About Us: Our History

Grace Congregation has its roots back to the days of the Synodical Conference, a synod composed of individual synods, including the Missouri, the Wisconsin, and Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS, also known as the Little Norwegian). The devil always tries to add false teaching to the church with the goal that as a leaven or cancer the false teaching will spread to the heart of the Gospel.

The Synodical Conference had stood for decades as a faithful beacon of God's truth, despite a number of doctrinal attacks. (See the Brief Statement.) The Missouri Synod began to falter in the 1940's and error was introduced and tolerated. In the 1950's as the Wisconsin Synod and the ELS reacted to this error, they themselves fell into error. In obedience to the Word of God (Rom. 16:17-18), individuals and congregations began to leave these erring synods and formed a new synod that took the name: Church of the Lutheran Confession (CLC).

On January 8, 1961 Pastor Herbert Witt and 135 baptized members withdrew from Zion Lutheran of Valentine and the Wisconsin Synod “because of the synod's practice and teaching concerning church fellowship.”  The first services of Grace were held in a rented church building.   A new parsonage and church building were erected; dedication took place on December 17, 1961. 

 In 1969 Pastor Witt moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming.  Pastors serving the congregation since that time have been  John Pfeiffer, David Baker, Wayne Mielke, Steven Sippert , George Dummann, James Naumann, Luke Bernthal, and our current pastor, Paul Nolting. 

In the fall of 1976  the congregation opened its Christian Grade School. Teachers that have served the school include Robert Rehm, Daniel Gurgel, Louise Mayhew, Dennis Ahrens, Susan Carstensen, Mark Kranz, Wendy Greve, Kirsten Gullerud, Nick Stelter, Matt Thurow, Anita Meyer, and James Arndt. After suspending activity for a few years, classes resumed and the congregation called our current teacher, Candice Ohlmann.

In 2012, Grace was blessed to open Small Wonders Preschool thanks largely to the efforts of our preschool teacher, Dani Ohlmann

Our history is a testimony to the grace of God Who has been merciful to us sinners. To Him all glory belongs for who we are today and for what can be seen on our property. What He has freely given to us, we seek to share freely with others.