Lutheran Church of the Redeemer (Atlanta)
The Lutheran Church of the Redeemer is a Lutheran church in midtown Atlanta, Georgia. The congregation was founded in the city in 1903, with the current building constructed in 1952.
| Lutheran Church of the Redeemer | |
|---|---|
| Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Redeemer | |
The church as seen in 2019 | |
Lutheran Church of the Redeemer Lutheran Church of the Redeemer Lutheran Church of the Redeemer Lutheran Church of the Redeemer | |
| 33°46′28″N 84°23′03″W / 33.774525°N 84.384209°W | |
| Location | 731 Peachtree Street NE Atlanta, Georgia 30308 |
| Denomination | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America |
| Website | www |
| History | |
| Founded | March 15, 1903 |
| Dedication | September 7, 1952 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Harold E. Wagoner |
| Style | Gothic |
| Completed | 1952 |
| Administration | |
| Synod | Southeastern Synod |
| Clergy | |
| Assistant priest(s) | Ruth Hamilton Jonathan Trapp Ronald Bonner |
| Senior pastor(s) | Mark H. Larson |
History edit
The church was originally founded with 39 charter members on March 15, 1903, as the first English-speaking Lutheran congregation in Atlanta (St. John's Lutheran Church, founded in 1869 as a German-speaking church, was the first Lutheran church in Atlanta).[1][2][3] The congregation originally held service at a local YMCA.[4] The first church building was constructed in 1905 near the Georgia State Capitol in downtown Atlanta.[5] The congregation experienced significant growth during World War I as many members of St. John's became members of Redeemer due to anti-German sentiment.[6]
In 1937, the congregation moved to its current location at the intersection of Peachtree Street and Fourth Street in midtown Atlanta, near Saint Mark Methodist Church.[5] This building was nicknamed the "Church of the Lighted Window" because it had a large stained glass window featuring the Good Shepherd facing Peachtree Street.[7] The current building, a gothic structure built primarily of Tennessee quartzite and Indiana limestone, was constructed in 1952 and was designed by Harold E. Wagoner, a notable ecclesiastical architect.[5] The building's dedication occurred on September 7 of that year.[8] In 2002, the church dedicated a new pipe organ built by Orgues Létourneau Limitée: the Opus 80.[9]
Early in its history, Redeemer became affiliated with the United Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the South.[1] Through a series of church unions, Redeemer is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and is the largest congregation within the church's Southeastern Synod.[5][10] In 2015, Timothy Smith, the senior priest at Redeemer, was elected bishop of the North Carolina Synod of the ELCA, replacing retiring bishop Leonard Bolick.[11][12]
Gallery edit
- Interior
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- Altar
- Sign
References edit
- ^ a b Ahrendt 1969, p. 28.
- ^ Grem, Darren (November 3, 2006). "Lutheran Church". New Georgia Encyclopedia. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
- ^ "History". St. John's Lutheran Church. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
- ^ Garrett, Franklin M. (1969). Atlanta and Environs: A Chronicle of Its People and Events, 1880s-1930s. Vol. II. University of Georgia Press. p. 442. ISBN 978-0-8203-3904-7 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b c d "The Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Redeemer". Georgia Historical Society. June 16, 2014. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
- ^ Ahrendt 1969, p. 27.
- ^ "What We Believe & Redeemer's History". Lutheran Church of the Redeemer. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
- ^ Poole, Donald R. (1959). History of the Georgia-Alabama Synod of the United Lutheran Church in America, 1860-1960. p. 58 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Lutheran Church of the Redeemer". The Atlanta Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
- ^ "Lutheran Church of the Redeemer". Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
- ^ McLaughlin, Nancy (May 31, 2015). "Evangelical Lutherans elect new bishop". Winston-Salem Journal. Berkshire Hathaway. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
- ^ Funk, Tim (May 30, 2015). "Atlanta pastor, an NC native and UNC-CH grad, elected new bishop of NC Lutherans". The Charlotte Observer. McClatchy. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
Bibliography edit
- Ahrendt, Theodore G. (December 1969). "A History of Lutheranism in Atlanta". Atlanta Historical Bulletin. 14 (4). Atlanta Historical Society: 26–33 – via Atlanta History Center.
External links edit
| External images | |
|---|---|
| Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, 1919 | |
| Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, circa 1937–1952 |
- Official website