Mt Calvary Lutheran Church History

 1926-The first beginnings of this two-part congregation was in 1926, when a young Pastor, the Rev. Paul Brauer, of Prior Lake, gathered a small group of Lutherans for worship and Sunday School in a little real estate office building on the corner of Bloomington Avenue and 66th street.

1928-The building, "House of Mercy" was actually a part of a congregation, Mt. Zion Lutheran Church, which had another chapel located on 57th Street and 10th Avenue, built in 1928, when a congregation had been formed. A congregation was organized and a small chapel was built at 57th Street and 10th Avenue, two blocks from the nearest house. (A District official's wife asked, "Why build way out here?" Answer: "We build churches in the country, too.") The present Mt. Zion worships in a beautiful church at 57th Street and Chicago. Difficulty in travel over the swamp and around the lakes, and a small increase in numbers, caused the south-siders" to begin worship services in the Richfield School gym and plan their own building. Since most of the officers of Mt. Zion were "south-siders".

January 29, 1933- That this group organized their own congregation, House of Mercy

March 7, 1934- The name Mount Calvary Lutheran Church was chosen as the official name.

Banquet in 1936, and> reaffirmed in 1941 with an Anniversary Service, this day of dedication is designated as the birth date of the congregation. To some this may seem a simple matter, but our history is different and its beginnings less precise.

1940 - when the world was plunging into the Great War, the time to move forward came again. The chapel was moved and placed in a basement, which was also extended to the south for a future larger building. Services were held in the basement.

1944-a Christian Day School was established using the upper portions. Courageously they ventured forward, trusting the Lord of the Church.

1950-even though our nation found itself involved in the Korean War, the congregation expanded and built the basic superstructure of our present church, and also built a new parsonage. Some things were a bargain then. The bell, purchased from the Minneapolis fire Department, cost $10.00. The 29 pews and some chairs cost $2,059.00. The Fifties was the decade of population explosion for this area. Mount Calvary was ready

1953- the first part of the Education Building was constructed

1958-the church building was expanded,

1959- the Education Building was doubled in size and a large gym was added. Young families, establishing their own homes, nevertheless moved forward, even though the debt towered at $310,000 and friends and relatives throughout the state were asked to buy bonds so that the congregation could grow and serve.

1972- rebuilding the entire basement area, installing new plumbing, heating, and air conditioning, and a beautiful new 25 rank pipe organ. In spite of the exodus of people from the area, Mt. Calvary continued its vigorous living as a forward-looking church.

1980- it expanded its work and called a Director of Evangelism and Church Growth and a new Principal for the Christian Day School.

1981- it expanded its school to the seventh and eighth grades, and refurnished the church and purchased new pews. It was a dynamic leader in the area for the Forward in Remembrance program of gathering funds for the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, of which this congregation has been an active member all of these years.

1995- as the culmination of it's "Growing in Faith-Building to His Glory" campaign, Mount Calvary built an addition to our Education Building along with four new classrooms and new church and school offices.