The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod was formed by German immigrants from Saxony (present day Germany) in the late 1830’s to escape religious persecution by the authorities. Upon arriving in the United States, they traveled up the Mississippi River and settled for the most part in rural Missouri (Perry County). That’s how we get the “Missouri” in the name. Not all these individuals, however, decided to settle in the rural Midwest. Some elected to stay in the southern port cities where they first docked including New Orleans, Louisiana.
Grace Lutheran Church sits in the heart of Mobile, Alabama and has a rich history of Lutheranism in the south. We are the first and oldest Lutheran Congregation in the State of Alabama. On October 6, 1867, Grace held its first service at The Seamen’s Bethel on Church Street which is now located on the campus of the University of South Alabama. On October 20, 1867, Grace was formally organized as the “Free German Evangelical Lutheran Congregation of Mobile”. Rev. Theodore Heischmann, a Lutheran Minister not yet affiliated with any Lutheran Church, advertised in a local newspaper that a German Lutheran Service will be held October 6, 1867 and more than 150 years later, we’re still here. The congregation voted to join the Missouri Synod in 1897.
Other Lutheran congregations established in Mobile and Baldwin counties have some roots at Grace including St. Mark’s in Elberta (1908), St. Paul’s in Foley (1912), Redeemer in Fairhope (1949), Holy Cross in Mobile (1959), Our Savior in Mobile (1964) and Ascension in Daphne (1980).
Our congregation resides in the Southern District of the LCMS which was organized in 1882. We have been blessed with 2 places of worship in our 150 years: the first at 604 St. Francis Street from 1868 to 1953 and now our current location on Government Street. Though the congregation has moved locations since the 19th century from St. Francis Street to Government Street and has changed its name, Grace Lutheran Church is still committed to bringing the Gospel to the city of Mobile. We are grateful for our involvement with the outdoor ministry program at Camp Dixie in Josephine, our mission involvement to Black Lutherans during the difficult times of segregation and our outreach to this city through our teachers and parishioners. But most of all we are grateful for our Word and Sacrament ministry between Pastor and People in Mobile. As of today, sixteen pastors have served calls to Grace and we thank God for the gift of receiving and sharing God’s grace through 3 centuries. We give thanks to those of the faith who have gone before us in these 150 years. Our long history is placed in the hands of Jesus Christ who directs, guides, and brings us all to an everlasting life in his kingdom. By God’s grace, we are part of “His” story.