A Summary of the History of
Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church

Beginnings
 Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church came into being when a group of members from Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, under the guidance of their pastor, the Rev. T.R. Adascheck, launched a mission outreach program to be conducted in the western part of Yakima.  Seventeen families, numbering 43 communicants and 70 souls, volunteered to form the nucleus of the new mission.

 The new mission congregation was officially organized on July 25, 1948.  Under the first officers of the congregation -- Mr. John Miller, Mr. Ernest Luepke, and Mr. Louis Krug -- a constitution, which was recommended by the District Mission Board, was adopted.  About a month later, on August 16, a call was issued to pastor George Frey of Clarkston, Washington.  He was led by the Spirit to accept the call and was installed as Redeemer’s first resident pastor on November 14, 1948.  The following Sunday regular Sunday worship services were begun at the facilities of the Keith and Keith Funeral Chapel.

 On September 19, 1948 the congregation decided to purchase three lots for about $4,000 at 415 South 31st Avenue.  This was to be the site for the missions church building.  About the same time as the land was purchased, application was made to borrow $15,000 from the Wisconsin Synods Church Extension Fund to finance the erection of a suitable chapel on the newly purchased site.

 With each step, excitement began to build.  The congregation asked the Rev. M.J. Witt to draw plans for the chapel, modeled after Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church of Spokane.  On Sunday, December 18, 1949, following the service, the members of the congregation drove to the building site for groundbreaking ceremonies.  Under the guidance of the building committee -- Mr. A.C. Waldbauer, Mr. Henry Miller, Mr. Ted Poulson, and Mr. Ernest Luepke -- forms for the footings were constructed during the week following Christmas, but cold weather prevented pouring the concrete.

 Work on the construction of the church was resumed on March 9, 1950 with the footings  poured on March 13 and the foundation walls poured on April 13.  Construction moved forward steadily until the first part of June when most of the work was halted due to the failure of the Weyerhaeuser Lumber Company to deliver the roof trusses on account of a strike at their Longview plant.  The trusses were finally received in late August and were put into place early in September.  The brick work on the outside was completed about the middle of October.

 About this time a shortage of funds developed in the Church Extension Fund.  As a result, the Synod was able to loan the congregation only $13,000 of the $15,000 that was requested.  Application was made to borrow an additional $8,000 from this fund to complete the building.  This request was granted but no assurance was given as to when the money would be available.  The congregation raised over $800 to meet its current bills and borrowed an additional $3000 from other sources.  This allowed for the completion of the basement.
 

First Service

 The first worship service was held in the basement on December 3, 1950.  The cornerstone was laid in place on December 10, 1950.  The stone itself was a gift to the congregation from Central Washington Monument Works.

 With the basement almost completed, it was  decided that the remaining work on the church would be done entirely with donated labor from the members and friends of the congregation, under the guiding hand of Mr. A.C. Waldbauer.  And so it was that a year and a half later, with several thousand hours of volunteer labor, the church was dedicated on July 27, 1952.
 

Dedication

 On  Dedication Sunday, the church bell, which had hung in a Lutheran Church in Idaho during World War I, rang three times, calling people to worship and give glory to God.  It rang first at 10:00 AM when Mr. A.C. Waldbauer, chairman of the congregation, presented the keys of the church to Pastor Frey.  A brief ceremony was held outside, before members and friends moved inside for the dedication service.  The Rev. M.J. Witt of Spokane, President of the Pacific Northwest District of the Wisconsin Synod and designer of the church building, was the guest speaker.  The old bell was heard again at 2:30 PM for a second worship service.  This time the guest speaker was the Rev. O. G. Frey of Saginaw, Michigan, the father of Redeemers Pastor Frey.  Finally, the bell was heard the 3rd time at 8:00 PM when Pastor T.R. Adascheck of Grace Lutheran in Yakima led the congregation in worship and praise.

 The congregation at this time numbered 84 souls and 57 communicants.  Pastor Frey wrote in the dedication folder, Much remains to be done before the building is entirely completed.  But we are confident that the Lord will guide our members with a will and a zeal to work at our task until it is complete.  It is our dedicated task to use our church solely for the work of bringing the Gospel of salvation to souls lost in sin.  May the truth of Gods Word sound forth at all times from our pulpit.
 

Other Projects

 Between the times of cornerstone laying and the dedication, other projects were undertaken by the congregation.  On October 7, 1951, the lot just to the north of the church site was purchased for a future parsonage from John Miller and Ernest Luepke, the owners of the lot, for $1,750.  Then on April 20, 1952 a Pew Fund was started.  The cost of the material at that time was about $35 per pew.  Pastor Frey built the first pew.

Pastors

 Pastor Frey remained with the congregation until October 11, 1958 when he accepted a call to St. Pauls Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tacoma.  Following his departure the congregation asked Pastor Melvin Teske of Grace in Zillah to serve as a vacancy pastor.

 In July of 1960, Charles Tessmer, a seminary graduate, arrived to become the congregations second resident pastor.  During his pastorate the parsonage was built and he was married.  The open house for the new parsonage was held in October, 1962. Pastor Tessmer remained with the congregation until July of 1967 when he accepted a call to a congregation in Wisconsin.

 Pastor Arthur Valerio of Grace in Zillah was asked to serve as vacancy pastor.  This vacancy ended one year later when Marc Diersen was ordained and installed as pastor of the congregation in July of 1968.  He remained with the congregation until the spring of 1973.

 In August of 1973 the congregation extended a call to Pastor Arthur Valerio of Wilmot, Wisconsin to be its pastor.  He accepted the call and was installed in September of 1973 as the congregations fourth resident pastor.  The end of 1984 brought another change in pastors.  Pastor Valerio accepted a call to serve as mission explorer in Juneau, Alaska and left in January of 1985.

 Pastor James Oldfield of Divine Peace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Renton, Washington accepted the call and was installed as Redeemers fifth pastor on February 24, 1985.

 In 1992, Pastor Mark Franck of Nampa, Idaho was installed as Redeemers sixth pastor.  Pastor Franck served Redeemer until July 5, 1998 when he accepted a call to Howell, Michigan.

Our present pastor, Rev. Kevin P. Westra, was installed on November 8, 1998 in an evening service. The president of the district, Pastor Warren Widmann was the installer, with pastor Vaughn Vogel as the Liturgist. There were a total of 8 WELS pastors who participated in the laying on of hands. Long time friend and fellow pastor Thomas Unke, preached the installation sermon with the theme of "Tell Them What You Know"! The pastors present were:

Rev. Warren Widmann   -  Senior pastor, Grace, Portland, OR. and District President.
Rev. Vaughn Vogel  -  Pastor, King of Kings, Kennewick, Wa.
Rev. Thomas Unke  -  Pastor, Faith, Tacoma, WA.
Rev. Melvin Teske  -  Pastor, Grace, Yakima, Wa.
Rev. Carl Schomberg  -  Pastor, Grace, Zillah, WA.
Rev. Daniel Voight  -  Evergreen Lutheran High School, Des Moines, Wa.
Rev. Thomas Vallesky  -  Pastor, Our Savior, East Wenatchee, WA.
Rev. Jonathan Bilitz  -  Associate Pastor, Grace, Portland, OR.
 
 

25th Anniversary

 On July 29, 1973, the congregation was privileged to celebrate its 25th anniversary.  Pastor George Frey of Tacoma was the guest speaker at the special anniversary service.
 

30th Anniversary

 In 1974 the congregation was asked by the Synod to renegotiate its loan with the Church Extension Fund.  The congregation willingly did this in an effort to have the loan repaid within 16 years.  However, the congregation then decided to try to hasten the day the debt would be paid.  A Principal Prepayment Savings Plan was begun, and each year in December, whatever was offered during the year for this fund was sent in and applied directly to the principal of the loan.  Thus it was that the congregation burned its mortgage on September 27, 1981 -- a full 9 years ahead of schedule.

 While also burning the mortgage, the congregation celebrated its 30th anniversary of the dedication and cornerstone laying with a special worship service at 4:00 on September 27, 1981.  Pastor George Frey was the guest speaker at this special occasion.

  In 1981, the congregation numbered 114 communicants and 132 souls.   May the congregation continue to use the church building as the center for sound Gospel preaching and mission outreach into the community.
 

40th Anniversary

 On Sunday, July 24, 1988 the members and friends of Redeemer celebrated the 40th anniversary of the founding of the congregation.  The 40th anniversary project was a pictorial directory to show our rejoicing together, as a family, in those 40 years of Gods gracious blessings.
 

50th Anniversary

 The 50th Anniversary was celebrated on October 11, 1998 with special services, a meal, and anniversary memorabilia.  Pastor Jerrold Dahlke, a former member of Redeemer, was  the guest speaker at the evening service. We were especially blessed in that Pastor T. R. Adascheck, who had launched the mission outreach program that gave birth to Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church was present with his wife Althea and also our  original pastor that first served in Redeemer, pastor George Frey, was present.

 A congregation is not just a building and pastors, however.  A Christian congregation is people -- precious souls brought into the household of faith in Jesus Christ, nurtured and kept in that faith.  It is people -- children of God serving one another in love and striving to win others for eternal life through Jesus.
 
 

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