1956- Organized on June 29th – Name of Concordia chosen by Pastor Schmitz and Pastor Wilson . June 3rd 18 attend 1st worship. Pastor Buelow is called. Luther League is organized.
1957- Sanctuary built- Purchase parsonage on 49th avenue.
1958- Kindergarten established with Doris Moore as teacher. Madelyn Ohlrich is 1st church secretary.
1961-PASTOR Volkman is called.
1962- Pews placed in sanctuary.
1963- Education unit built.
1964- Parish worker Sharon Simon added to staff- 967 baptized- 484 worship per Sunday.
1965- Bethel Bible study series. 126 attend. Boy Scout troop 64 formed.
1966- Land purchased west of sanctuary. Intern program adopted- Richard Bremer is 1st intern-others = James Fish, Ron Nelson, Ken Lillestrand, Myron Albertson, Robert Voss, Larry Kassebaum, Richard Michna, James Gleason, Virgil Olson, Terry Nielson, Greg Friedrich, James Fuller, David Fisher.
1971- Purchase present organ.
1972- Kindergarten closed.
1974- Sports court built.
1977- James Gleason ordained at Concordia.
1978- Robert Erickson is ordained. Bus purchased for youth.
1982- Pastor Volkman takes call to CA. Pastor David Braaten serves as interim and Pastor Stadheim is called. 801 baptized- 273 average worship.
1985- 12 steps for Christian Living and Stephens Ministry started.
1986- Jesus-walking-on-the-water window is dedicated.
1990- House on 49th avenue is sold.
1991- Pastor Stadheim leaves and Pastor Overland serves as Interim. Gena Anderson hired as secretary.
1992- Pastor Redding called. 425 baptized- 116 average worship. Spanish congregation starts worship.
1994- New Beginnings renovation completed.
1995- Pastor Redding takes a call to south Chandler. Pastor Alpers serves as interim. Intern Don Lorfing serves. 358 baptized- 167 average worship.
1996- Don Lorfing & Rick Bezanson are both ordained at Concordia. Pastor Rick is installed on September 8th.
1997- After- school program started. Saturday worship initiated.
1998- Dorothy Nelmark completes stained glass windows and the stations- of- the- cross are added. GED & GSL programs & Good Shepherd Toddler intervention utilize our facilities. Terry Price organizes Men’s & Women’s Prayer Ministry. We have 2 Vacation Bible Schools (morning & evening).
1999- Seminarian Janice Meier helps lay groundwork for bilingual worship in 2000. A new baptismal font is constructed by Scott Jones. Approximately 415 baptized – 178 average worship. SONrise service rained out at the Maryvale ballpark.
2000- Gena Anderson installed as full time Family-Support & Youth Minister on February 12th. First Bilingual worship started on March 4th. July 22nd our first Spanish bible Study is held. Jeronimo Gutierrez and Enrique Delgado are installed as our first Neighborhood ministers. Pearline Dilliard is installed as our church secretary. Our 1st ALPHA course takes place in the summer. Our first ESL course is offered during VBS. There are 413 baptized and 190 average attendance.
2001- With grants from Desert Cross, Gloria Dei, Peace, & Servants of Christ, we hire Pastor Gale Schmidt as Bilingual evangelist. We have 4 new Minstros de la Communidad: Jeronimo Gutierrez, Zenaida Madrueno, Pascual Reyes, and Irma Franco. We celebrate our 1st QUINCENARA for Vanessa Madrueno. Liberty Charter School refurbished and leased the fellowship building from us. Mountainview Lutheran Church donates a 15-passenger van to us. New carpet and altar rail is installed with new clear lectern. ESL meets every Thursday morning coordinated by GARY TANG INC. We ARE a MULTICULTURAL & NEIGHBORHOOD CHURCH. Cindy Hurless replaces Neva Hengstellar as part-time secretary.
2002- Betty Hollis replaces Cindy Hurless as part-time secretary. Deloris Stafford replaces Betty Hollis as part-time secretary. Our Bilingual Ministry continues to grow. We have celebrated our first Tres Anos for Maria Rosario. Our first Cinco De Mayo Festa is a great success with approximately 100 in attendance. We have our 4th ALPHA course and have 10 Adults reaffirm or confirm there baptism. For the first time our Bilingual misa attracts more worshippers that our other services. Pastor Bezanson performs his first wedding completely in Spanish. Concordia gets a new phone system. Adult Education and Community Meal Ministry operates 12 months a year. November 30th Pastor Bezanson resigns and goes to Advent in Glendale, AZ. December 1st Gena Anderson resigns and go to All Saints in Phoenix, AZ.
2003- Revered Ellis E. Eskritt (Pastor Bud) serves as
"Transitional" Pastor for Concordia. Concordia recommits to the ELCA World
Hunger Appeal, Stand With Africa and its Latino ministry out-reach program
at annual meeting. Jessica Hurless replaces Deloris Stafford as part-time
secretary. Pastor Gale Schmidt as Bilingual evangelist is replaced by Jose
Valenzuela from the ELCA Grand Canyon Synod as “pulpit supply” for the
Saturday 5:30 pm Bilingual Service. Membership drops to approximately 180
baptized – 90 average worship. Saturday Bilingual Service suspended
April 26, 2003. Reassesment of Concordia's ministry by members begins April
29, 2003.