First English Lutheran Church - Wisconsin Rapids, WI
N 44° 23.254 W 089° 49.424
16T E 275086 N 4918798
The First English Lutheran Church has a history in central Wisconsin dating to 1874. The current building was built in 1955. The church is located at 440 Garfield St in Wisconsin Rapids. Ken Hansen is the Senior Pastor.
Waymark Code: WM47HE
Location: Wisconsin, United States
Date Posted: 07/18/2008
Views: 22
From the First English Lutheran Church web site:
* Fall, Winter & Spring Sunday Morning Worship: 8am and 10:30am
With Education Classes: 3 yrs old-Kindergarten Preschool, 1st grade-6th grade Rotation Sunday School, 7th-8th grades Jr. High Youth Program, 9th grade-College Sr. High Youth Group and Adult Forum available. (Nursery is available during the two services & 9:15 am Education Classes.)
* Summer Sunday Morning Worship: 8 am & 9:30 am
June 8th thru Labor Day: (Nursery available during both services.)
* Summer Tuesday Evening Worship: 6:30 pm
June 10th thru Labor Day: (No nursery available for this service.)
* Communion Celebration:
On every first and third Sunday of each month, we celebrate Holy Communion - as well as at most festival services.
* Folk Service:
Happens every third Sunday of the month.
History
First English Lutheran Church has a long history in the Wisconsin Rapids area. Starting back in 1874, in Centralia, WI, a group of Lutherans gathered together to organize a new church – The Bethesda Lutheran Church. A wooden church and tower were constructed in the farmlands five years later. As the population grew and the towns changed, another congregation was being developed near the town of Sigel around 1898. This congregation called itself Bethany Lutheran Church. The two parishes existed side by side and were served by different pastors. Again, as times changed, a need for a congregation in the town of Grand Rapids (Wisconsin Rapids) became apparent. Bethesda finally closed its doors, and with others from Bethany, founded The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Grand Rapids.
A brick church was built in 1920 on Roosevelt and 4th Ave (on the West Side of Rapids – Consolidated has since built upon this spot). In 1924, the total membership of the new church was 126 adults with 65 children. The church decided to rename itself First English Lutheran Church because they were one of the first churches to use English predominantly in their worship.
As the paper mill grew, and the congregation grew, the decision was made to move the church to the East Side of the Wisconsin River. In 1955, First English Lutheran Church broke ground on the corner lot of Pine and Garfield. Today, this church has grown to a congregation of well over 800 members, and has made many improvements and additions. The last addition was completed in 1993."