Foundations of Faith (2)
We Once Were Virginians
While waiting for the dream of having a permanent place of worship to become a reality, the congregation used the two small houses on the property at 212 Sunset Drive for worship and Sunday school. The smaller of the two was where the first nave and chancel were; the other house was torn down sometime after the church was built. As the houses were heated by coal-fired furnaces, men of the congregation took turns coming early on Sunday mornings to light the fires. On some cold Sunday mornings, the buildings were not warm until mid-way through the worship service.
Worship in the first sanctuary began on December 23, 1962 with the dedication of the facility on May 12, 1963. This occasion was marked by the presence of Doctors J. Luther Mauney and Raymond D. Wood, presidents of the Virginia and Southeastern Synods respectively. Both were there because that January -- with the formation of the Lutheran Church in America -- the congregations in the Knoxville Conference of the Virginia Synod were transferred to the newly created Southeastern Synod. So, in the organizational years of Our Saviour Lutheran Church, we were Virginians!
10 Years and Growing
- Pastor Bill R. Hoffner
The Reverend Rudolph Ludwig resigned in September of 1965 and the Reverend Bill Hoffner succeeded him in July of 1966. The congregation continued to grow! In the Spring of 1967, the practice of having an 8:30 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. service began. By the Tenth Anniversary celebration, there were 117 confirmed members, although during that period a total of 209 had been on the rolls.
Late in 1968, the first expansion program started when one large room and three small rooms were added to the education wing. William MacDonald again was the architect and Mountcastle Construction did the work, which was completed in 1969.
Into the 70's
- Pastor William J. Mould
When Pastor Hoffner left Johnson City in June of 1972, he was convinced that the congregation had an enviable future. Nine months later in March of 1973, Reverend William Mould became the pastor. The growth pattern continued. On many Sundays attendance at the 11:15 a.m. service was between 110 and 125. On Easter 1977, 192 persons crowded into an area meant for 110! Thus another expansion became necessary. The large room of the parish wing (what is now called "the Fellowship Hall") was doubled in size, while the sanctuary was enlarged and extended so that the seating was doubled. Included in the changes were a new altar, pulpit, and lectern. This time the architect was Eugene Rawls, and Coolidge Johnson was the contractor. The dedication service coincided with the Twentieth Anniversary celebration. At that time there were 405 baptized members and 259 confirmed members. During the past decade 280 persons united with the congregation.
During these years, synodically we were led by the Reverend Dr. Gerald S. Troutman, a beloved bishop who had served for a while in the sixties at Reformation Lutheran Church, Greeneville, Tennessee as their pastor. Years previous to his becoming bishop, he had served as the Secretary of the Southeastern Synod -- LCA. He was always a great inspiration to us all, and we have never forgotten his shepherding leadership. (This is why we invited him back for our Fiftieth Anniversary to be the guest preacher!)
With her growth in membership, and her expanding walls to provide many ministries, Our Saviour Lutheran Church was beginning to make a name for Jesus Christ in this growing community. With Bethlehem Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod) downtown, the two congregations were helping people learn about the Lutheran way of life by being beacons of light and faith in our service to the residents of the Johnson City area.
