Pastor Lindeman

After an interim in which Redeemer was served by Rev. Elmer Foelber, The Rev. Herbert Lindemann and family arrived from Minneapolis. We celebrated our Sixtieth Anniversary in October, 1952, and our forward-looking and mission-conscious leader proposed using the offering to aid in establishing an English District mission church in or near Fort Wayne. The idea was gratefully received by the English District, and soon we had a daughter-congregation, St. Michael's, The Rev. Bernard Hemmeter, the pastor.

The communicant membership, having steadily increased during these years, stood at 1054. It became apparent that Redeemer needed an assistant miniter. Pastor Foelber first served in that capacity, and, upon his being called to St. Louis, The Rev. Louis Nuechterlein came as assistant with emphasis on Christian education.

The need for a parish school had long been discussed but rejected by the congregation. It was conceded, however, that present office and Sunday school facilities were woefully inadequate. That led to the purchase of the Slane Property north of the church in 1954, followed in less than two years by the project of building a suitable educational and office unit. Along with this came the necessary chnges in the church proper, and enlarged organ and choir gallery, and a new Schlicker organ; also the installation of kneeling benches.

A change in the constitution in 1957 called for two voter's meetings a year instead of four, and placed the administration of church affairs in the hands of six boards for study and report to the Council and Voters, namely, The Boards of Administration, Education, Finance, Internal Development, Missions, and Worship.

Pastor Nuechterlein was released to a charge in Cheshire, Connecticut, in 1960. He was succeeded by The Rev. Arno Klausmeier and later by the Rev. Norman Theiss from California, who remained with us until 1966, when he left for further study at Johns Hopkins University. In 1957 authorization was given for the establishment of a self-supporting nursery school in the new building. In 1961 a recommendation of the Board of Education to open a parish school was adopted. This logically began with kindergarten and progressed through the 5th grade, with Arthur Hemler as principal.

Pastor Lindemann, an ardent student of the field of Liturgics, has greatly beautified our church services and made them more meaningful. Participation in Holy Communion, which was now offered one or more times a week, increased and brought deeper spiritual blessing to many. A succession of splendid organists and choir directors: Flora Baer(Mrs. Lester Orglieb), Pator Nuechterlein, Ronald Gersmehl, Elmer Blackmer, Robert Schuneman, and Prof. Joel Kuznik, opened our ears and our hearts to the beauty of church music.