Our History
Looking Back with Thanks! Looking Forward in Faith!

Church History of St. Mark's Lutheran Church, Coral Gables

March 3, 1950 - Seventeen people met at the home of Miss Bertha Cline, to discuss the possibility of establishing a United Lutheran Church in the Coral Gables area.
April 11, 1950 - Our first worship service was held in the original Coral Gables Youth Center (where the current Publix Market is situated) under the leadership of the Rev. J. L. Frantz. Fifty-one people were present. On this same day, the Southeastern Regional Committee of the National Lutheran Council assigned an area to us for development. The Rev. Frantz and The Rev. William S. Avery supplied our pulpit and pastoral care through the next few months.
May 8-10, 1950 - A formal petition for occupation of our assigned area, and for organization as a congregation was presented to the Florida Synod. The Synod, in turn petitioned the Board of American Missions on our behalf. We surveyed our assigned area, as required by the Board, on May 28th.
June 11th - The "Board" considered our request for a mission developer, and a call was subsequently issued to The Rev. W. Baxter Weant who at the time was pastor of Union Church, Salisbury, NC.
October 1, 1950 - Pastor Weant officially assumed his duties as mission developer for us.
October 15, 1950 - We celebrated our first observance of Holy Communion, with pastor Weant as the officiant, with 50 persons communing.
November 1950 - The Women of the Church organized with a charter membership of 42. Mrs. C.R. Lindquist was elected President. The Luther League was organized with W. Scott Tefft, Jr., President.
November 19, 1950 - "St. Mark's United Lutheran Church" was chosen by popular ballot to be our name.
February 1951 - The Board of American Missions authorized our purchase of a parsonage at 1426 Garcia Avenue, Coral Gables, for a total cost of $18,962.50. We raised $1,800.00 as the down payment.
April 8, 1951- Our first Church Council was elected . They were Miss Bertha Cline, A.F. Dickey, E.D. Hart, V.H. Julifs, C.H. Lindquist, P.D. Logendyke, A.S. Malone, C.E. Rogers, Mrs. Frank Shields, J.B. Sullivan, and W.S. Tefft, Sr.
April 15, 1951 - Our Pulpit Committee issued a call to Pastor Weant, to serve as our permanent pastor.
September 1st. - This call was subsequently accepted on On this same day, we organized as a congregation. Rev. Frantz conducted the service, and President Royall Yount, of the Florida Synod, was our speaker. Ninety adults and thirty children were received as charter members. A Constitution and By-Laws were adopted. Following the service we held a Community rally, with The Rev. Dr. L.A. Thomas as our speaker.
May 8, 1951 - St. Mark's was received into the Florida Synod.
June 13, 1951 - Twenty of our men organized The Brotherhood, with Robert Wavrek as President.
October 14, 1951 - Pastor Weant was installed as the first Pastor of St. Mark's.
October 23, 1951 - We purchased 13 lots, valued at $16,200 and located at the intersection of Bird & LeJeune Roads.
December 1951 - The Coral Gables Zoning Board denied our petition for permission to build a church.
January 16, 1952 - The Coral Gables City Commission reversed the verdict and we were given approval to begin construction of our buildings. Preliminary plans were adopted, and A.F. Dickey was appointed Chairman of our Building Committee.
April 19, 1952 - (one year after we organized), the congregation numbered 155 confirmed and 221 baptized members.
Easter Sunday of 1953 - The goal of $10,500.00 for the building fund was reached.
May 10, 1953 - Norman Mansell, of Philadelphia, was chosen by the congregation to design the buildings, and Earl V. Wolfe as supervising Architect.
January 1954 - Complete plans for the new St. Mark's were received and approved. Lyle Roberts, Inc., being the low bidder, was awarded a contract totaling $76,730.00 for the construction of our first unit (the Sanctuary).
February 21, 1954 - Saw the organization of our first complete Sunday School, with classes for everyone.
March 21, 1954 - What a thrilling day it was when we broke ground on the church site. Pastor Weant was liturgist for the service and President Yount brought us the message.
March 22, 1954 - Actual construction began on the next day. In the following months many of us found reason to visit the site (some on a daily basis) to watch the church go up.
April 11, 1954 - Church membership was bestowed on our first confirmation class, consisting of five young people.
October 3, 1954 - We held our first services in the new church building. The church was displayed to hundreds of visitors and friends in the afternoon.
January 16, 1955 - The actual dedication of our new sanctuary was held. At that time St. Mark's congregation served and was loved by over 300 confirmed members, while the enrollment in the Sunday School was beyond the 200 mark!
January 1957 - Two services were being held each Sunday.
December 9, 1958 - The educational "L" wings were built and dedicated.
1959 - Pastor Weant resigned as Pastor of St. Mark's to accept a call with the Board of American Missions for the Florida Synod. The Rev. Charles Corbett, father of current member, Lois Higman, served as an interim pastor.
1960 - Our 2nd pastor, the Rev. Ralph Bergstresser was called. The church grew to a baptized membership of 750. But, as times changes and people moved away, membership dropped.
February 2, 1968 - Pastor Bergstresser died rather suddenly.
September 1, 1969 - The Rev. J. Bruce Weaver was subsequently called as our 3rd pastor.
1970's - The traditional Shrove Tuesday pancake supper and program (planned and presented by the choir) was first held. A new Lutheran Church Women (LCW) was formed. They published a cookbook of favorite "pot luck" recipes, and provided new cushions for the chairs in the sanctuary. The Chancel was refurbished and new paraments were purchased. The congregation gave a $10,000 gift to the Fair Havens Center.
February 1979 - The new Lutheran Book of Worship (LBW) was first used.
January of 1980 - The Lutheran congregations in Dade County formed the Metropolitan Miami Coalition. The Rev. Arnold Perry served as Executive Director, with an office at St. Mark's, and he and his family became members of St. Mark's. Pastor Weaver celebrated his 40th year of Ordination on October 2, 1983. He retired in September of 1984.
September of 1984 - For a year The Rev. Howard Wessling served as our supply pastor.
September 1, 1985 - The Rev. Arnold Perry was called as the 4th pastor of St. Mark's, and the ceremony of each confirmation class planting a tree on the church grounds was established.
On June 10, 1990 - The English-speaking segment of St. Peter's Lutheran Church (a bilingual congregation in Miami) transferred their membership to St. Mark's, and their pastor, The Rev. Charles Robertson, was called as our 5th pastor, to serve with Pastor Perry.
1990 - Shortly thereafter, an already approved plan for completely renovating the chancel was begun. The entire area was removed (elevated platform, communion rails, altar, choir pews, lectern, pulpit, etc.) to be re-built at floor level with free-standing altar on a small raised platform, reading desk, and new communion rails (also at floor level) further to the front of the chancel.
1991 - The purchase of a new Allen Electronic and Lauck Pipe organ (built especially for our church) was approved. It was paid for by people buying different parts of it, such as the various size pipes, keys on the keyboard, etc.
November 7, 1993 - The new chancel was dedicated.
May 8, 1994 - The new chancel was rededicated with Bishop Laverne Franzen presiding.
June 21, 1998 - A retirement party was held for Pastor Robertson on , in the church courtyard. It was a catered lunch with testimonies, gifts, and remembrances shared by all. However, until March of 2002 he had continued to provide contracted worship services and pastoral care, along with Pastor Marc-Charles at Advent.
January 24, 1999 - One of the happiest events in recent years was the decision of one of our members, Jean-Pierre Marc-Charles, to enter the ministry, and was subsequently approved by the Synod for his ministerial study. He finished his year of internship in 1998 and was called as a pastor to St. Mark's (our 6th). He was subsequently ordained on January 24, 1999, with Bishop William Trexler presiding and pastors from all over the state in attendance. It is believed to be a first for our Synod that a member of a congregation is ordained and installed in his home congregation.
September 11, 2001 - Parish Administrator Roy Bassave starts his first day on the job, as two planes crash into the Wolrd Trade Center Twin Towers in New York. Making this the worst attack on America since Peral Harbor on December 7th, 1941.
February 1, 2001 - Pastor Marc-Charles began a ministry through the ELCA Division of Outreach, to the Haitian community in the Miami Shores area.
November, 2001 - St. Mark's website created by Parish Administrtor Roy Bassave is born.
March 2002 - Pastor Robertson moves to the Orlando area to really retire this time
May 19, 2002 - Pastor Marc-Charles was installed as pastor of Advent.
May 26, 2002 - St. Mark's goes from two to one services during the summer on Sundays. First time this has been tried at St. Mark's since 1957.
June 30, 2002 - St. Mark's replaces 200 30-year-old Sanctuary cushions.
September, 2002 - St. Mark's installs four stain glass windows in the Sanctuary Click here for pictures. December, 2002- St. Mark's install's BIG Jesus stain glass window, donated by Dr. Jim Ewing, St. Mark's Music Director in the Sanctuary. Click here for the picture.
February 1, 2003 - At the 2003 Congregational Annual Meeting on Sunday, Jan. 26, the "Extended Service" Contract Call for Rev. Ulrich Rosenhagen. He and his family came to us from the Lutheran Church in Germany. Pr. Rosenhagen will work 50% of his time for the Church in Germany ministering to the German citizens who live in our area and require his services. The other half of his time will be given to us to use in our ministry.
April 20, 2003 - Rev. Ulrich Rosenhagen holds his first German Worhsip on Easter Sunday, the turnout was bigger than expected, roughly about 80 people. This was a very good start for his German Ministry.
September 21, 2003 - Rev. Ulrich Rosenhagen was called as pastor to St. Mark's (our 7th).
September 1, 2005 - The Rev. Arnold Perry celebrates 20 years as our Senior Pastor.
December 31, 2005 - Rev. Ulrich Rosenhagen Gernman Congregation surpasses 230 new members.
January 31, 2006 - Parish Administrator Roy Bassave resigns, but as an volunteer and member continues to maintain and design our web site.
April 2006 - Jeanne Batridge becomes our Deacon.
April 20, 2006 - Rev. Ulrich Rosenhagen announces his resignation as Associate Pastor of St. Mark's. He was offered a unique opportunity at the University of Madison-Wisconsin to help direct a newly-created institute for dialogue among the three abrahamic religions
June 30, 2006 - Rev. Ulrich Rosenhagen's last day at St. Mark's as he and his family move to Wisconsin.
Jan. 26, 2007 - Music Director Dr. James D. Ewing passes away.
April 15, 2007 - Dr. James D. Ewing Day.