Our Story
1874
Our history as a church begins roughly 22 years after Wentzville was founded as a village (1855). Founded by the Rev. Fredreich W.G. Matuschka of New Melle, MO, the original name of Immanuel Lutheran Church was The German Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church of Wentzville. The word “evangelical”, part of the name of the church, means “Good News” or “Gospel” which was and will always be the aim of our church – to proclaim the good news of Jesus and be a refuge of peace in Jesus for those with whom we interact and those who enter our doors.
1889
Knowing that it is not good to be alone in our walk as a church, Immanuel Lutheran Church becomes a member of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS). In this way, our church entered a wider community of Lutheran churches. Together, we support each other, hold each other accountable, and encourage and pray for each other in our collective effort of communicating the love of Jesus through words and actions to the world around us. Not too long after membership into the LCMS Immanuel dedicated its first building on November 12, 1899, followed by a schoolhouse in 1900.
1947
This date marks the first commissioned teacher at Immanuel. Now to many, this date and event may seem rather insignificant, yet we highly value education in a Christian environment. Our aim as a Christian church and school, with teachers who are academically and theologically trained, is to lead every child we teach to know that they are loved dearly by Jesus. We also aim to provide an encouraging atmosphere in which these children can flourish with the unique skills and abilities our God has given them.
TODAY
Our guiding principle in all that we have done as a church from 1874 to today remains unchanged: Jesus died for us and rose again. Jesus is the source of all goodness and joy. He has embraced us in His love, equipped us by His Holy Spirit and calls us to engage with the world around us. We consider it a joy to play a small part in sharing God’s love - in our homes, in our neighborhood, in our community, our nation and beyond. We would be humbled for you to join us.