People's Evangelical Lutheran Church
Under the direction of the Advisory Board of Home Missions of the Northern Illinois Synod of the General Synod, Rev. George P. Kabele made a preliminary canvass of Roseland, Chicago, during the winter of 1905. Scandia Hall, a lodge hall on the second floor of a building at 11141 S. Michigan Ave., was rented and the first meeting of the Sunday School was held on February 19, 1905. English-language services were first held on March 19. The congregation was organized on June 25, 1905 with 40 members. The congregation was received into the Synod of Northern Illinois at its convention at Polo, Ill., on Oct. 3-5, 1905.
On May 1, 1906, the congregation moved its worship space to a store-room on 111th St., near Michigan Ave. During this year the lot at the corner of 110th & State Streets was purchased for $600. Ground was broken on August 11, 1907, and the church was dedicated on Jan. 26, 1908.
People's became part of the United Lutheran Church in America when that body was formed in 1918 and the Lutheran Church in America in 1962.
Faced with declining membership in the 1960s, People's consolidated with Elim Lutheran Church on February 15, 1972 to form Reformation Lutheran Church in Elim's old building at 11310 S. Forest Ave., Chicago, IL 60628-5023. People's building was sold in 1972.
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Pastors |
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George P. Kabele |
1905-June 1, 1918 |
|
Ira W. Trostel |
October 1, 1918-May 3, 1925 |
|
George Leon Ulrich |
October 15, 1925-October 29, 1928 |
|
George J. Ehrich |
January 1, 1929-1944 |
| Harold E. Bernhard |
January 1944-January 1946 |
| George E. Cressman |
June 1946-April 1948 |
| John L. Timmerman |
June 1949-October 1967 |
| Gerald R. Samuel |
April 1968-February 1972 |
Original records
Original record books should be found at Reformation Lutheran Church, 11310 S. Forest Ave., Chicago, IL 60628-5023. The ELCA Archives has congregational histories and other materials relating to People's Ev. Lutheran Church.