Our History
On June 7, 1944, two pastors from Iowa arrived in Fairbanks to survey the area and establish a congregation for the Evangelical Lutheran Church. They held their first service June 11th in the Elks Hall. When the Elks Hall burned down, services were held in the Eagles Hall.
The congregation was organized August 18th, 1944, and by the end of the year had 89 baptized members. Property on 4th Avenue was purchased between Cushman and Lacey, and on November 5th, 1944, the new church was dedicated and the Rev. Joseph Luthro installed. A parsonage was constructed and a Lutheran Service Center was housed in the church basement to welcome servicemen.
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The church was crowded in the downtown area and in 1957 the opportunity arose to sell the property and purchase an entire block at 10th and Cowles. The old Lacey Street Theater was used briefly for services until a new church and parsonage were built. The church building was dedicated on June 25, 1961.
In 1967 the great Fairbanks flood caused extensive damage to both buildings and their contents. An office wing was completed in 1971 and later a new wing of classrooms and narthex were added. Further remodeling was completed in the early 1980s.
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The project to renovate and expand our building started in July 2010, starting with the interior, completed in 2012.