St. John's Lutheran Church
Religious InstitutionsIllinois, United States11-50 Employees
St. John's Lutheran Church is described as an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) congregation serving a sizable faith community in the Midwest. The materials identify its location as Stockton, Illinois, while the accompanying historical account describes a Des Moines, Iowa origin and development. The church traces its roots to 1865, starting with 24 charter members, and laid its first building in 1868 at Seventh and Grand Avenue. In 1892, the congregation moved to its present site as Des Moines grew from a village to a city, and the original red brick structure was replaced by a stone building in 1935, with additions in 1951 and 1965 to accommodate growth. Today the church is described as one of the larger ELCA congregations, with more than 2,600 baptized members. Leadership has included Senior Pastor Rachel Thorson Mithelman since 2005 and Associate Pastor Robert Speirs since 2007.