St. John celebrates 100th anniversary of church building

By Travis Fischer, tkfischer@charlescitypress.com

St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church celebrated the 100th anniversary of its building during a special service on Sunday, Oct. 27.

Constructed in 1924, the building has seen many additions and renovations over the century, but the core of the building’s sanctuary remains in use to this day.

The congregation came out wearing “red for reformation” on Sunday to celebrate the anniversary.

“We had a full church,” said Rev. Russ Leeper. “Everybody was wearing red to celebrate.”

Before the usual Sunday program, Linda Klemesrud and Cherie Schafer gave a presentation about the building’s origins and history, showcasing how the building has expanded over the last 100 years with major additions in the 50s, 60s and 90s.

“We’re fortunate because we’re the only traditional church that survived the tornado of ’68,” said Schafer.

The program also brought some of the history of the building back to life, ringing a historical bell from the original church that had been discovered in a far corner of the church basement and restored to use. Henry and Laura Marth were selected to dress up in historical outfits and give the bell its first ringing in more years than anybody remembers.

After the church service, the congregation gathered for a special brunch featuring a silent auction and craft fair. The church is raising funds to have the bell placed in a permanent location where it can be used to ring in special occasions.

“I think it went great,” said intern pastor Beth Hurt. “There was a lot of joy in the air.”