History of St. Mark’s ~ Neenah

In February of 1957, Pastor Charles Luhn accepted the challenge to organize a mission church on Neenah’s Westside. On August 22, 1957, 73 interested people met to initiate plans for the first worship service, suggest names for this new congregation, and appoint a 15-member steering committee. This committee selected “St. Mark’s” to be the name and set the date for the first service on September 8. It was held at the Ulrich Building on North Lake Street and was attended by 232 people.

 

The official organization day was Sunday, February 16, 1958, when 165 confirmed adults braved the 12 degrees below zero weather to become charter members of St. Mark’s. Children numbered 126. “Mothering” this mission was St. Paul Lutheran Church, Neenah, giving up 102 members to the new congregation. After holding services in several locations, a three-acre building site on Green Bay Road was purchased and a building fund started. Groundbreaking occurred on November 22, 1959 and on August 21, 1960, the first service in the new church was held. In 1966 the second unit of the church was added which included several classrooms and office space. In 1999, the “Building on Faith” project as completed with the renovation of the worship and service facilities. A new fellowship hall, kitchen, carport, accessible restrooms, larger narthex were added with upgrades to the Sunday School rooms and Sanctuary.

 

St. Mark’s Apartments (now known as Fox Cities Retirement Village), a housing complex for the elderly, was organized by members in 1978. The apartments were built with funds of potential residents. Fourteen apartments were in the original unit, with an additional twelve added in 1984.

 

Today, 50 years later, St. Mark’s is a welcoming lively congregation of 550 members. The congregation is now engaged in a numerous ministries’ including: St. Mark’s members are in partnership with Cross in Milwaukee, Wilderness of the Stockbridge Mohican Community and Bethlehem in Rustenburg, South Africa. Member involvements include Community Table, Caregivers, AA, Lutheran World Relief, Habitat for Humanity, ESTHER (the Fox Valley’s interfaith justice ministry), Lutheran Social Services, WCFAPA (Winnebago County Foster Adoptive Parent Association) and Candlelight Vision.

 

Pastor Luhn served until August of 1961. He was followed by Thomas Warme, who served until 1967; Alan Lindberg, 1967-1974; Richard Mohl, 1974-1990; William Lavann,1990-1992; and Joel Schlachtenhaufen, 1993-2007. Serving as interim pastors were Charles Bose, C. Richard Johnson and presently James E. Seim. 

 

 

 

 

 

February 16, 1958