Concordia Lutheran Church Will Close
On May 17, 2009, Concordia Lutheran Church members voted to close and disband the church. The number of people attending and able to participate in mission is too small to pay a Pastor, to manage the property or to sustain and grow the kingdom of God at Concordia. A final service will be held on Sunday, August 23, 2009 at 3:00 pm to celebrate the history of Concordia Evangelical Lutheran Church. There will be only one worship service that day.
How do you write a eulogy for a church, for an institution? How do you include several lifetimes into a few paragraphs or even a page?
Concordia’s history of 160 years began in 1849 as Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church. Trinity served German immigrants in the neighborhood of Cincinnati, well known as Over-the-Rhine. It was a familiar setting for those German immigrants who missed their homeland by the Rhine River. The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod was young then, only 2 years old. Trinity’s first celebration of the Lord’s Supper served 56 people. In 1850, 329 people celebrated Holy Communion through the year. Twenty Three infants were baptized in 1850. Ten couples were married. By 1857 there were 88 families on the register of Trinity Lutheran Church. In 1851, Trinity opened a school to serve the families, to teach the children of the church and community.
Trinity was growing. Each year around 75 children were baptized. The city was growing. As people moved away from the Over the Rhine neighborhood, they began establishing churches near their homes. Most of the Missouri Synod Lutheran Churches in Cincinnati began as members of Trinity started mission churches in their neighborhoods. Lutheran Church of Our Savior in Norwood began in 1900. Lutheran Church of the Cross in Clifton began in 1909. Grace Lutheran in Westwood began in 1914. Lutheran Church of our Redeemer in Silverton began in 1921. Bethany in Covington began in 1934. Christ Lutheran began in 1955. And Prince of Peace began in 1969 when Concordia moved to Central Parkway and built a new Sanctuary. This information has been compiled by Robert Rau from Cincinnati City directories and various church records and histories.
Concordia has been unique in our community in that services continue to be held in German. German language services were held weekly, then monthly at Concordia until the last year when German services were held only on Christmas Eve and Good Friday. Most recently Pastor Otto Brillinger, Pastor Andrew Norris and Pastor Milton Berner have conducted services in German for the Congregation. The dedication of the
“German” members of our congregation deserve a special commendation. They attend more regularly than most members. These families have been the backbone of support for our rummage sales, our dinners, our fellowship hours. Enough thanks cannot be said to these families for the dedication and support.
Concordia’s oldest members are Ethel Schmithorst and Hazel Pabst, each 99 years young. Our youngest member is 2 now. Our members have spread across the country. Some live in Atlanta and Denver. Our members have widely represented all of the greater Cincinnati area, driving from Union, Ky, Ross, West Chester, Anderson, Westwood, Finneytown, Colerain, Bridgetown, Delhi, Walnut Hills and even Clifton. We’ve had sixteen Pastors serve our congregation since 1849, and numerous principals and teachers to serve in our school. Mr. Martin Kollmorgan was a principal and teacher who was loved and feared. He was stern but never forgotten. Our roast beef dinners were once the event of the season and people waited hours to be seated. Many families will keep the best memories of Concordia Lutheran Church.
Concordia Lutheran School was closed last year. Closing the school hasn’t changed the many lives that were touched, enriched and lifted up by the many dedicated teachers and principals over the years. It hasn’t taken away the sweet memories of a loving, diverse community for the children. Times have changed. The community has changed. The laws have changed. Financial considerations have led to the demise of a self-supporting school. Through all the difficulties, Concordia School has provided some of the sweetest memories for children, of a place where they were loved, where they learned to love and were educated with the academics and social skills needed for life.
In its 160th year, Concordia Evangelical Lutheran Church, on the corner of Clifton Hills Avenue and Central Parkway, will close its doors at a final worship service in August. Its remaining members, as those who left Trinity to form sister churches, will move to other churches to worship, to commune, to reach out to those who don’t know the saving grace of Jesus Christ.