History of Christ
Lutheran Church |
| The story of Christ Lutheran
Church starts in the summer of 1958 when residents of West Yakima were
visited door to door by a young man from the Board of American Missions
of the United Lutheran Church of America. Twenty-four year old Wendel
Jacobson was in Yakima to check the level of interest in starting a
new mission Lutheran congregation. The first service was on Sunday October 26th at the Westpark Kindergarten building located at 40th and Summitview. This first service attracted 87 people and a new Lutheran congregation was born. Two Sundays later on November 9th Sunday school classes were started with 30 children attending led by Pastor Jacobson’s wife Charyl, also a graduate of the University of Minnesota. Every Sunday the kindergarten room was converted into a church with the small primary chairs removed and metal folding chairs set up for service. The altar, lectern, and cross were brought in and set in place for worship. The early banners were the artwork of the kindergarteners who used the room during the week.
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May of 1959 those worshipping with Pastor Jacobson are ready to become
a congregation. On May 10th Christ Lutheran Church is officially organized
with sixty-four charter members. The service was officiated by Dr.
Steinhoff, President of Pacific Synod of the United Lutheran Church,
and he declared “Upon these, your solemn declarations, uttered
in the presence of God and of each other, I hereby declare that Christ
Lutheran Church of Yakima Washington to be formally organized and
established to the Glory of God and the praise of His Holy name, in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.”
Eight days later our congregation was received into the Pacific Synod
at Convention.