A Brief History of St. John

St. John Lutheran Church in Tigerton was organized as a German Speaking congregation in July of 1882. The first church was dedicated in 1887. In 1897, occasional English services were allowed. The following year, the first organ was dedicated.

A new brick church was built and the cornerstone laid in 1903. The Ladies Aid was organized with 32 charter members in 1907 and in1912, the envelope system for contribution was begun.

Christian education has always been important at St. John. In the fall of 1917, Christian Day School was started in a new three-story brick building west of the church. This continued operation until the Depression years from 1933 to 1945, when it was financially necessary to close it. After reopening in 1945, our young people were taught by very capable Christian teachers until 1968, when the decision was made to discontinue the Christian Day School and implement a Saturday School program, which continued until 1992, when it was changed to Wednesday School. In 1964, an addition to the school building, which included bathrooms, a new furnace and furnace room, study, storage rooms and cabinets, was constructed. Sunday School classes had been held through the years until the Saturday School program and subsequent Wednesday School programs went into effect.

In 1922, our pipe organ was purchased and dedicated. It was decided to have English services one Sunday morning and one Sunday evening per month. Chimes were purchased in 1959.

Families were encouraged to sit together ending the old custom of “men first” at communion in 1948. The Ladies Aid became affiliated with the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League in 1949, and in 1952, the Altar Guild was organized.

The church was redecorated and the congregation celebrated the 50th anniversary of the church building in 1953.

The present parsonage was purchased in 1966. The first family to occupy it was that of Rev. Donald Wesener. Former pastors had lived in the parsonage located between the church and the school. The congregation made the decision to sell that home in 1990.

St. John held its first annual Harvest Dinner. They served several hundred people and continue to do so each year with their all you can eat swiss steak, mashed potatoes, glazed carrots and homemade pies.

Individual communion ware was offered in 1968; however, for those who prefer the communion cup it was still offered one Sunday per month and eventually every Communion service.

In 1970, a new entrance was added to the church. Saturday evening services were started on a regular basis from May through October in 1976.

Our centennial year was celebrated in 1982 under the theme of “Great is Thy Faithfulness”.

In 1990, a new education-fellowship building attached to the west side of the church was begun. This was completed in 1992. The former school building was sold.

The Saturday School program was switched to Wednesday after school in 1992. It was later renamed Christian Children’s Bible Classes or CCBC.

In 1999, the pipe organ was rebuilt and a special service was held to rededicate it.

2000, the Saturday evening services were switched to Thursday evenings from May through September. The time was also moved up one hour to 7:00pm

New carpet was installed in the church in 2003 and the interior, except for the Altar area, was painted and the rest of the church was “refreshed”. In 2004, a Rose Window was once again installed above the altar. There had previously been a Rose Window there, but it had been removed many years ago, due to rain leakage problems. After this window was installed, the Altar area, which was not painted the previous year, was painted.

In June of 2004, St. John held a Vacation Bible School program for the first time in 37 years. Plans are that it will become a yearly summer program.

In the fall of 2006, a Sunday School program for grades pre-Kindergarten through 4th was added as an alternative to the Wednesday classes.

Reverend Clifford Kessen retired from St. John after 36 years of service in 2007.

St. John celebrated 125 years in 2007 with a church service and picnic at the Tigerton Community Shelter Park.

In 2009, Reverend Matthew Uttenreither accepted the call at St. John and became the new pastor.

A new sacristy was added onto the church alongside the altar.

A new church directory was put together in 2013 by a committee of St. John members.