Proclaim the Wonders God Has Done – The Journey of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod starting at Lime Creek.
Grace Lutheran Church resulted from a merging of three congregations – Lime Creek Lutheran Church (4 miles north of Lake Mills, IA), Somber Lutheran Church (6 miles east of Lake Mills), and Lake Mills Lutheran Church (in Lake Mills).
Lime Creek Lutheran Church
Lime Creek Lutheran Church was organized as a congregation in 1860, as part of the Norwegian Synod. The church building was completed in 1888. Lime Creek Lutheran is often referred to as the “mother church” of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod. In 1917, the majority of the Norwegian Synod joined other church bodies in a merger that permitted truth and error to stand side by side in the doctrine of Election. A small group of pastors and laypeople, for reasons of conscience, refused to join the majority in this Scripture-compromising merger. In 1918, the reorganized group met at the Lime Creek location. They became the Norwegian Synod of the American Evangelical Lutheran Church, later renamed the Evangelical Lutheran Synod. (See video above for more history.)
Somber Lutheran Church
Somber Lutheran Church descended from a Norwegian Synod congregation organized in 1859. In 1917, the majority of the congregation voted to enter the merger, and the minority withdrew, reorganizing as Somber Lutheran Church. In 1928, the congregation was given a church building that had been used by St Petri Lutheran Congregation at Latimer, IA. This building was moved to the Somber location and dedicated in 1929. Later in 1953, a combination schoolhouse-parish hall was built next to the church. The school continued until 1965. In July of 2000, the Somber Lutheran Church building was destroyed by fire. After this, the parish hall was converted to be used for church services.
Lake Mills Lutheran Church
Lake Mills Lutheran Church had its roots as early as 1865, when worship services among the Norwegians were conducted in the Lake Mills area by the Rev. T. A. Torgerson. Lake Mills Lutheran Church was reorganized in 1918 when the original congregation entered the merger. In 1919, the congregation joined the Evangelical Lutheran Synod. In 1921 the former church building, originally constructed in 1889, was re-purchased. Later in 1967, a new entrance was added.
Through the years, the congregations at Lime Creek, Somber, and Lake Mills shared pastoral services in various combinations, with one another as well as with First Shell Rock Lutheran in Northwood, and Immanuel Lutheran in Riceville. In more recent years, Lime Creek, Somber, and Lake Mills were meeting together on a rotational basis, worshiping at each location for one-third of a year.
In 2024, the three congregations of Lime Creek, Somber, and Lake Mills officially merged into one. This new congregation is now named Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, and it meets regularly at the Lake Mills location.
Also in 2024, the newly formed congregation of Grace Lutheran Church became part of a three-point parish, sharing pastoral services with Forest Lutheran Church in Forest City and Zion Lutheran Church in Thompson.