On January 6th, The Epiphany of our Lord 1896, Zion Lutheran Church was established. We were originally part of a four-congregation parish of Adrian, Lismore, Ransom and Round Lake. For over four years the congregation worshipped in the Adrian Methodist Church’s building. In June, 1900 we dedicated Zion Lutheran Church building to the worship and glory of God.
In 1966 Zion teamed with Bethlehem Lutheran and the United Church of Christ at Ellsworth to form a three-point ecumenical parish. It is said that this was the first time in American Lutheran Church history that an official association was established with a church of a different denomination. We are proud of being part of a church that made history in this way, showing the unity that is ours, established not in like-mindedness but in Christ. That sentiment has clearly persisted in the positive relations our congregation has enjoyed with our Roman Catholic and Methodist brothers and sisters at Adrian through ecumenical events and associations through the years.
In late 1976, with both Bethlehem and Ellsworth UCC having closed, Zion joined with Kenneth Lutheran congregation to form a two-point parish. In late 2005, Hadley Lutheran Church came to participate in an endeavor to create a three-point parish with Kenneth and us.
Kenneth Lutheran had their last service June 28, 2015 and so Zion is again a two-point parish with Hadley.
So, you see, we are a young parish with a lot of history. Other partner congregations have been established and have closed but, for reasons that we cannot fully understand, we are still here. Changed, but not gone. I guess you could say we survive. That is not the same as saying “We are survivors” because, when it comes to congregations, “survivors” tend to make surviving their focus. But the truth is that we survive by the grace of God and, for the time being, as long as we have life, we shall not make survival our aim. We shall make showing forth Christ’s love our purpose and reason for existing as long as we have life.
