A Chronology of St. Stephen Lutheran Church

1881

St. Stephen Lutheran Church is a daughter of St. Paul German Reformed Church. There was disagreement over the issue of the presence of Christ in Holy Communion. The Reformed view held that the bread and wine were symbolic representations of Jesus. The Lutheran position was that Jesus is really present in, with, and under the bread and wine.  So, on November 26, 1881 a group of 25 people left St. Paul German Reformed Church to establish a new congregation with the Lutheran orientation. We bought the old Universalist Church building that stood on this same corner of 5th and McClellan and met there.

The Rev. Frederick Reinicke became our first pastor and led us to alignment with the Ohio Synod branch of the Lutheran Church. 

St. Paul church still exists at its same location as St. Paul United Church of Christ. It should be noted that those early days of doctrinal disagreement have given way to friendship and cooperation between two congregations both serving Wausau’s downtown.

1882

We remodeled the Universalist Church we had purchased and moved into on 5th and McClellan.

1885

St. Stephen demonstrated its commitment to education by establishing a parochial school. This would serve families until its closure in 1954.

1888

St. Stephen affirmed its commitment to Lutheranism by introducing Luther’s Small Catechism as primary tool for instruction. We still use the catechism for youth and adults today (though in English).

1898

St. Stephen built a parsonage on 515 McClellan; our pastors would live in that home until 1944. Members recall going there to the pastor's study to announce for Holy Communion the next Sunday. This Victorian structure with its front porch on a tree lined street cost $2,400.

St. Stephen called The Rev. Frederick Wehrhahn upon the retirement of Pr. Reinicke.

1902

Pr. Wehrhahn established a mission congregation in Schofield that was initially known as the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Saint Stephanus at Schofield. That congregation has since become St. Peter Lutheran Church and is a member of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.

1906

We appointed a committee to study the need for building a new church on our corner at 5th and McClellan.

1908

On December 30 we signed a contract with Anton Zwack to build the sructure that we still use today. 

1909

On July 4 we set the corner stone on our current church building.

1910

On May 15 we dedicated the new church building. The style is Neo- Victorian. It combines majesty and formality with warmth and welcome. The rounded dome replaces the interior peak of the gothic style and its interior width equaling length gives it a sense of horizontality.

Dr. E. Pfeiffer of Capital University Columbus OH spoke at the dedication. Capital University was associated with the Ohio Synod and has since evolved into Trinity Seminary of the ELCA.

For the 1909 dedication, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany sent a German Bible inscribed in his own hand, “God is love; and he that abides in love abides in God and God in him.” (Pr. Wehrhan had been a personal friend of the Kaiser in Germany. The Kaiser had sent other such bibles to other Lutheran churches built at the turn of the century.)

The architect for the project was Anton Dohmen of Milwaukee (who also designed St. James Catholic church two blocks west and St. Mary's Catholic church in Marathon)

On May 15 we dedicated a two manual Hausmann organ to complete the new building.

The Rev. William Spiegel began his tenure as pastor at the retirement of Pr.Werhahn. Pastor Spiegel’s photograph is in the library that bears his name. Many current members remember having been confirmed or married by Pr. Spiegel.

1914

For the first time we confirmed children in English. Otherwise German remained the language used in our Sunday school until 1919.

1918

The Ohio Synod Mission Board met in Columbus, Ohio and authorized the establishment of an English speaking Lutheran church on Wausau's west side. That project became First English Lutheran Church; their founding group first met for worship in the basement of St. Stephen.

1925

We erected a parochial school on the west side.

1930

The “Old” ALC (American Lutheran Church) was formed. This was a merger of three Lutheran Synods: the Ohio Synod, the Iowa Synod, and the Buffalo Synod. These three groups formed a natural merger of bodies committed to Lutheran doctrine and worship. Our location in Wausau put us in the Northern Wisconsin District of the “old” ALC.

1931

We observed the 50th anniversary of our founding.

1935

We introduced the new English hymnal of the “old” American Lutheran Church.

1939

The “Lutheran Standard”, the official publication of the “old” ALC, featured St. Stephen on its cover.

1941

The Sunday school curriculum featured Lesson Helps from Michael Reu. He taught theology at Wartburg Seminary and is well known as a teacher of Lutheran systematic theology and ethics.

The 60th Anniversary bulletin notes 1750 members at St. Stephen. This was typical for Lutheran parishes the first half of the 20th Century, to grow from 25 members to 1700 members, as the families of German immigrants increased in size.

1945

The Rev. Ervin Seidel began tenure as pastor after the retirement of Pastor Spiegel.

1946

We published our first issue of The Visitor. This is our parish newsletter and it is still holds that name today.

1949

We completed the current parsonage – 516 McClellan. This beautiful home provided a quiet study area for the pastor and ample bedroom space for clergy families. Currently, Lutheran Social Services is housed in this beautiful home so it still ministers but in different ways.

1950

The "old" ALC establishes Pilgrim Lutheran as a new mission parish on Wausau's south side. St. Stephen helped that mission start by transferring families to that new congregation. (Confer 1902, 1918, and 1965)

1953

In July we dedicated 3 manual 34 rank Schantz organ. This instrument still serves as primary worship leader. It was re-voiced in the 1970’s.

1954

We discontinued the parochial school. Many members recall having been educated there and remember how the children’s choir was brought upstairs to sing for funerals.

1955

The annual meeting of the congregation made the decision to embark upon the next significant building project – construction of a parish house. We contracted with Donald Schoepke. We needed a building large enough to hold fellowship events and a Sunday school averaging weekly attendance of over 200.

1956

On April 29 we dedicated the newly completed parish house. Members still remember the severe late season storm that dropped 30 inches of snow that weekend. The Rev. Waldemar Schlachtenhaufen spoke at the dedication.

We re-decorated the church interior, the first remodeling since its construction in 1910.

1959

The Rev. Gilbert Meyer began his tenure as associate pastor. Pr. Meyer would stay as associate to Pastor Seidel until Pastor Seidel retired in 1973.

1960

St. Stephen participated in its second denominational merger. The “old” ALC of 1930 merged with other upper Midwestern Lutheran groups to the “new ALC. Wausau became the new district headquarters for the new ALC so St. Stephen hosted many denominational events the next 20 years.

1965


1969

The "new" ALC establishes Good Shepherd Lutheran Church as its mission parish on Wausau's north side. This is the 4th mission start that St. Stephen participated in either directly or indirectly. (Confer 1950, 1918, and 1902)

Dan Litzer, a son of the congregation, is ordained by Pastors Seidel and Meyer

1971

We completed the balcony entrance from Parish House to the original church.

1973

Pr. Seidel retired. Pastor Meyer moved from associate to senior pastor. Though Pr. Seidel retired, he remained an active clergy until his death in 1999. Pastor Seidel's wife, Lena, was also active in educational circles, ecumenical circles, and the church at large until her death in 1999.

Pr. Metter began as associate pastor as Pr. Meyer became senior pastor.

1974

The Rev. Karen Bloomquist is ordained at St. Stephen, the 4th woman to be ordained in the ALC and the first woman to serve a pastorate west of the Mississippi. Her grandfather was Frederick Reinicke, the first pastor at St. Stephen.

1975

We re-voiced the Schantz pipe organ (recall 1953) according to specifications suggested by Paul Bunjes.

1979

Pr. Meyer retired. He and his wife Minnie remain as active members at St. Stephen.

The Rev. Steve Larson began tenure as associate pastor.

1980

St. Stephen worked with ten other Wausau congregations to establish Greater Wausau Christian Services - a ministry to those in jail and nursing homes that continues today.

St. Stephen called The Rev. John Swensen as senior pastor as Pr. Meyer had retired. .

1983

We installed the elevator that provides access to all levels of the structure.

1988

On January 1 the current Lutheran merger took shape. The “new” ALC (which St. Stephen became part of in 1960) joined with the LCA and the AELC to form the ELCA - Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Members remember the closing of the “new” ALC at a citywide service held at Wausau High School in 1988.

We established the Trust Fund – a permanent endowment whose interest monies will generate funds to ensure the ongoing maintenance of this historic building.

1992

The Rev. Jeffrey Nelson began as associate pastor at the departure of Pr. Larson.

1997

1998 

Pr. Nelson accepts a call to California.  The Rev. Ted Johanson begins as Interim Associate pastor.  Former pastor Larson dies (5 May) in Seymor, WI.
Pastor Swensen retired, having served since 1980.

2000

St. Stephen called senior pastor, The Rev. Dr. Michael Meranda.

2001

St. Stephen made the front pages of the Wausau Daily Herald when a light fixture overheated and caused a fire that, if undetected, would have done significant damage to this historic structure. The congregation responded by installing a state of the art smoke detection system.

St. Stephen affirmed its commitment to serving Wausau's downtown area by leasing our ample education space to Little Scholars Pre-School.

We expanded our commitment to health and spirituality by introducing the parish nurse program. Kimberley Bizjak, R.N., was contracted as the first parish nurse at St. Stephen.

2002



2004


2005

The St. Stephen church building received Historic Landmark status from the Wausau City Council.  We opened our doors for an open house for Wausau's annual Art in the Park. St. Stephen led the downtown community in a "Nine-Eleven Remembered" ecumenical liturgy. 

The Rev. Carol Christianson becomes associate pastor at St. Stephen on August 17th as Bishop Justman presides at her Rite of Investiture. 

St. Stephen spearheads a pilot program with Greater Wausau Christian Services to provide a spiritual care giver at juvinile detention sites.

2006
 

We celebrate our 125th Anniversary as a congregation.

2008

The Rev. Gary Froseth becomes senior pastor at St. Stephen on June 19.

2010

Our building will observe its 100th anniversary.

At present, St. Stephen continues its Word and Sacrament ministry in Wausau through education, music, fellowship, and social service programs.