History of Zion
On June 6, 1881, 33 German immigrant families met to establish a church. Those pioneers bought the land for Zion Lutheran Church and the cemetery from a farmer named Carl Boy for a cool $10.
They built the parsonage first (which is now our education building) and finished the chapel in 1883 with the name “Wall Lake Lutheran Gemeinde” (meaning fellowship of believers).
Our bell was cast in St. Louis in 1890 for $303 and was nearly lost in the Sioux River on the ride over.That bell still rings to mark the start of our worship services.
All services were held in German until 1919 when they added an English service once a month. By 1940, all services were in English.
Over the years, members have been responsible for: repairing and enlarging the building when it was struck by lightning, putting the cross and the steeple back up on 2 separate occasions, lifting up and digging out a basement beneath the sanctuary, adding a balcony, constructing a new entryway, and turning the barn where horses were kept during the service into a space for youth.
We may not speak the same language, have the same name or even face the same problems as the pioneers who founded Zion Lutheran Church. And yet we gather around the same redemptive word each Sunday and are held by the same God.
Zion Lutheran Church is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA).
Meet Pastor Elias
Pastor Elias Johnson-Youngquist accepted the call to Zion Lutheran Church in the fall of 2022. After graduating from Lennox High School he attended the University of Nebraska, Lincoln completing a degree in journalism. From there, he worked in local broadcast TV, for a non-profit, and eventually worked for 5 years as a youth minister for a large Lutheran church. After receiving his M. Div. from Kairos University and completing his year internship at a nearby congregation; he joined Zion. Pastor Elias has a passion for sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, strengthening youth and family ministry programs, and leading mission trips.
In his free time he enjoys drinking coffee, playing board games, hiking at state parks, playing guitar and spending time with his wife and two children.
Zion Lutheran Church 