August 20, 2023
Today I had the privilege of preaching at United Lutheran. Swiss Alps is a rural community just north of Schulenburg, and south of La Grange.
United is served by Pastor Lemae Higgs, who has been there for over 20 years. United has been fortunate to have long pastorates, going back to the days when it was Philadelphia Lutheran. more on that later.
Pastor Brad Otto’s (Messiah Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas) parents, Nora and Hugo Otto, are members at United.
Worship attendance bounced back after the pandemic. They’ve had fifty-something in worship consistently for the last two decades. Here in this morning’s group less the kids out for children’s church during the sermon, and those in the chancel. COVID has made a resurgence here. The nursing home is closed due to an outbreak, and some people who avoided COVID during the pandemic have gotten it for the first time this month, including the pastor.
I had the privilege of being with them for their 145th anniversary…
And their 150th anniversary…
They didn’t celebrate their 155th anniversary, but their160th will be in 2027.
United was founded in 1867 by Wendish Lutherans as Philadelphia Lutheran Church.
In those days people walked to church, or rode the horses, so they were quite a few small churches on each of the hills in the area. In 1967 they were joined by Salem Lutheran Church in Freyburg and Trinity in Blackjack. A history of the church can be found here.
United (née Philadelphia) has only been served by eight pastors and it’s 156 year history. That’s an average of nearly 20 years per pastor. In the third framed said, notice a young Pastor Arlyn Housemann, who served for 1965 to 1972.
