Woodside celebrates 60 years

St John’s Lutheran Church, Woodside, celebrated its 60th anniversary on Sunday, July 8, with a worship service conducted by Onkaparinga Lutheran Parish Pastor Luke Spilsbury and SA-NT Bishop David Altus.

It was a wonderful service, followed by lunch and fellowship. Keith Pfeiffer, a founding building committee member attended on the day, as well as former pastors Stephen Albrecht and Jim Klein.

Plans for a Lutheran Church in Woodside officially got underway in June 1955, when members of the Lobethal congregation residing in the Charleston and Woodside area, who were regularly attending services at the Woodside Presbyterian Church building, applied for a peaceful dismissal in order to form a separate congregation.

The inaugural meeting of the congregation (receiving the name St John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church) was held in July 1955, when the constitution and rules were adopted.

The laying of the foundation stone was held in December 1956 and the sermon was based on 1 Corinthians 3:11. About 500 people attended this event, while the Hahndorf Brass Band played a variety of selections, including hymns.

The dedication of the new church building took place more than 18 months later on July 6, 1958. More than 1000 worshippers attended this occasion.

We praise the Lord for graciously blessing all the undertakings over the past 60 years at St John’s Lutheran Church, Woodside, and we pray he continue to do so.

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