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"Great is Thy Faithfulness"

The Lord has done great things for us
and we are filled with joy. Psalm 126:3

The congregation of St. John Lutheran Church of Chester, IL invites you to join us in celebrating our 175th Anniversary of St. John Ev. Lutheran Church and School. 

 

The congregation was founded on April 22, 1849. The city of Chester has been provided with banners to mark this anniversary and those will be placed around the two blocks of the church and school in April for display all year. Additional activities along with guest preachers are being planned pending schedules.

The congregation of St. John Lutheran Church of Chester, IL invites you to join us in celebrating our 175th Anniversary of St. John Ev. Lutheran Church and School. 

 

The congregation was founded on April 22, 1849. The city of Chester has been provided with banners to mark this anniversary and those will be placed around the two blocks of the church and school in April for display all year. Additional activities along with guest preachers are being planned pending schedules.

St. John's since 1839 and the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod

Watch as the people of Perry County, Missouri tell and re-enact the story of their heritage... the story of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod in Perry County, Missouri.
 

Saxon Lutheran Heritage, Inc P.O. Box 39 Frohna, MO 63748

In celebration of the 175th Anniversary of the founding of St. John Lutheran Church and School we want to take a look at a portion of the heritage of our church and the roots that contributed to the formation of our congregation. Below is a description of a film made in the early 1990's that depicts the Saxon migration of our Lutheran friends in Perry County Missouri. Click on the button to the left to view the 45 minute film on YouTube. Many of the "actors" in the film at the time the film was produced are or were residents of the Altenburg/Frohna, Missouri area, one of the settlements of the Saxony Germans in 1839.

In 1838 five ships set out from Bremerhaven (Bremen) in Germany bound for the port of New Orleans with the plan of reaching St. Louis. This convoy of ships and people was called the Gesellshaft. They arrived shortly after the new year in 1839. They continued their voyage up the Mississippi River to St. Louis with some settling in Perry County. The five ships were the Copernicus, Johann Georg, Republik, Olbers, and Amalia. Sadly, the Amalia was lost at sea. The book, Zion on the Mississippi, (published in 1953) chronicles the account of how Lutheranism originated in Missouri and its "influence on the social, political and economic sectors of the United States" (author Walter O Forster, Ph.D.). The YouTube video brings the emigration closer to home for us.

 

YouTube description of the 45-minute Video: For many years, a handful of people with roots in Perry County, Missouri have wanted to "fan into flame" their "His-Story." They felt that Walther, Loeber, Winter, and countless others belonged in the "Church's Hall of Fame" as the heroes our younger generation could look up to. In some ways, the story of the Saxon migration to Perry County, Missouri is no different than the stories of countless others who migrated to America in the 1800's and early 1900's. But, there is one thing that separates them from the masses. The Saxon immigrants did not come looking for fame and fortune. They came for one thing alone... RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. With the leadership of Martin Stephan, some 700 believers traveled halfway around the world from Saxony, Germany to find a religious freedom that had no part in "holding reason above Scripture." They wanted only to practice the teachings of Martin Luther without the restrictions placed on them in Saxony. Little did they know what hardships faced them.

175th Anniversary Road Rally
175th Anniversary Road Rally
St. John's Heritage Road Rally to East Perry County, MO $30 Per Person - Includes Buffet Dinner at End Make Reservations at the church office 618-826-3545 or email or text Donna Young to reserve your spot at donna.young744@gmail.com or 618-615-1218.
Oct 27, 2024, 2:00 PM – 5:30 PM
St. John School - Departer Location ,
224 W Holmes St, Chester, IL 62233, USA

Monthly Celebrations and Events

April Events

175th Anniversary of St. John Lutheran church and school begins it's with kick-off for year-long events with the Theme, "Great is Thy Faithfulness."

 

April 21

10:00 am Church Service - Pastor Ill Guest Preacher

The celebration weekend of April 21 will highlight the kickoff with Pastor Peter Ill as the guest preacher for the weekend. Pastor Ill was Pastor at St. John's from 2010 - 2014.

Celebratory Dinner

The 10:00 a.m. service on the 21st will be followed by a celebratory dinner in the St. John Veterans' Memorial Parish Hall.

RESERVATIONS: Call the church office at 826-3545 to make reservations by April 17.
 

MonthlyCelebrationsandEvents

175th Anniversary Shirts Now Available

If you would like to purchase a commemorative t-shirt for the 175th Anniversary, they can be ordered at Treasured Memories in Chester, IL. Call 618-826-2513 or stop in and Donna will place your order!

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Contact

For more information on upcoming events, follow us on Facebook or contact the church office.

618-826-3545

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