A BRIEF HISTORY OF IMMANUEL LUTHERAN CHURCH
of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
Lima, Ohio

Founded in 1901

Kibby & Jackson

     Immanuel Lutheran Church has its roots in the mission activities of Friedrich Konrad Dietrich Wyneken, who became a traveling missionary in Northwest Ohio, Michigan and Indiana.

     The "Lima Mission" organized the first know meeting of a congregation to be known as the German Evangelical Lutheran Immanuel Church in the home of John L. Sammetinger, 918 S. Central Avenue, Lima, Ohio on June 2, 1901 under the leadership of Rev. F. A. Kiess, then pastor of St. John Lutheran Church, Wapakoneta, Ohio.

     As the congregation began to outgrow the private home, a hall was rented on East Second Street in Lima. Before long they outgrew the rented hall, so the members acquired land at the corner of Kibby and Jackson Streets in Lima. In the Spring of 1904, work began on the congregation's first home: a frame chapel. It was used for worship services and as the class room for the Lutheran School established by the young mission congregation.

     Progress in the development of the congregation was evident in the decision to move the original chapel to the rear of the property and to begin construction of the church building which served the members as their worship center from its dedication on March 29, 1913 until August of 1957. The original chapel served as the school facility until the school was discontinued in 1929 due to declining enrollment.    

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Lakewood & Pears

Congregational growth had remained stagnant for a number of years prior to the decision of the congregation to relocated in a growing, expanding area of Lima. Property was purchased at the intersection of Lakewood Avenue and South Pears Street. Plans were made to establish a Sunday School mission at a new home to be constructed on this property and designed to serve as the parsonage of the planned new church.

     The cornerstone for the new church was laid in the spring of 1956. The congregation assumed occupancy of the new church in a dual service which originated in the old church on Kibby Street and concluded in the new facility at Lakewood and Pears on August 4, 1957.

     In 1985 plans were begun for a new addition to the church. A ground breaking ceremony was held on May 31, 1987 and the addition was dedicated on December 9, 1987. The old Fellowship Hall was remodeled into church offices.

     Since that last major construction phase, a home behind the church on Wendell Avenue was purchased; major remodeling was done in the church nave in 1992; vicars from the two synodical seminaries were utilized from 1989-1993; a part-time Director of Education & Youth (DEY) was hired in 1994; an Associate Pastor was called to serve the congregation in 1995; an Assistant to the DEY was hired in 1998; and in 2000 a teacher was hired to teach the Kindergarten class of the newly established Christian Day School.  After two years of operation, the school was discontinued due to lack of enrollment.

     In 1998 a Growing Time program was established. The program is designed for pre-school age children and is offered on Thursday morning and afternoon. In 2000, modifications were made to the education wing to accommodate the growth of the program.  The program was discontinued in September, 2004.

     In late 2001 the congregation purchased adjacent property to the east of the church (2108 Lakewood Ave.).  In October, 2002 property to the north of the church was purchase as use for a parsonage (1725 Wendell Ave.).  The pastor and his family began living in the new parsonage in October, 2002.  The old parsonage (1717 Wendell Ave.) and the 2108 Lakewood Ave house & garage were demolished in late May, 2003.

     In October, 2004, a project to build a drive under canopy for the main entrance was begun.  The project was completed in June, 2005.  Included in the project was expansion of the parking lot to the east, using the 2108 Lakewood property, as well as repaving and relining of the entire parking lot to provide for better traffic flow in and around the church.

     In March, 2019, the bell tower, which was originally constructed in 1957, was dismantled.  The iconic 62 year old bell tower had become beyond repair and created a safety hazard.

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