Our History
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Farnhamville, Iowa is a member congregation of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Christ our Lord established this congregation through the union of Christ Lutheran Church, Churdan and St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Farnhamville. The union of the two congregations was on May 28, 1961, and the opening service was June 4, 1961. The current building for Holy Trinity was completed and dedicated on December 1, 1963.
The history of the two congregations that came together to create Holy Trinity is a story showing the goodness and mercy of Our Heavenly Father.
In the Churdan area there were four Lutheran families who settled on the Iowa prairie in the 1870’s. They made a little faithful flock and were served by their first pastor, Rev. G Guelker, in January 1880. He baptized six of their children. From then on they were served by a pastor and were part of a preaching station with the Lutheran congregation in Dayton. These faithful children of God worshipped in schoolhouses east and west of Churdan until 1902 when the building of Christ Lutheran was constructed. In 1918, God in His providence allowed a cyclone to destroy the church building with only the church bell surviving. The congregation rebuilt the church building and worshipped in it until the union with St. Peter’s in Farnhamville.
St. Peter’s was organized by Rev. F. Buse on January 23, 1888. Worship services were held in the Reading Township School District #6 building located one and one half miles southwest of Farnhamville. Later the congregation rented the Farnhamville Congregational Church’s building in town. The congregation built a building of its own in 1899 near the town park. The congregation worshipped in this building until its union with Christ Lutheran.
Prior to the union both congregations did a self-study and decided that they would be able to function better and use the resources to God’s glory better by uniting to form a new congregation with a new name, new location, etc. The present site of Holy Trinity was purchased in 1961 and groundbreaking was held in the middle of September, 1962. The congregation had a service December 1, 1963 dedicating the building to the service of the Gospel of Christ and for the proclamation of the doctrines of Holy Scripture.
This rich history of working together with other congregations continues on today with our partnership with Immanuel Lutheran Church in Pomeroy, Iowa. Starting in the summer of 2019, Immanuel and Holy Trinity formed a dual congregation relationship in order to share resources for spreading Christ’s Gospel in preaching and teaching and the administration of Our Lord’s sacraments. To God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit be all the glory. Amen.
The history of the two congregations that came together to create Holy Trinity is a story showing the goodness and mercy of Our Heavenly Father.
In the Churdan area there were four Lutheran families who settled on the Iowa prairie in the 1870’s. They made a little faithful flock and were served by their first pastor, Rev. G Guelker, in January 1880. He baptized six of their children. From then on they were served by a pastor and were part of a preaching station with the Lutheran congregation in Dayton. These faithful children of God worshipped in schoolhouses east and west of Churdan until 1902 when the building of Christ Lutheran was constructed. In 1918, God in His providence allowed a cyclone to destroy the church building with only the church bell surviving. The congregation rebuilt the church building and worshipped in it until the union with St. Peter’s in Farnhamville.
St. Peter’s was organized by Rev. F. Buse on January 23, 1888. Worship services were held in the Reading Township School District #6 building located one and one half miles southwest of Farnhamville. Later the congregation rented the Farnhamville Congregational Church’s building in town. The congregation built a building of its own in 1899 near the town park. The congregation worshipped in this building until its union with Christ Lutheran.
Prior to the union both congregations did a self-study and decided that they would be able to function better and use the resources to God’s glory better by uniting to form a new congregation with a new name, new location, etc. The present site of Holy Trinity was purchased in 1961 and groundbreaking was held in the middle of September, 1962. The congregation had a service December 1, 1963 dedicating the building to the service of the Gospel of Christ and for the proclamation of the doctrines of Holy Scripture.
This rich history of working together with other congregations continues on today with our partnership with Immanuel Lutheran Church in Pomeroy, Iowa. Starting in the summer of 2019, Immanuel and Holy Trinity formed a dual congregation relationship in order to share resources for spreading Christ’s Gospel in preaching and teaching and the administration of Our Lord’s sacraments. To God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit be all the glory. Amen.