Peace Lutheran Ministries exists beyond walls and campuses and even our community:
We are Peace wherever we are.
Peace is a large church of small groups:
We are large enough to serve you, but small enough to need you.
We are disciples who GATHER, GROW, and GO to make more disciples:
Christian education has been foundational in our church and school since 1938…
September 5th, 1938 – With the four existing LCMS congregations in Saginaw all being located about two miles from each other, members of Holy Cross, Bethlehem, Trinity, and Redeemer met in order to plan a location for a new church plant on the West side of the area, seeing a need to bring the Gospel to rural families in what would later become Saginaw Township.
October 1st, 1938 – With the help of the Michigan District (LCMS) Church Extension Board, 9.8 acres of farmland on Mackinaw Street were purchased for $6,000. This land was subdivided and sold, holding back eight lots for the church.
September 30th, 1940 – Peace congregation was born after a meeting of interested people from all four existing congregations voted unanimously to organize.
November 11th, 1940 – The new congregation elected officers and board members, called a pastor, and began work on a constitution, all while remaining members at their mother churches.
The First 50 Years
January, 1941 – The congregation met for worship for the first time at Michigan Lutheran Seminary.
February 2nd, 1941 – The Rev. Lorenz F. Weber was installed as the first Pastor of Peace Lutheran Church.
April 6th, 1941 – Ground was broken for the first building.
April 13th, 1941 – Easter Sunday, the first Peace Sunday school took place in the basement of Michigan Lutheran Seminary, attended by 45 children. Within 15 years, Sunday school enrollment would be 372, with 42 teachers in 1956.
May 18th, 1941 – The cornerstone was laid.
June 15th, 1941 – The first five adults were accepted into membership.
June 18th – 27th, 1941 – During the convention of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Peace congregation was officially accepted into membership.
September 7th, 1941 – The building was dedicated. The Peace Ladies Guild served a dinner, which cost 85 cents for adults and 35 cents for children. In a surprising move that was emblematic of their mission, this first building was not a church, but a school! Worship took place on the third floor.
September 9th, 1941 – First day of Peace Lutheran School took place.
September 15th, 1941 – The first wedding between Peace members took place.
1946 – Total amount of the debt for the first building, $32,000, was paid off by the 343 members.
1949 – The 484 members of Peace dedicated the Parish Hall at a cost of over $170,000.
1954 – The 877 members of Peace added four classrooms, an office and rooms in the church basement at a cost of $128,000.
1958 – Peace participated in the LCMS seminary vicarage program by calling Vicar Fred Stennfeld. Five vicars would follow through 1964, including the Edward Kast, who would later return to Peace as a pastor.
1962 – After holding worship services in the school building from 1941-1949, and in the Parish Hall from 1949-1962, the now 1230 members of Peace dedicated the church sanctuary, as well as the basement parlor, offices, organ, and youth center at a cost of $600,000.
1964 – Peace installed its first Associate Pastor, the Rev. Richard Brendel, who served beside Pastor Weber until 1972.
1972 – The Rev. Charles O. Smith was installed as Peace’s second Associate Pastor
1977 – The Rev. William Ney became Peace’s Associate Pastor and the third pastor on staff, joining Pastors Weber and Smith.
1979 – After serving Peace faithfully as her Senior Pastor for 38 years, Pastor Weber retired. Pastor Smith was called by the congregation to assume Senior Pastor duties.
1983 – Peace installed the Rev. Robert “Bert” Eggers as Associate Pastor after Pastor Ney left to take a call to Ontario, Canada.
1984 – The Rev. Edward Kast was installed as Associate Pastor.
1985 – Following the departure of Pastor Smith to take a position with St. Luke’s Hospital Foundation, Pastor Eggers was called by the congregation to serve as “Coordinating” Pastor. After a time, he opted to switch roles with Pastor Kast, who became Peace’s fourth Senior pastor.
August 30, 1987 – The Rev. Darrell Zimmerman was installed as Peace’s third pastor on staff.
The Next 50 Years
1994 – Following Pastor Zimmerman’s departure for a call in the previous year, the Rev. Michael Roth was installed as the third pastor on staff.
1999 – Pastor Kast retired on September 19th, and Pastor Roth left to take a call, leaving Pastor Eggers as the sole pastor.
January 14, 2001 – The Rev. James Thelen was installed as Peace’s Senior Pastor, and a capital campaign was begun to build a new school on property acquired at the corner of Lawndale and Shattuck, in Saginaw Township.
2003 – The new Lawndale campus school was opened, and Pastor Thelen left to take a call.
2002 – The Rev. Paul Hinz was installed as the third pastor on staff, Peace’s tenth pastor in its history.
2004 – The Rev. C. William Weis was installed as Peace’s sixth Senior Pastor.
December 18th, 2016 – The Rev. Matthew J. Hauser was installed as the “School” Pastor after completing the Specific Ministry Program, the first to do so at Peace.
2018 – Following Pastor Hinz’ retirement the previous year, the Rev. Roger Stauffer was installed as part-time “Visitation” pastor.
May 30th, 2018 – Pastor Weis’ battle with cancer ended when he was healed fully and called home to heaven.
May 5th, 2019 – The Rev. Erik R. Schmidt was installed as “Lead” Pastor, becoming Peace’s seventh Senior Pastor.
December 2019 – Peace’s capital campaign, entitled “Seeds to Branches for Another Generation,” raised $3.75 million since its inception in 2015, allowing for the expansion of the Early Childhood Center at the Lawndale campus.
December 19th, 2021 – After Pastor Stauffer’s retirement in 2020 and upon his own completion of the Specific Ministry Program, the Rev. Henry G. Pahlkotter II was ordained and installed as “Executive” Associate Pastor after completing the Specific Ministry Program. Pastor Pahlkotter would leave to take a call in 2023.
What does the future hold for Peace Lutheran Ministries? We hope you’ll be a part of it and found out right along with us!