History of the Lutheran Church of Our Father

Beginnings

The Lutheran Church of Our Father had its beginning January 1, 1961, when the Board of American Missions of the United Lutheran Church in America (one of the merger bodies of the Lutheran Church in America which is now the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America) sent Pastor Carl Ritchie into Southwest Greensboro. With the help of Pastor Sam Sox, Sr. and Assistant Pastor Wayne Alteran of First Lutheran Church, he began to draw together Lutherans in the area and others interested in starting a new congregation. A 4.87-acre tract of land, which already housed two buildings, a commercial building and a tiny three-room house, was secured. The growing group of people set to work with the task of converting a former warehouse, garage, iron works, and finally a sandwich company into a house of worship. “God’s Garage”, as mission developer Ritchie dubbed it, was about to become a church! After the newly organized group worked together night after night and Saturdays to renovate the building, the first gathering for public worship was held on February 19, 1961, at 3 p.m. A borrowed altar, a freshly gilded wooden cross, brass candlesticks, a piano, a piano player, and a choir (all borrowed) loudly proclaimed the glory of God. Around one hundred and fifty people were there. Later, a wooden cross was made by Kenneth Anderson to hang above the chancel area. The little gilded cross that had been used was returned to its owner. The same wooden cross now hangs on the wall in the Narthex.

After three months of working together, interested Christians were ready to organize themselves into a congregation. On Pentecost, Sunday, May 21, 1961, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Our Father was born. With 94 adult members and 40 baptized children, she began her life. In July, a parsonage at 3900 Frazier Road was purchased, and in August, Pastor Ritchie was officially called as the first pastor of this new congregation.

 Early Years (1963 - 1977)

With a growing membership, plans were made to build a “first unit” Sanctuary-Fellowship Hall. Groundbreaking was held on March 10, 1963, and with 220 present, the first service in the new Sanctuary was held September 29 of that same year. By this time, the congregation had more than doubled in size. The building seated 150 people, had robing rooms on each side of the chancel area, a kitchen, and two bathrooms. The cost was $85,000. The chancel furniture, altar, pulpit, and font were made by William Schoneberger, a member. The altar rail was made and installed by member Gene Mauney. The hymn board and credence were made by members Kenneth Anderson and Gordon Payne— all made of solid walnut.

The initial good times could not last forever, for late in 1963, Pastor Ritchie resigned, effective January 31, 1964, to become Pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Jacksonville, Florida. For five months the congregation was without a full-time pastor. But then on July 1, 1964, David Keck, just out of Southern Seminary, became the second pastor. Pastor Keck served until October 13, 1967.

Robert W. Edsell became the pastor on September 1, 1968. In 1969, the parsonage on Frazier Road was sold, and another parsonage at 4112 Rose Lake Drive was purchased. This parsonage was sold during Pastor Steve Ehlers time with us, and we now provide a housing allowance for our pastors. Also in 1969, Mrs. S. A. Mauney gave the church a Christmas gift of a Wicks Two Manuel pipe organ. Her grandson Gene Mauney and family were church members. A part-time organist/choir director was hired. 1969 also became the first year that women were elected to the church council. Marie Mauney and Arbutus Russell were the first women to serve on the council.

Pastor Edsell served until November 1, 1971. Shelton Moose became pastor on February 15, 1972. February 9, 1975 was a red-letter day in the life of the congregation. The very first custodian was hired! Arvil Moser, charter member held the job for a short time, and then Andy Josewitz, also a member, took the job. It paid $6.00 per hour. For 14 years, families had signed up to clean each week.

In 1977, Gary Coble, son of Ila and Bill Coble became the first member of the congregation to enter full-time ministry. Also, in 1977 Nancy Hollis became the first female council president.

Expansion and Growth (1978 - 1994)

In 1978, our Educational Building was completed giving us a new church office, pastor’s study, and much-needed classrooms. God’s Garage was renovated to become a Fellowship Hall. A kitchen was added, complete with cabinets, a shelved storage closet, a dishwasher, refrigerator, and microwave. We did the renovation ourselves and really had some good times doing it. The “little house”, as we called the small building in the front part of the property was used as the Pastor’s office and the secretary’s office (for many years our secretarial work was done by volunteers from the congregation.)  After we built the Educational Building, the offices were moved into it, and the little house was used for storage.

Pastor Moose retired in June, 1979. George Sims came to serve as pastor in October, 1979. He resigned in September, 1981. Stephen Ehlers was installed as pastor on June 12, 1982. This was his first parish. After painting, paneling, carpeting, enlarging the chancel area, and installing pews, which were given to us by Emmanuel Lutheran Church in High Point, the sanctuary was rededicated in 1982. The first part time secretary was hired July 11, 1982 at $4.00 per hour. In March, 1983, $2500 was put in the budget for secretarial help, and the church bought its very first computer.

bathroom located on the church property. Church members did renovations and it was used for a short time until better housing could be found. Years later, the “little house” was torn down to make room for the new sanctuary and more parking spaces.  

In 1994 the council requested that President Donnis Corn and Pastor Hess meet with Bishop Mark Menees to ask special permission for Pastor Hess to become a candidate for official pastor. This request was granted, and on November 20,1994, Pastor Hess became the new pastor. Maria Perez became the first professional youth director for the church.

Into The New Millennium (1995 - 2019)

In 1995, the mortgage on our property was paid off, and we appointed a building committee to begin planning a new sanctuary. Our new sanctuary which seats 350 people was first used in April, 1998, and was dedicated on November 15,1998. A columbarium with eighty niches was added outside behind a brick wall at the front of the church. The old sanctuary was renovated to become our fellowship hall, and a full- service kitchen was added to it. The walnut wall that stands in one end of the new fellowship hall was the wall that held the cross in the chancel area of the old sanctuary. The walnut cross that now hangs on the wall was made and donated by Tommy Staton, brother of members Alene Friedman, Debbie Sink, and Helen Wilson. The old brass cross was covered by oak on three sides and now hangs high above the altar in the new sanctuary. In January, 1999, after many years as our organist/choir director, Myrtle Foust Norman was hired to be our full-time Youth/Music Director.

The upstairs was divided into four bedrooms with one bathroom, and the downstairs was divided into two small rooms, a large meeting room, kitchen, storage room, and a small bathroom with a tiled shower. Our GIHN (Guilford Interfaith Hospitality Network) program was host to homeless families one week out of every quarter along with 12 other churches who did the same on a rotation basis. This program ended for us when restrictions became too severe for our church and other churches to continue. We have a Narcotics Anonymous group that meets there five days a week, and a Gamblers Anonymous group that meets every Monday night in God’s Garage. Along with outreach programs held in God’s Garage, we have a Food Pantry in the church, which gives out several bags of groceries each week to the needy in our community. In 2019 our food pantry became the David Wilson Food Pantry in memory of one of our members who gave generously to the food pantry.  We have a Stephen Ministry program to help better serve the sick and shut-ins.

Into The Future (2020 - Present)

In 2020, the world was hit with a disease called Covid-19 that caused many businesses and churches to shut down for several months. After a few months we began having services outside in front of our church and wore masks. Slowly, the church began having inside worship with mask wearing and spacing of worshippers at 6 feet apart. In May 2021, we finally returned to inside worship with safety protocols in place and we continue the online streaming of our service.

As we move forward, we have plans to renovate God’s Garage once again and make it a permanent home to the David Wilson Food Pantry.

The congregation has both grown and shrunk over the years. With company cutbacks and national companies transferring their personnel regularly, the church has gained and lost many good leaders, but there has always been a strong nucleus of people with vision and faith in God and the future of the church. For many people, the Lutheran Church of Our Father will always be their church family for we are “A community of faith responding to the healing gospel of Jesus Christ through worship, education, fellowship, and action.”

Pastors of Our Father

Years of Service           Pastor

1961-1964                    Carl L. Ritchie

1964-1967                    David R. Keck

1968-1971                    Robert W. Edsell

1972-1979                    John Shelton Moose

1979-1981                    George L. Sims

1982-1988                    Stephen E. Ehlers

1988-1991                    Jerald M. Peele

1992-1994                    Bernard W. Hess (Interim)

1994-2005                    Bernard W. Hess

2005-2006                   Henry Sink (Interim)

2006-2007                   Philip D. Stringer

2008                            David Jenkins (Interim)

2008-2012                    Mike Hoffman (Interim)

2012-2013                    David Jenkins (Interim)

2013-2017                   Judy Lewis Copeland

2017-2020                    Jesse Canniff-Kuhn

2021                             Linda Faltin (Interim)

2021-Present                Scott T. Berry