Our Church’s History

In 1951, a mission-minded Evangelical Lutheran Synod pastor encouraged his members to begin another congregation. And so, using the chapel from the mother church, another church-seed was planted.

A year later, this fledgling group was taken over by the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod with Rev. Jordahl as its pastor. In two years they had grown to 38 members, now under the leadership of Pastor Birner. This early church was located in Spicer’s Addition. Though growth was slow in those early years, by God’s grace a parsonage was built in 1956.

With slow, steady growth God blessed and caused the church to grow to 112 members, and in 10 years it was at 172 members. These members were called the “salt of the earth.” They were not drawn into the church by a fine building or an eloquent preacher, or an ambitious program; but by a firm conviction that the Gospel preached at Good Shepherd is the Bread of Life Eternal.

In August of 1962, a new church building was dedicated to the glory of God. It was a unique building with no basement designed in three steel units, with the hope that someday the entire facility would be given to Christian education.

Under the leadership of Pastors Krenke, Babler, and Hayes, the Lord continued to shower His grace upon Good Shepherd. In 1976 the feasibility of a school was initiated and in 1977 the first class of our Lutheran Elementary School began with 25 students, one full-time teacher and a helper. It was not long before we outgrew the church and school building and it was decided to build a new facility at our present location. Groundbreaking took place in the fall of 1978 and by August 1979 we had a new building with more room for more children to hear God’s Word and a larger church to invite more of the community to hear the Gospel. Good Shepherd made a leap of faith in building on Southeastern Ave, as the property was surrounded by undeveloped land with dirt roads.

Pastor Seeger came in 1983 and our congregation has had the privilege of a total of 10 vicars. We added a 2nd pastor when Pastor Werre was called in 2008. In 2019 Pastor Johnson accepted the call to be the associate pastor after Pastor Seeger retired from the ministry.

By God’s grace, we have grown to over 500 church members, and we pray to continue to grow & reach more people more often with God’s truth!