Redeemer Lutheran Church
Waterloo, Ontario

A Thumbnail Sketch of Our History

v   Fall of 1934 - The first impetus to a mission in Waterloo was given when Mr. M. Merklinger, Mr. P.A. Schendel, and Mr. Max Herz met in the home of the latter.

v    Winter 1934-35, further informal meetings were held and the matter of a mission was brought to the attention of pastor A. Orzen of St. Paul’s Kitchener, and to the president of the Ontario District, the Rev. F. Malinsky of Elmira.

v    February 13, 1935 - A number of Lutheran family heads, still unaffiliated, together with eight members of St. Paul’s residing in Waterloo, met in the St. Paul’s parish hall with pastor Orzen and his Church Council.  It was then that a motion was made and adopted to establish a mission in Waterloo.

v    March 8, 1935 - Call was extended to the Rev. K.A. Kriesel, Saskatoon, Sask.

v    May 5, 1935 - St. Paul’s congregation released 51 souls after the morning service to organize a congration in Waterloo.  That same day, at 3 o’clock in the afternoon, the installation of our first pastor, Rev. Karl A. Kriesel, took place.  Pastor A. Orzen officiated, President Malinsky and others assisted.

v    May 13, 1935 - The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer was organized in the home of Mr. M. Merklinger, twelve members signing the constitution.  There was a total of 42 communicants and 9 baptized members.

v    Societies called into being: May 19th the Sunday School; May 30th the Ladies’ Aid; and on October 14th the Walther League.

v    Our first “house” of worship was the upper floor of the Waterloo Town Hall.

v    August 4, 1936 - The present building site (120’x150’) on the corner of John and Severn streets was purchased for the sum of $475.00.

v    October 13, 1936 - The plans for a church at an estimated cost of $14,300.00, prepared by the Architect, Mr. Wm. Schmalz, was accepted, followed by a subsequent motion to erect a basement-church first.

v    April 4, 1937 - The ground was broken.

v    June 20, 1937 - The basement church, at our present location, was dedicated.

v    In 1942 an application was made to build the super structure, but because of the war the permit was not granted.

v    May 1, 1942 - The contract was let, at a cost of $7,800.00, to erect a parsonage.

v    October 25, 1942 - The parsonage was dedicated and occupied by the pastor four days later.

v    November 22, 1942 - Pastor Kriesel accepted a call to Philadelphia, Pa.

v    November 24, 1942 - The first call, and on December 14, the second call was sent; this time to the Rev. C.T. Wetzstein, Regina, Saak.

v    February 7, 1943 -  Pastor C.T. Wetzstein was installed, the Rev. A. Orzen officiating.

v    November 10, 1944 - Grace Lutheran Church was organized and served for 13 months by Pastor Wetzstein.  Five families of Redeemer were transferred to Grace.

v    June 23, 1946 - Six additional lots behind the church were purchased at a cost of $2000.00.  Each was 40’x100’.

v    February 6, 1949 - Bethel Lutheran Church was organized and served by Pastor Wetzstein to some time after September 1951.  Again five families were transferred to the newly organized congregation.

v    September 24, 1949 - The congregation adopted the plans for the superstructure.

v    April 10, 1950 - The construction began, Mr. Oscar Wiles was the contractor

v    May 28, 1950 - The cornerstone was laid.

v    July 23, 1951 - Pastor C.T. Wetzstein received a peaceful dismissal to accept a call to Bethel Lutheran Church.

v    August 1951 until February 1952 - Rev. Erdman served as the vacancy pastor.

v    September 16, 1951 - The church was dedicated.  Festival Service of Dedication at 3:00 p.m. – The Officiant – The Rev. C.T. Wetzstein, The Liturgist – The Rev. F. Malinsky, St. Paul’s Elmira, The Speaker – The Rev. K.A. Kriesel, Trinity Lutheran Church, Silver Creek, N.Y., The Choir Director – Mr. Amandus Herz, The Organist – Mr. G.G. Ernst, and the Soloist – Mr. G.W. Wetzstein, Ottawa.  The Ladies’ Aid served supper at 5:00 p.m., followed by an Evening Service at 7:00 p.m..

v    In 1962 the Rathke Bursary Fund was established to support pastoral students.

v    February 4, 1972 - The Schlicker organ was dedicated, and on May 11, 1975, chimes for the organ were dedicated.

v    January 1976 – Carol Weiberg was hired as church secretary.  Prior to this, Ida Rogers, followed by Gerda Zonak, aided the pastor with such duties as creating the weekly bulletins, and other secretarial tasks.  In September of 1976, Carol left to have a baby, and Willy Merklinger took over as secretary.

v    In 1981 we collected $46,000 for the synodical offering, Forward in Remembrance, and in 1983 $42,000 was collected for the Building Fund of Concordia Seminary, St.Catharines.

v    February 1988 - The first issue of Redeemer Reflections was published.

v    May 1988 - Pastor Vuorinen and Ross Merklinger represented our congregation at the Founding Convention of Lutheran Church-Canada in Winnipeg.

v    Early in 1989 our Young at Heart group was started.

v    January 1, 1989 - Lutheran Church-Canada became an indigenous Synod, a partner of the Missouri Synod.

v    December 1989 - The congregation voted to proceed with the proposed expansion of our facility.

    o On July 28, 1991, the ground-breaking ceremonies took place.

    o During the summer of 1991 volunteers converted the basement
       of the church into six Sunday School/meeting rooms plus an area
       for the quilters.

    o On April 12,1992, the addition was dedicated.

v    June 1993 - The Ladies of Redeemer were represented at the Founding Convention of the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League of Canada by Esther Merklinger.

v    A new public address system was installed in 1993.

v    In 1993 our archives file was started.

v    The Good Shepherd stained glass window was refurbished in 1994.

v    September 1994 - The Pioneer Club was started.

v    A library was established in 1994.

v    January 1995 - The early Sunday worship service at 8:30 a.m. was started.

v    April 29, 1995 - Marie Michael was awarded the Delta Chi medal by Concordia Seminary, St. Catharines.

v    May 1995 - New carpeting was installed.

v    March 1998 - Redeemer’s first web site, created by Werner Lindschinger, went online.

v    The installation of the new metal roof was completed in July 1998.

v    December 1, 1999 - The REEF fund (Redeemer Education Endowment Fund) was created.

v    In 2001 Heidi Gallas and Carol Norman shared the new position of Child and Youth Programme Coordinator.

v    August 2002 - The house at 76 John St. was purchased.  It will be used by our Vicars and their families.

v    December 2003 - the “redeemer-church.ca” domain name was registered.

   v    The Children's Library was completed in 2004.

    v    May 13, 2010 - will be our 75th anniversary.

Pastors

Vicars

Pianists

Eleanor (Schendel) Morgan

Ada (Merklinger) Sinyard

Martha (Herz) Wilkins

Ernie Ronnenberg

Organists/Music Directors

Parish Assistant

Church Secretaries

Administrative Assistant

Carol Weiberg            Jan. 2004 - to present                                     

Child and Youth Programme Coordinators

©2007 Redeemer Lutheran Church. All rights reserved.