| The Church History
1893
The church is organized as a store front mission
of The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Saint
Luke. The first pastor serving this congregation
is The Reverend William Ganske.
1896
The cornerstone for a church building is laid at
Lawrence and Oakley Avenues.
1905
The congregation becomes self-sustaining, and
calls Mr. Karnatz to formally teach the
children.
1929
The congregation moves to a new location at Bryn
Mawr and Campbell Avenues. Presently, this site
serves as the same location as our worship
center. A church facility, including a parish
house and rectory is constructed at this site.
The congregation decides to close the doors of
its school.
1937
The school reopens and reestablishes itself with
Mr. Milton E. Marten called as the
teacher-principal. Classes are held in one of
the rooms of the parish house with 23 students
enrolled.
1941
The Reverend Edward C. Kuehnert enters the
military as Chaplain in World War II. The
congregation receives candidate Victor C.
Rickman into our midst to serve as vacancy
pastor.
1942
The Reverend Victor C. Rickman is installed as
the third pastor at St. Philip. In September,
the congregation calls the first synodically
trained female teacher, Miss Edna Messerschmidt,
to the professional staff.
1951
Construction begins on the Parish Activities
Building across the street from the church to
house the school, the administrative offices,
and the recreational-social activities of the
parish. Mr. Armin P. Gutekunst is called to
serve as the teacher-principal of the school.
1955
The ECHO is first published. This monthly
newsletter continues to bring the urban church
closer together.
1959
St. Philip begins outreach to the community and
shut-ins with direct broadcasts of the worship
services. The school also becomes a student
teaching center for Concordia Teachers' College,
in River Forest, Illinois.
1962
More classrooms and a chapel are added to the
PAB, as enrollment reaches more than 260
children, with many ethnic groups represented.
1964
To assist young men studying to become pastors,
St. Philip begins a vicarage program. This
program allows candidates to receive practical
experience in a church setting under the
direction of an experienced mentor.
1967
The Parish Activities Building is refurbished,
with additional classrooms and storage space now
available.
1971
St. Philip loans the services of The Reverend
Victor C. Rickman to the Lutheran
Church-Missouri Synod for a two-year special
assignment. The synod places The Reverend Arthur
D. Yunker in our midst with a limited call of
one year.
1975
Mr. Gutekunst receives the Spiritus Magister
(Master Teacher) award from the Lutheran
Education Association and retires. Mr. Richard
H. Blatt becomes the principal-teacher after
having served as teacher since 1960.
1977
St. Philip extends a call to The Reverend
William W. Hessler, as our first assistant
pastor. When he accepts a call to serve another
church in 1979, the congregation calls the first
associate pastor, The Reverend Robert P.
Rickman.
1980
The Reverend Dr. Victor C. Rickman is called to
his heavenly home, serving as Pastor at St.
Philip for over 38 years.
1981
The Reverend Robert P. Rickman is
called as 4th pastor at St. Philip.
1985
St. Philip purchases the store front building
east of the parsonage to expand ministry to
include a preschool / child care center. The
building is refurbished and connected to the
church building complex.
1986
The Preschool / Child Care Center
opens on May 19 with four students. Mrs. Janis
P. Sakai is called as the first coordinator of
this new program ministry.
1987
St. Philip celebrates fifty years of continuous
Christian education through the program of the
school, with an enrollment of 285 students.
1997
The Reverend Robert P. Rickman accepts a call to
another congregation to become their pastor.
2000
The Reverend Christopher C. Browne is ordained
and installed as the 5th pastor of St. Philip.
2004
Mr. Richard H. Blatt retires following 44 years
of service to God’s people at St. Philip as
teacher and principal. Miss Edna M.
Messerschmidt retires following 62 years working
in God’s Kingdom at St. Philip as teacher and
executive assistant. Mr. Nick A. Hopfensperger
is called as the teacher-principal of the
school, after serving as full-time teacher in
the grade school. |