GALLERY: Zion Lutheran celebrates 100 years in the Sault

Churchgoers at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church had plenty to celebrate this morning as they officially recognized the 100th anniversary of Zion’s congregation in Sault Ste. Marie.

According to Pastor Brad Mittleholtz, the need for an English-language Lutheran church in the Sault was recognized through survey work conducted in the summers of 1921 and 1922.

The congregation was officially organized as Zion English Evangelical Lutheran Church on Sept. 9, 1923. The church obtained a lease to occupy the Scandinavian Hall at 236 John Street soon after, and the site was later purchased in 1926.

Then in 1958, Zion broke ground for a new church building on Upton Road. Construction took just six months, and a pair of major renovations in 1964 and 1998 have helped give the east-end church its recognizable look today.

Now the 14th pastor in the church’s esteemed history, Mittleholtz is hopeful for brighter days ahead following several years of challenges.

“COVID hit us hard, but this past year, Zion stepped up,” he said. “We have a lot of good people here. And even though we’re about half to maybe two-thirds as full from before COVID, we still sing with hope.”

Karen Kettles has served as Zion Lutheran’s choir director for 33 years and said Sunday’s occasion marks an exciting day for their community.

“We are absolutely blessed to be here for this length of time,” she told SooToday. “It’s like a family working together to bring a sense of community and togetherness. This really is our other home.”

While Zion’s choir is “small but mighty” according to Kettles, the singers were joined by chorus members from the Algoma Festival Choir as well as St. Luke’s Anglican choir to help celebrate the festivities.

Archbishop Anne Germond of the Anglican Diocese of Algoma and Zion’s own Bishop Michael Pryse were among those in attendance on Sunday. They were joined by some of the church’s previous pastors and other clergy from around town.

In addition to playing piano, reputable musician Ryan LaRue provided music during this morning’s service on his own digital organ that he pieced together himself.

Jay Dinsdale played the trumpet alongside the choir for several songs, and Scott MacGillivray welcomed in attendees on his bagpipes prior to and following the service.

Readers can learn more about the history of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church by clicking here.