Our History

 History highlights:  1848 - 2009  

September 1848:  The Evangelical Lutheran Congregation of St. John of Elk Grove, Cook County, Illinois is organized.

August 4, 1848:  Documents signed bequeathing thirty acres to the church.

December 26, 1848:  The congregation’s first chapel is dedicated.

January 1, 1849:  The congregation welcomes its first Pastor: Rev. Clements Klein.

1850:  Rev. John G. Kuntz becomes our second "Shepherd".

1853:  St. John affiliates with The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod.

1853:  Rev. Karl H. Sallmann becomes pastor and teacher. 

A New, second church is built. The parsonage and all church records are destroyed by fire. First teacher called is:  Mr. C. Laufer.

1860:  Fourth pastor accepts our call: Rev. William Bartling.

1862:  The arrival of new teacher:  Mr. Samuel Garbisch.

February 22, 1863:  Rev. Henry Schmidt takes over as Pastor.

December 20, 1863:  The first pipe organ is purchased.

November of 1864:   A new school building is erected and dedicated.

1868:  Rev. William Dorn assumes his duties as our Pastor.

1873:  The first steeple is added to the church built in 1854, and a church bell weighing 1,000 pounds is installed.

August 2, 1876:  Rev. Herman Ramelow is installed as Pastor.

July 26, 1891:  Rev. J. Henry Haake is installed as Pastor.

September 4, 1892:   New Church building dedicated. This church, in its basic form, continues to serve as our present church facility.

1892:   Church incorporated under the laws of the State of Illinois.

September 4, 1898:   St. John celebrates its Golden Jubilee.

1901:   A new school is constructed.

1904:  A north wing is added to the parsonage.

1905:  St. John welcomes Rev. Julius Drexler as Pastor.

March of 1906:  New teacher, Mr. Paul Meeske, comes to St. John.

1907:  Church walls and ceiling covered with decorated tin-work.

1908:   A new Burlington organ is purchased for $1,250.

March 26, 1911:  Rev. Louis J.C. Millies installed as Pastor.

March 30, 1913:  Rev. Ferdinand Gehrs installed as pastor.

October of 1921:   A new, ornate wooden altar and life-size statue of Jesus replaces the original altar and the painting behind it.    

September 2, 1923:  The 75th Anniversary of St. John is celebrated.

1923:  The first worship services are conducted in English.

September 5, 1926:   School remodeled, and an addition built containing a second classroom and lavatory, and is dedicated.  

August, 1927:  Mr. William Heuser is called as a teacher and principal.

September 26, 1948:  The congregation joyously celebrates its Centennial.

October 3, 1948:  Services held honoring the anniversary of the school. Teacher Meeske is recognized for 50 years as a teacher.

May of 1951:  The “St. John Couples Club” is organized.

February 1, 1955:  Pastor Gehrs and his family move into the newly constructed parsonage.

September 16, 1956:   Rev. Waldemar B. Streufert is installed.

July 1, 1958:  A new Church Constitution is adopted.

April 19, 1959:  A spacious new school is built and dedicated.

January of 1960:  The last regular worship service conducted in

German. Services from now on would be conducted in English.

April 30,1961:   A new Verlinden pipe organ is installed.

1963:   A church addition is built which included washrooms, a cloak room, lounge and a larger narthex.  Exterior covered with brick and aluminum facade. Ceiling tiles and wood paneling covers the tin- work of the church interior.  New pews added and twelve art-glass windows installed. A large wooden cross now graced the altar.

May 16, 1963:  The church is re-dedicated.

April 21, 1970:  Mt. Prospect annexes our property.

October 28, 1973:  The new school addition is dedicated.

1973:  The 125th Anniversary of St. John is celebrated.

May 26, 1974:  Rev. Theodore Staudacher is installed as Pastor.

January 19, 1975:  Women are granted voting status in the Voter’s Assembly.

February of 1975:  The “Rolling Eagles Camping Club” is formed.

July 3, 1976:  The “Old Schoolhouse Museum” is dedicated.

1977:  St. John’s highest recorded membership with 978 baptized and 818 confirmed members.

1978:  St. John celebrates 130th Anniversary. The lower level of the school is finished and a new kitchen installed.

April 5, 1979:  The eighty-seven year old steeple topples over.

November 2, 1980:   Rev. Robert E. Kass installed as Pastor.

November 12, 1980:    A new church steeple is erected.

1983:  Our 135th Anniversary is celebrated.  Major refurbishing of the church is accomplished.

1988:  Our 140th Anniversary as a Congregation is celebrated.

November 1, 1992:   Rev. Jeff G. Gavin is installed as Pastor of St. John. He begins variety in worship styles and designs a logo and theme for the congregation's identity.

July of 1994:  Our first participation in the Mt. Prospect 4th of July Parade.

1997:   School enrollment reaches all time high: 166 students. Additional classrooms are built; a hot lunch program started; St. John enters the “Technology Age” with new computers, E-mail, FAX, and an award winning home page on the Internet; a Video Library and video-tape ministry is started.

November 7, 1997:   The successful “Reformation Festival” is held.

1998:  St. John celebrates its 150th Anniversary with the theme:  REMEMBER, REJOICE, RENEW

2000:  Immanuel Bible Church (Korean) is founded and meets in the old school building.

2001:  A Korg synthesizer is purchased to enhance our worship

2001: A new Congregational Constitution is approved.

June 2004:  The St. John School is closed. Plans to sell eastside property, so to build a new church facility are established.

2005:  The development project is rejected by the Village. We continue to seek land sale, development and construction of a new church facility.

October 2006:  Dedication of new hymnals: The Lutheran Service Book.

2007:  Maranatha Church (Hispanic) begins worshiping in the school building.

2008:  We celebrate our 160th Anniversary. The community votes

 St. John one of the: "7 Wonders Of Mount Prospect".            

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