History, Part 3
[Adapted from a History of Emmanuel written during the 1980's by lifelong member Edith E. Lidke, who died in March 1996 at the age of 101.]
In 1960 the American Lutheran Church was formed, resulting from the merger of three Lutheran bodies. The new women's organization, American Lutheran Church Women, sought to include all women members in its outreach. As a result, Emmanuel Ladies' Aid, Dorcas Society, Altar Guild and Mary Martha Missionary Society disbanded and all women members were organized into circles of Emmanuel Lutheran Church Women (ELCW). Eda Forsyth, president of the former Ladies' Aid, was elected as the first president of ELCW.
In 1963 Pastor Sipe accepted a call to a new mission congregation in Florida, and the Rev. Paul Pretzlaff was called to Emmanuel. In 1965, the Rev. Wilson Kotchenruther joined him as Assistant Pastor. When Pastor Pretzlaff was called to Bethesda Lutheran Church in Detroit in 1967, Pastor Kotchenruther became Senior Pastor and the Rev. James Liefeld served as Assistant Pastor for two years. After nine years at Emmanuel, Pastor Kotchenruther entered the University of Michigan to pursue a degree in Counseling.
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Rev. Carl Leach |
The Rev. Carl J. Leach was installed as pastor on November 4, 1974. Pastor Leach entered the ministry at age 40, and his diverse vocational experience prior to his entering the ministry proved to be an invaluable assets; he was able to establish connections with members of the congregation and the surrounding community, and his preaching of the Word of God helped guide the congregation to greater faith in Christ Jesus.
In 1982 the congregation decided to secure the help of an intern, a senior-to-be at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus Ohio. Steve Huff was the first of these vicars, followed by Douglas Gunkelman in 1983, Steve Reshan in 1984, Colleen Kamke in 1985, and Cathy Schibler in 1986. This highly successful program came to an end at Emmanuel in 1987 because of the small number of interns available. In 1988 the Rev. Joel K. Brandt was called as Assistant Pastor.
In 1984, Emmanuel celebrated its 125th anniversary, and the church underwent a remodeling shortly thereafter. The office areas were enlarged and technology was updated with new computers and a copier. The Moeller organ was replaced with a Rodgers electronic organ which uses some of the original pipes. Furthermore, the sanctuary roof underwent repairs, the sanctuary was redecorated, and a new sound system was installed.
In 1988 Emmanuel became part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), formed by the merging of the American Lutheran Church (ALC), Lutheran Church of American (LCA) and the American Evangelical Lutheran Church (AELC). The ELCA has over 11,000 congregations with more than 5 million members. Together they support 29 Lutheran colleges, eight seminaries, and 2875 social services agencies, as well as worldwide missions. A new constitution for Emmanuel was drafted and approved at the congregational annual meeting in January 1990. As a congregation of the Southeast Michigan Synod, Emmanuel was a leader in the Synod in the 1990 fundraising campaign of Lutheran Social Services of Michigan.
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Rev. Stanley Eckermann
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Pastor Leach retired in June 1991, and he and his wife Charmaine moved to St. Marys, Ohio. His ministry was a time of healing and growth for the congregation and of outreach to the community. Emmanuel extended a call to the Rev. Stanley J. Eckermann who was serving as pastor at Christ Lutheran Church of Warren, Michigan. He was installed as pastor on October 20, 1991. Pastor Brandt completed his call at Emmanuel in 1992 to enter a Master's Program at Library Science and is now serving a church in Livonia MI.
In 1994, after an extensive review of staffing needs, Emmanuel hired seminary graduate Gretchen Bingea as its Director of Parish Education/Volunteer Coordinator. In September 1996 she was ordained into the ministry of Word an Sacrament of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and was installed as Assistant Pastor at Emmanuel. In January 1999, Pastor Bingea completed her ministry at Emmanuel; she now serves as Associate Pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Ann Arbor MI.
In 1996 the basement-level kitchen was refurbished with new cooking, refrigeration, and cooking equipment, new cabinets and a ceramic tile floor. This renovation enabled Emmanuel to continue as the host location for the Ypsilanti Hunger Coalition dinners on Tuesday evenings. The $85,000 cost of the renovation was initiated with a substantial bequest in memory of a former kitchen and hospitality chairperson, with remaining funding generously contributed by congregation members.
After serving nearly seven years at Emmanuel, Pastor Eckermann left to accept a call to St. Paul Lutheran Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in July 1998. The Rev. Janet Marvar then began her two-year ministry at Emmanuel as Interim Pastor several weeks later. After Pastor Marvar relocated to Nashville Tennessee, the Rev. Garnet Hasse succeeded her as Interim Pastor.
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Rev. Jonathan Bomgren
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The congregation called the Rev. Jonathan Bomgren in 2001 to serve as Emmanuel's pastor. Pastor Bomgren provided spiritual leadership to the congregation until his retirement in June 2006 for health reasons.
Also in 2001, the congregation began a fundraising effort to fund the Handicap Accessibility project to make the church building more accessible to all persons. An elevator was installed in the rear of the educational wing to provide barrier-free access to both levels of the church building as well as the parking lot; bathrooms were modified to make them more barrier-free as well, and faucets and doorknobs were upgraded to comply with the specifications of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This project was completed in 2003 at a cost of $240,000 with funding from congregational members.
With the assistance of the Southeast Michigan Synod office, the Rev. David Hendricks arrived in October 2006 to serve as Interim Pastor following Pastor Bomgren's retirement. Following prayerful deliberation by our congregation, Pastor Hendricks was called to serve as our permanent Pastor and formally installed in February 2009, the beginning of Emmanuel's sesquicentennial year.
We look forward to a future of continued growth, deepening faith, and greater outreach and service in our Lord's name.
“Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son,
and shall call his name Emmanuel -- GOD WITH US.”
Isaiah 7: 14 & Matthew 1: 23