The Concordia Story: A Fifty-Year History of Concordia Lutheran Church 1951-2001

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Right: Worship in the first chapel in
1954 featured “folding chair” seating.
Below: Conrad Wright tosses a shovel
of dirt during the groundbreaking for
Concordia’s main sanctuary on Easter
Sunday, 1955. Standing by are Pastor
Merkens and congregational officers
Jack Smith and Monroe Karcher.
north, and Dr. Wiederanders shared these
names with Merkens.
Merkens was ordained at St. Paul on September
9, 1951. In that same month a cornerstone was laid
on a 172 by 284 foot lot at 1826 Basse Road, which
had been purchased in July as the new church site.
“Church Extension loaned us $5,000 for the
lot and the vast sum of $15,000 to build a very,
very simple building of concrete block,”
Merkens relates. “We found a fine contractor
who hurried up the work and got it completed
by November 3.”
During the fall of 1951 the core group of
prospective members met at Merkens’ home to
make plans for the new church. At one of these
meetings the name “Concordia” was selected.
“There were twelve of us there,” Merkens said.
“The first vote came out six to six; six for Concordia
and six for another name. All I could think of was
to take another vote. By the grace of God it came
out seven to five in favor of Concordia.”
Smiling at Barbara, Merkens added: “Of
course, it is only between me and God, but I
know who switched her vote.”
Merkens views the selection of the name as
providential. It is a name widely used in naming
institutions of the Missouri Synod. But, according
to Merkens, it has paid dividends from those
not completely familiar with the name.
“Some people would see a book from
Concordia Publishing House,” Merkens said,
“and they’d be amazed to think that our congregation
had its own publishing branch. The same
with Concordia College. A lot of people thought
that was our own college up in Austin.”
Concordia is a Latin word meaning “harmony”
or “peace” and a fitting name for a church
10 ✦ THE CONCORDIA STORY