| 1954 |
February
28 - first exploratory service conducted by Pastor Oscar
Naumann in a rented house on the corner of Idaho and Kennard.
86 people attend. Pastor Naumann and Pastor Jerome Albrecht
from St. John Lutheran Church continue to conduct services
at the Hayden Heights chapel throughout the year.
November
22 - congregation officially organized and the name Divinity
Ev. Lutheran Church is chosen. 17 communicants, 28 souls. |
| 1955 |
February
- Pastor Donald Kolander of Valley City, ND is called as
Divinity's first pastor. He and his wife, Marlene, arrive
to begin their ministry at Divinity.
November
- work is begun to build the new parsonage on Cottage Ave.
The cost is $16,200. |
| 1956 |
 June
- Pastor and Mrs. Kolander move into the parsonage and on
June 24 the first worship service is held in the parsonage
"chapel".
Summer
- a garage is built with a loan from the Church Extension
Fund and Sunday school rooms are made ready in the basement
of the parsonage.
November
18 - Dedication of the parsonage/chapel - Pastor Naumann
is the guest pastor. |
| 1957 |
Notice
is given to Divinity congregation that Cross Lutheran congregation
of Maplewood intends to sell their old church building. |
| 1958 |
 February
- final arrangements made for the purchase of Cross Lutheran
church building.
Mass
appeal in the Minnesota District of the W.E.L.S. to help
raise the funds to purchase, move and renovate the church
building.
June
- the church is dramatically moved down Kennard Street to
its present location.
 December
14 - Dedication of the renovated church - Divinity Ev. Lutheran
Church - Pastors O.J. Naumann and Roman Palmer assist in
the worship.  The
cost of the building and the renovating is $20,000. The
money for this purchase was raised specifically for Divinity's
use through a Church Extension Loan by the congregations
of the Minnesota District.
|
| 1964 |
Divinity
congregation takes out a loan to purchase 2 1/2 acres of
land for building a larger church and a Christian Day school.
$10,400 was borrowed. |
| 1965 |
Divinity
becomes self-supporting.
May
- Pastor Kolander delivers his farewell sermon and begins
his new ministry in Pewaukee, WI.
Pastor
Frederick Fallen, a new graduate of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary,
is ordained and installed as Divinity's second pastor. He
and his wife, Thea, arrive in July. |
| 1966 |
Divinity
calls a graduate of Dr. Martin Lutheran College, Bonnie Hoffmann,
to be its first teacher at St. John Lutheran School. |
| 1968 |
 A
bell tower is built by congregation volunteers to house the
church bell which was donated. |
| 1971 |
The
interior of the church is painted and varnished. New carpeting
and tile are installed. The exterior of the church is covered
with aluminum siding. |
| 1972 |
The
pastor's study is remodeled. The parsonage receives new windows,
trim and gutters. |
| 1973 |
The
city officially condemns our 2 1/2 acre property and eventually
pays us $29,500 for it.
An addition
to the narthex and two basement rooms are added. The church
is reroofed. |
| 1974 |
A
new sound system is installed. New cupboards are added to
the kitchen. The parsonage is reroofed and the church is
landscaped.
November
- 20th Anniversary of Divinity congregation is celebrated.
Pastor Don Kolander is our guest pastor in the morning service
and Pastor Oscar Naumann preaches the sermon in the special
evening service. |
| 1975 |
A
2 1/2 car garage was built for the storage needs of the church.
|
| 1976 |
Remodeling
was done in the parsonage basement and kitchen.
A brick
housing is built for the church sign. |
| 1977 |
Pastor
Fallen accepts the call to Arlington, MN and he and his
family leave in June.
Pastor
Wilbert Neumann from Rockford, MN accepts the call to become
Divinity's third pastor. Pastor Neumann, Shirley and their
family arrive in October. |
| 1979 |
Divinity
celebrates its 25th Anniversary with four services with
special guest speakers:
February - Anniversary of 1st exploratory service
- Pastor Jerome Albrecht
May - Education Celebration - Seminarians Robert
Edwards and Marcus Neumann
September - Confirmand Reunion - Pastor Fred Fallen
November - Congregational Anniversary - Pastor Don
Kolander
The
congregation is able to "burn the mortgage" as
it pays off the loan from the C.E.F. |
| 1983 |
The
narthex is remodeled with new lighting and furniture. |
| 1985 |
April
- Pastor Neumann accepts the call to New Prague, MN.
Pastor
Mark Henke from Appleton, WI accepts the call to be our
fourth pastor. He and his wife, Marilyn, arrive with their
family in June.
Linda
Gustafson is assigned the call to be Divinity's second teacher
at St. John. She replaces Bonnie (Hoffmann) Rondeau who
resigned from her position. |
| 1987 |
The
basement is remodeled. The library area is enclosed for
a meeting/classroom.
Our
teacher, Linda Gustafson, is married and resigns to join
her husband. Robin Mundstock is assigned the call to be
our third teacher.
A new
constitution is adopted. |
| 1988 |
Pastor's
office is remodeled. |
| 1990 |
The
parsonage is sold and Pastor Henke and his family purchase
their own home. |
| 1991 |
Our
teacher, Robin Mundstock, accepts a call to Bay City, MI.
Kris Bame is assigned the call to replace her and teach for
us at St. John Lutheran School. |
| 1993 |
Our
teach, Kris (Bame) Blaho, resigns to move to Atlanta with
her husband. The decision is made at the voter's meeting
to support Christian education through tuition support instead
of calling a teacher.
September
- final papers signed for loans for an addition to our church.
Construction is begun by contractors and volunteers. The
addition includes classrooms, expanded sanctuary, elevator,
handicapped accessibility, altar guild room, mother's room,
janitor's closet, storage rooms, expanded narthex and fellowship
hall, enlarged kitchen, upper level washroom, sprinklers
in the lower level and a storage shed. The approximate cost
of the addition and the furnishings is $350,000.
Christian
Worship, the new synodical hymnals, are purchased and now
used in services. |
| 1994 |
September
18 - Dedication Service for the new addition and a dinner
to celebrate the joy of God's wonderful blessings to us. Pastor
Henke conducts the service and Pastors Kolander, Fallen and
Neumann are invited as honorary guests recognizing their tremendous
contribution to Divinity's growing ministry. |
| 1996 |
New
church organ and piano were dedicated for service to the Lord. |
| 1997 |
June
- Mark Walters was called as second pastor at Divinity from
Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary.
First
Hmong Lutheran Church began at Divinity Lutheran Church
as an outreach effort in St. Paul. |
| 1998 |
September
- Promised Land Preschool opened its doors to 4-year-olds
on the east side of St. Paul. Karla Aden served as the first
teacher of 8 students. |
| 2000 |
October - Pastor Mark Walters accepted a call to Good Shepherd
in Girard, Ohio. |
| 2001 |
September
- Departure of Pastor Henke for Bethany in Appleton WI. Pastor
Fred Kogler serves as vacancy pastor. |
| 2002 |
 May
- Pastor Ryan Heiman of Fond du Lac, WI is assigned to serve
as Divinity's fifth pastor.
September
- Laura Heiman re-starts the dormant choir. After many practices
and hard work the choir tells of God's love and adds beauty
to worship at Divinity.
December
- Installation of new furnace and A/C in church building. |
| 2003 |
 June
- Summer Youth Program starts with 30 youth. The program offers
youth an opportunity to grow physically, spiritually and mentally
each week throughout the summer. |
| 2006 |
May - Minnesota English Academy opens with 50 students served by Mariel Grimm.
|
| 2007 |
November - Remodeling and redecoration of church interior completed. New siding, new front steps, new stone work, new flooring, new lighting, new sound, new controls, new crosses, new paint and new ceiling. |
| 2008 |
January - Due to funding difficulties both the Minnesota English Academy and First Hmong Lutheran Church stop serving the community at Divinity Lutheran Church |
| 2009 |
September -- Mariel Grimm is called to be the PromisedLand Preschool teacher. Our largest enrollement of 20 students also began classes. |
