By Melinda VanderSys
Our Redeemer Lutheran Church is entering a significant season of change. At a Special Congregational Meeting on Sunday, September 28, the congregation voted to close the church building and sell the property.
While this is a tender moment in the life of the congregation, the ministry of Our Redeemer continues, and new opportunities for shared worship and service are unfolding. The final worship service in the Our Redeemer building will be held on Sunday, December 28, at 9:30 a.m.
Our Redeemer has a rich history. The congregation was formed on June 19, 1966, from the consolidation of two local churches: Bethlehem Lutheran Church, a Finnish congregation founded in 1888, and Messiah Lutheran Church, a Swedish congregation founded in 1897. The building that has been Our Redeemer’s home is the former Messiah Lutheran Church, but the founding date of 1888 from Bethlehem Lutheran was carried forward in the consolidation, honoring the long heritage of faith in the community.
For some time, Our Redeemer has been worshiping alongside Newberry United Methodist Church, and this partnership will continue. All Sunday services will be held jointly at Newberry United Methodist Church, except for the last Sunday of each month, when the congregations will gather at Our Redeemer. These last-Sunday services will be held through the congregation’s final worship in the Our Redeemer building on December 28; after that point, all Sunday worship will be held jointly at Newberry United Methodist Church.
This arrangement allows the congregation to honor the space that has nurtured generations of faith while embracing the shared ministry of both congregations.
In addition, a Christmas Eve Candlelight Service will be held at Our Redeemer for the final time this year at 7 p.m. on December 24. All are warmly invited to gather in the sanctuary one last Christmas Eve to celebrate the birth of Christ in the space that has held generations of memories.
Although closing the building is not easy, the focus remains on what matters most: our shared faith, our service to neighbors, and our life together in Christ. The ministry of Our Redeemer continues, inviting all to worship, serve, and support one another, reflecting the unity and grace God calls us to live out.
From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 29, the community is invited to visit Our Redeemer (321 West John Street) and select items from the tables in the fellowship hall. A donation basket will be available.
The congregation moves forward with gratitude for the past and hope for the future, trusting that God continues to guide their steps, even as the walls of their beloved church change.
The church building listing may be found at: https://www.churchrealestatesales.com.
