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Once upon a time, a merry band of Lutheran Christians, along with their non-Lutheran spouses who presumably knew what they were getting into, decided that Lockhart needed a Lutheran church of its very own.
Now, this was a rather ambitious idea. Lockhart already had eight churches, and there was a perfectly good Lutheran church just down the road in Maxwell. But if there is one thing Lutherans have never been afraid of, it is organizing another congregation. After all, there were people to gather, hymns to sing, coffee to brew, and eventually, committees to form.
And so, Grace Lutheran began.
The first worship service was held at McCurdy Funeral Home and led by the Rev. R. J. Huebner. Yes, you read that correctly. Our congregation began worshiping in a funeral home. Perhaps it was an early reminder that Christians are people of the resurrection, or perhaps it was simply the only available space. Either way, the congregation was determined to make it work.
Services continued at McCurdy until April 13, 1952, when, fittingly enough, on Easter Sunday, the congregation moved its worship services to Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Lockhart. From a funeral home to Easter morning, it is difficult to imagine a more appropriate beginning for a church proclaiming the promise of new life in Christ.
A group of interested Christians gathered in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Dahse with the Rev. R. J. Huebner and voted to formally organize Grace Lutheran Church of Lockhart, Texas.
Of course, no Lutheran congregation can truly call itself organized without a constitution. Arthur Hunke, William Klare, and Frank Ward were appointed to draft one, with assistance from Pastor Huebner and adopted it in February 1952.
This constitution would be changed and formatted differently but it ultimately kept the same core values of that original document all these years later.
In April 1956, Grace Lutheran received its official charter from the Texas Secretary of State for the grand sum of $10.
Considering how much it costs to accomplish just about anything these days, this may have been one of the greatest bargains in the congregation’s history.
In February 1962, Grace received its organizational charter with 45 members. What had begun as a small gathering of faithful Christians was growing into an established congregation with a place in the Lockhart community.
On February 10, 1952, the congregation elected its first officers. Arthur Hunke was elected president, William B. Klare vice president, Wanda Holter (Mrs. Edwin Holter) secretary, and Frank S. Ward treasurer.
These faithful individuals accepted the responsibility of helping guide a brand-new congregation. They undoubtedly faced many of the same questions church leaders face today: How do we grow? How do we serve our neighbors? How do we pay the bills? And, perhaps most importantly, who is bringing the coffee?
Their willingness to serve laid the groundwork for the generations of lay leaders who would follow.
In its early years, Grace Lutheran was served by a remarkable collection of part-time pastors, visiting clergy, and seminary students. Apparently, the congregation believed in keeping things interesting.
The Rev. R. J. Huebner was Grace’s first pastor, serving both Grace Lutheran and Ebenezer Lutheran Church in Maxwell. The Rev. Paul Geiger arrived in 1953, the Rev. A. M. Fielder began serving in 1955, and the following years brought a variety of ministers, including the Rev. Willie Rotter, the Rev. William Kraushaar of Texas Lutheran University, and students Oliver Berglund and Leroy Deans.
In 1967, the Rev. Allen Johannes arrived and persuaded Jemima Ward to begin typing the church bulletin. She continued that ministry for an astonishing 20 years. Considering the technology available at the time, that may qualify as a miracle worthy of its own stained-glass window.
The Rev. Otto Schawe served beginning in 1968.
Between 1968 and 1976, Grace was served by numerous part-time pastors, including the Revs. Louis Kramer, Martin Obst, Joe Garcia, Fred Hamilton, and John Peterson.
From 1977 through 1984, the congregation continued under the care of the Revs. Lynn and Paul Zeiss, Alvin Bohls, Dan Kordahl, and James Burnett.
Through all those transitions, one thing remained clear: the ministry of Grace Lutheran was never dependent upon one pastor. It was sustained by the faithfulness of its people and the presence of God among them.
And probably a few very patient church secretaries.
In August 1984, Grace Lutheran took a significant step forward by calling its first full-time pastor, the Rev. Wayne Walther.
For a congregation that had spent more than three decades sharing pastors and relying on part-time ministry, this was a major commitment and milestone. Fortunately, it proved to be a decision the congregation would never regret.
Pastor Wayne became deeply involved in both the church and the wider Lockhart community. His ministry helped shape Grace into the congregation it would become, and his relationships within the community continued well beyond his retirement in 2011.
Following Pastor Wayne’s retirement, the Rev. Peter Rupprecht served as interim pastor until the Rev. Bryan Dzidzik-Willingham was called in 2012.
Pastor Bryan’s ministry coincided with another important chapter in Grace’s history: the planning, construction, and dedication of the new Grace Lutheran Preschool building. His call concluded in June 2021.
Then came a season of uncertainty.
For three years, Grace Lutheran was without a full-time pastor. During that time, the congregation relied upon a number of supply pastors who faithfully provided worship leadership, preaching, and pastoral care.
Particularly, the Rev. Daryl Knox went above and beyond the role of a supply pastor in serving the congregation. He performed baptisms, helped maintain the spiritual life of the church, and even organized a summer confirmation camp in which eight young people and two adults were confirmed.
Pastor Knox and the other supply pastors helped keep Grace moving forward during a difficult period. But perhaps even more importantly, the congregation itself refused to give up as the people of Grace continued to gather, worship, pray, serve, and trust that God was not finished with them.
In August 2024, Grace Lutheran called the Rev. Jared Fischer to serve as its pastor.
After three years without a full-time pastor, the congregation was more than ready to begin a new chapter. Some might describe those years as wandering in the wilderness, although, thankfully, it did not take the full forty years to find a pastor.
The congregation quickly discovered that this new pastoral relationship was a good fit. Pastor Jared became active in the Lockhart community, expanded opportunities for Christian education, introduced new classes and Bible studies, and renewed an emphasis on confirmation, visitation, and pastoral care.
More importantly, Grace began rediscovering something that had been present from the very beginning: the church is not simply a building, a pastor, or a collection of programs. It is a community of people brought together by God’s grace, called to love one another and share that love with the world.
What began with a handful of determined Lutherans in 1951 continues today, not because every decision was perfect or every season was easy, but because God has remained faithful through it all.
And because, apparently, Lutherans at Grace can be a rather stubborn bunch when it comes to keeping their church going.
Grace Lutheran’s earliest worship services took place at McCurdy Funeral Home and Emmanuel Episcopal Church. These borrowed spaces provided the congregation with somewhere to gather while its members worked toward the dream of having a church home of their own.
On April 8, 1956, that dream became a reality when Grace dedicated its first church building on Fir Lane. The property had been generously donated by Frank and Jemima Ward, and much of the construction labor was donated by members and friends of the congregation.
The entire building cost $5,000 and was paid off by 1960. What a deal, you can’t even fix a roof for that these days!
As the congregation grew, so did its need for space. In 1973, Grace dedicated its second worship space, the building that now serves as the fellowship hall.
But the congregation was not finished building.
On March 8, 1998, members voted to move forward with plans for a new sanctuary. A building committee was formed consisting of Craig Barnhart, Billy Ray Buckner, Cindy Deane, Gail Livengood, Dorothy Schulle, Pastor Wayne Walther, and Jeff Witte.
The cornerstone, generously donated by the Barnhart family, was laid in late 1998.
On March 28, 1999, the congregation dedicated its present sanctuary at 919 W. San Antonio Street.
Over the years, Grace also gradually acquired neighboring properties. The final acquisition was the Andewather house and lot on Medina Street. Clyde Sommerlatte played an instrumental role in bringing the church and preschool properties together into one unified plat.
From borrowed rooms to a permanent sanctuary, the buildings changed, the property expanded, and the congregation grew. Yet the purpose remained the same: to provide a place where God’s people could gather, hear the Word, receive the Sacraments, and be sent into the world to serve their neighbors.
And, naturally, to enjoy a good potluck.
In 1977, Grace Lutheran’s original chapel found a new calling as the home of the congregation’s preschool.
The school itself had begun in the home of Ginger Siemering Hughes and her husband, Bill, under the wonderfully cheerful name Lutheran Happy Times Nursery School.
Eventually, the preschool became known as Grace Lutheran Preschool, with Dale Siemering serving as its first director. Laverne Anton followed as the second director, Eileen Larken as the third, and Stephanie Gonzales continues that legacy of leadership as the current director.
Over the decades, the preschool developed an outstanding reputation for early childhood education, earning recognition as Best Preschool in Caldwell County numerous times.
As enrollment and demand increased, the congregation recognized the need for a larger, dedicated facility.
Robert Cheatham played an instrumental role in getting the project started, and in June 2015, Grace Lutheran Preschool dedicated its new building.
The preschool has become one of Grace’s most important ministries, serving not only the children enrolled but also their parents, grandparents, and the wider Lockhart community.
Now, as Grace Lutheran celebrates 75 years of ministry, we have another opportunity to remember where we have been and consider where God may be leading us next.
Over the decades, there have been new buildings, new pastors, new ministries, and more committee meetings than anyone would care to count. There have been celebrations and disappointments, times of growth and times of uncertainty.
But through it all, the people of Grace have continued to gather around God’s Word, receive the promise of grace through the Sacraments, care for their neighbors, and share the love of Jesus Christ.
The congregation that began with a small group of determined Lutherans has become a church home for generations of families. The same faith that inspired those first members continues to guide the congregation today.
Our history is not a story of perfect people making perfect decisions. It is a story of ordinary people, sometimes stubborn, sometimes uncertain, and sometimes just trying to figure out who has the fellowship hall key, being brought together and sustained by an extraordinary God.
And that is worth celebrating.