St. John's Pastors
"Here is a
trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an
overseer, he desires a noble task." - 1 Timothy 3:1
Ordained
Ministers (and vicars) that have been members, ordained and/or have served at
St. John's Ev. Lutheran, La Porte, IN
1857 - 1867 - Rev.
Frederick Reinhold Tramm, Sole Pastor, beginning as a Theology Candidate,
then became an Ordained Minister
1867 - 1872 -
Rev. G. Kuechle, Sole
Pastor
1872 - Mr. Fred Lindemann, as a Theological student
1873 - 1890 - Rev. Joseph F.
Niethammer, Sole Pastor (died in
office at St. John's)
1890 - 1903 - Rev. George Link, Jr., Sole Pastor 2 yrs., then Head Pastor
1892-1903 - Rev.
Frederick Reinhold Tramm, Assistant Pastor (died in office at St. John's)
1901 - Rev. George Link, Sr., Assistant Pastor to his ailing son
1903 - 1930 - Pastor Paul Eickstaedt, Sole Pastor (died in office at St. John's)
1931 - 1969 - Rev. Manfred E. Reinke, Sole Pastor until 1957, then Head Pastor until
he retired; part-time Assistant Pastor after that
1931 -
Armin Richard Gesswein,
revival editor of Christian Life magazine,
was ordained August 2, 1931, at St. John’s Lutheran Church, LaPorte, Indiana and
then went on to pastor Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Long Island, New York.
He
conducted many
evangelistic crusades during his career,
including participating in several Billy
Graham Crusades.
1954-1955 - Mr. Richard Brendal,
vicarage
1955-1956 - Mr. Philip Kraft,
vicarage
1957 - 1987 - Rev. Edward A. Meyer, Assistant Pastor 10 years, then Head Pastor in
1967; retired at the end of 1987
1968 - Rev. Richard Krenzke, part-time Assistant Pastor
1970 - Pastor Robert Schroeter, part-time Assistant Pastor
1971 - 1975 - Rev. Thomas Mroch, Assistant Pastor
1976 - 1979 - Rev. Robert Junkin,
vicar first year, then accepted call as
Assistant Pastor
Dec 1979 to Mar 2001 -
Rev. David A. Schoop, Vicar on a deferred vicarage for 1st year, then
accepted call as Assistant Pastor in 1980, accepted call as Co-Pastor
in 1982 & accepted call as Administrative Pastor in 1987. Accepted
call to Iowa March 2001.
1983-1984 - Mr. Benedict Eder,
vicarage
1984-1985 - Mr. Gary Wickert,
vicarage
1985-1986 - Mr. Dennis Juengel,
vicarage
1986-1987 - Mr. Jeffery Dorth,
vicarage
1987-1988 - Mr. Paul Robinson,
vicarage
1988-1989 - Mr. Jerome Mitchell,
vicarage
1989 - Apr 2001 - Rev.
Richard Ungrodt, Associate
Pastor, later revised to Assistant Pastor; completed instruction and called in
CPE Ministry April 2001.
1989-1990 - Mr. Charles Kieschnick,
vicarage
1990-1991 - Mr. R. Ronald Rosenkaimer II,
vicarage
Feb 1993 -1995 - Rev. Donald Love, Associate Pastor of Youth, Singles & Young
Adults
Feb 2001 to
Jan 2004 -
Rev. James Beversdorf, Pastor of Visitation (part-time)
July 2001 to June 2003 -
Rev. Karl Koch, contracted
as Intentional Interim Pastor
July 2003 to present - Rev. David
M. Young, Administrative Pastor
June 2004
to present - Rev. Ronald A. Brauer, Associate Pastor
May 2006 - Arthur Schwenk, vicarage (served in May until his ordination;
(previously vicar at Trinity Lutheran, LaPorte)
Chronological History
of Ordained Ministers
serving as pastors at St. John's Ev. Lutheran, LaPorte, IN
St. John's Ev. Lutheran Church was
founded on the 6th Sunday after Trinity, 7th Sunday after
Pentecost, July 19, 1857, with 14 voting members. Three were
elected as elders - Carl Backhaus, Fred Steigly, and Conrad Popp.
Conrad Popp also was to serve as treasurer. Candidate Fred R.
Tramm was chairman. A week later the membership increased by six.
The pastor's salary was $200 per year, by August 1863 it was
raised to $300.
In one of the first meetings of the
voters, the question was brought up whether ladies could be
accepted as members. There seemed to be no opposition to the idea.
However, according to the records, only about three availed
themselves of the opportunity within the first ten years after
the founding of the congregation.
Soon after its founding the Civil War
began. Searching the records for any mention of the war, we found
a request by the government in 1861 for prayers for the country.
There were no records of casualties.
1857, July 19 - The organization of St.
John's Church as "A Christian Congregation of the Lutheran
Confessions." Mr. Frederick Reinhold Tramm, a candidate of
Theology, was the chairman.
1857, July 26 - Theology Candidate
Frederick Reinhold Tramm elected first pastor
1867 - Rev. Frederick Reinhold Tramm
accepted Call to pastorate in Michigan
1867, July 10 - Rev. G. Kuechle
installed as pastor
1872 - Rev. G. Kuechle Called to
Milwaukee, Wi, where he remained until his death
1872 - Mr. Fred Lindemann, a
theological student from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO,
assisted in pastoral duties
1873, February 7 - Rev. Joseph F.
Niethammer became pastor
1890, May 7 - Death of Rev. Joseph F.
Niethammer
1890, August 10 - Rev. George Link, Jr.
Called as successor to Pastor Niethammer
1892 - Rev. Frederick Reinhold Tramm
returned as assistant to Pastor George Link, Jr.
1901, April 26 - Rev. George Link, Sr.
Called to assist his ailing son
1901, October 4 - Rev. George Link, Jr.
resigns due to bad health
1903, October 25 - Call extended to Rev.
Paul Eickstaedt
1903, October 26 - Death of Rev.
Frederick Reinhold Tramm
1903, December 13 - Pastor Paul
Eickstaedt was installed
1930, May 29 - Death of Rev. Paul
Eickstaedt
1931, August - Call extended to Rev.
Manfred E. Reinke of Ft. Wayne
1931, October 11 - Rev. Manfred E.
Reinke was installed into office
1957 - Rev. Edward A. Meyer, son-in-law
of Pastor Reinke, called to serve as Assistant Pastor at St.
John's
1957, September 15 - Open house to
welcome the new Pastor, Rev. Edward Meyer, and his wife
1958 - Rev. Manfred E. Reinke married
Mrs. Helen Wangerin
1961 - Rev. Manfred E. Reinke honored
for 40 years in the Ministry & 30 years at St. John's
1966 - Rev. Manfred E. Reinke semi-retired
as part-time Pastor
1966 - Pastor Edward A. Meyer, becomes
Associate Pastor
1967 - Pastor Edward A. Meyer, becomes
Head Pastor
1968 - Rev. Richard Krenzke, Assistant
Professor at VU, becomes Part-time Assistant for St. John's
Pastors
1969 - Death of Rev. Manfred E. Reinke
1970 - Pastor Robert Schroeter hired to
assist St. John's part-time
1971 - Rev. Thomas Mroch accepted
Call
as Assistant Pastor, & installed on June 30
1972 - Rev. Edward A. Meyer honored for
20 years in the Ministry & 15 years at St. John's
1975 - Rev. Thomas Mroch accepted call
to Nebraska
1976 - Mr. Robert Junkin assigned to
serve as Vicar for school year
1977 - Rev. Robert Junkin accepts
Call
as Assistant Pastor
1979 - Rev. Robert Junkin receives
Call
to Portage, IN
1979 - Mr. David A. Schoop assigned as
Vicar (on a deferred vicarage) in December
1980 - Rev. David A. Schoop accepts
Call as Assistant Pastor in May and is ordained at St. John's on June 15
1982 - Rev. David A. Schoop accepts
Call as Co-Pastor
1982 - Rev. Edward A. Meyer honored for
30 years in the Ministry & 25 years at St. John's
1983 - Mr. Benedict Eder assigned as
Vicar for school year
1984 - Mr. Gary Wickert assigned as
Vicar for school year
1985 - Mr. Dennis Juengel assigned as
Vicar for school year
1986 - Mr. Jeffery Dorth assigned as
Vicar for school year
1986 - Rev. Edward A. Meyer announced
he will retire at the end of 1987
1987 - Mr. Paul Robinson assigned as
Vicar for school year
1987 - Rev. David A. Schoop accepts
Call as Administrative Pastor beginning in January 1988
1987 - Rev. Edward A. Meyer retires in
December
1988 - Mr. Jerome Mitchell assigned as
Vicar for school year
1989 - Rev. Richard Ungrodt accepts
Call as Associate Pastor in February & installed in June
1989 - Mr. Charles Kieschnick assigned
as Vicar for school year
1990 - Mr. R. Ronald Rosenkaimer II
assigned as Vicar for school year
1993 - Rev. Donald Love accepts
Call as
Associate Pastor of Youth, Singles & Young Adults; he is
installed on Sunday, February 14 (Valentine's
Day!)
1995 - Rev. Donald Love called to
Minnesota in February
2000 - Rev. Richard Ungrodt requests
peaceful release to pursue CPE studies and a Chaplancy Ministry
to take effect May 1, 2001.
2000 - Rev. James Link contracted as
part-time Pastor of Visitation in December.
2001 - Rev. James Link accepts
Call in January to
Wisconsin to start a Mission church.
2001 - Rev. James Beversdorf contracted
as part-time Pastor of Visitation at the February Voter's meeting.
2001 - Rev. David School accepts
Call
to Calvary Lutheran, Sioux City, Iowa and leaves St. John's as of
March 31.
2001 - Rev. Karl Koch contracted as
Intentional Interim Pastor July 1,2001, so that the
congregation could reevaluate it's mission, vision, methods, and structure.
2003 - Rev. Karl Koch's
contract discontinued as Intentional Interim Pastor as of June 30, 2004.
2003 - Rev. David M. Young accepts
Call as
Administrative Pastor; he is installed Sunday, July 6.
2003 - Rev. James
Beversdorf's contract is discontinued at November Voter's meeting. He
continues until January 31, 2004.
2004 - Rev. Ronald A.
Brauer accepts a Call as Associate Pastor ; he is installed Sunday, June 27,
2004.
2006 -
Vicar Arthur Schwenk serves St. John's during the month of May as he prepares
for his ordination and installation as Chaplain and Teacher of Theology at
Trinity Lutheran High School in Seymour, IN. Previously he served as vicar
of Trinity Lutheran, LaPorte.
2008 - Pastor David Young received and accepted a divine call to Gloria Dei
Lutheran Church in Blue Belle, Pennsylvania. Pastor Young began his ministry at
St. John’s in July 2003, coming here from Our Savior Lutheran Church in Eyota,
Minnesota. He is installed at Blue Belle on Sunday, March 2, 2008.
General
Congregation Worship History
Preaching
at St. John's was first done in German from 1857 to 1901. From 1901 to 1951,
some services were done in German and some in English. In 1951 the use of German
in services was discontinued, and the congregation's official name was changed
from St. John's Evangelical German Lutheran Church to St. John's Evangelical
Lutheran Church.
This page
researched and prepared
by Debra Riemer Trowbridge, Web servant. For questions, additions or corrections,
e-mail her at debra @ dreamercreative.com.
