary. It was begun in 1846 while Holy Cross in Collinsville was begun in 1848, one of first to come after St. John's. What's difficult to take in is why they could not make a go of it, Maryville is growing by leaps and bounds, but without a full time pastor, things get tricky.

The amazingly high pulpit has long been a hallmark at this church and something many visiting pastors had qualms about climbing into it.

Our friend and Holy Cross member, Louis Meier attended that Sunday. He grew up in that church. Actually quite a few people from Holy Cross were there that day.

Comments

[Diane]

So sad. My husband's first call as a teacher was to First St. John's on Hoyne St. in Chicago. I think it closed in the early '70's. It was one of the first Lutheran congregations in Chicago. The people shouldn't feel guilty. The Word of the LORD endures forever.

[Frank]

Sad. I'm not Lutheran, but I bet many Maryville residents are Lutheran and belong to other congregations. They should support their local church. If nothing else the churches that St. John's help found, should maintain the structure and periodically hold services at St. John's as a memorial to the religion. Instead, it will end up being another residential development. Concordia Seminary could use as a test site for deacon OJT, recruitment, and congregation fiscal mgt.

[Barbara Lemke Ullman]

Sadly in Evansville, the mother church, Trinity closed last year and another church, Messiah is closing at the end of this year.