Christ The King Church Celebrates 40 Years

By Jan Howard

Christ the King Lutheran Church is planning some memorable events to celebrate its 40 years in Newtown.

“We will be celebrating year round,” said the Rev Gregory Wismar, pastor of Christ the King.

On January 21, its 40th anniversary Sunday, the guest preacher at the 10:30 am service will be the church’s circuit counselor, the Rev Roland Klauck of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church of New Fairfield.

During the celebratory service there will be special music by the choir and bell ringers. A coffee hour will follow the service.

On January 22, 1961, during what was probably the coldest day on record in Newtown, with the thermometer dipping to 28 degrees below zero, 86 founding members of Christ the King Lutheran Church conducted their first worship service at Hawley School.

Previously, Lutherans had met in homes in the area, Rev Wismar said.

 “Rev [James] Ilten came to Newtown in 1959 to canvass the area to see if a viable parish could be formed here. There was a nucleus of people from Danbury and Bridgeport churches,” Pastor Wismar said.

Pastor Ilten organized the group as a mission church of the Atlantic District. According to the League of Women Voters’ book on Newtown, Directions and Images, Pastor Ilten spent several months going door to door, making friends with people who later became charter members of the church. Pastor Ilten was installed on March 10, 1963, and served the new congregation as its pastor until 1969.

“It took him one and a half years to develop a large enough group,” Pastor Wismar said.

Rosemarie Gollenberg, who with her husband is a charter member of the church, remembers that first Sunday service in 1961 and the cold spell very well. Nevertheless, almost 90 people attended, leading the way to permanent establishment of a Lutheran church in Newtown.

“You had to have a certain number of people before you started a church,” Mrs Gollenberg said. “We had been going to Danbury and Bridgeport churches where we had relatives. We still have loads and loads of relatives at the Danbury church.”

On May 14, 1962, 50 members of the church adopted a constitution and by-laws and the following month Christ the King was incorporated in the state of Connecticut.

On September 10, 1962, church members voted to purchase eight acres with a gift of $25,000 from Mrs Marie Vom Hofe of New Canaan. She was not a member of the church, Pastor Wismar said, but made the donation as a benefactress through her accountant, William Dudde, who was a member of Christ the King.

On January 4, 1963, the church property at Mt Pleasant and Tory Lane was purchased. The land was dedicated on Epiphany Sunday two days later on January 6.

Services, complete with a portable altar, lectern, and kneelers, continued in Hawley School for several years.

“We always had to set everything up and put it away,” Mrs Gollenberg said. “We were loaned an altar and kneelers. We were very grateful to Newtown for letting us use Hawley School, even though sometimes we didn’t have heat.”

 In 1964, the church parsonage was built and dedicated on June 7. In September 1965, a church building program was initiated. Groundbreaking for the main sanctuary and education wing took place on Palm Sunday, April 3, 1966. The new church was dedicated on January 29, 1969.

In 1976, the church celebrated its 15th anniversary with the Rev Robert J. Riedel, LLD, president of the New England District of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, delivering the sermon. Mr and Mrs Theodore Kingsley of Brookfield were the chairmen of the anniversary committee.

At that time, Christ the King had 248 communicants, 115 Sunday school children, and a total congregation of 401 people. The Rev Paul K. Koepchen was pastor, and Gustav Killenberg of Southbury was president of the congregation.

A groundbreaking ceremony for a 4,800-square-foot wing took place on October 23, 1988, and on May 7, 1989, Fellowship Hall was dedicated, with the Rev Ronald Froehlich as guest speaker. Expanded parking facilities were added with that addition.

On July 18, 1989, the church held a mortgage burning ceremony, with the Rev Paul Koepchen, who served as pastor from 1975 to 1978, as speaker.

This year’s anniversary events will include a dinner later in the year, “probably in the fall,” Pastor Wismar said.

Other events will include photographs of church family members for the Anniversary Church Pictorial Directory. Photographs by the Olan Mills Company will be taken February 15 through 17. A make up day is scheduled for May 22 for those who cannot be photographed in February.

On March 25, Charter Member Recognition Sunday will be celebrated with a coffee hour following the service. The Rev Robert Schipul, a son of the congregation, will preach for the 10:30 am service.

A special activity/community outreach program on April 29 will feature the Fitz Family, Christian entertainers, at 7 pm for an evening of special entertainment and Gospel presentation.

On May 27, Rev Koepchen will preach at the 10:30 am service. A coffee hour will follow.

New England District President James Keurulainen will preach at the 10:30 am service on June 24. A special anniversary coffee hour will follow.

Later in the anniversary year, Rev Ilten and his wife, Nadine, will return to Newtown for a month’s residency at Christ the King from November 13 to December 13.

Throughout the year, a series of albums kept by parishioner Marian Haitsch will be displayed. The albums document church events, people, newsletters, photographs, and other memories.

“They are great memories of what went on through the years,” Pastor Wismar said.

In addition to the Rev Ilten and the Rev Koepchen, the following clergymen have served as pastors of Christ the King: the Rev John Mennen, who was installed on August 15, 1969; the Rev Donald G. McGrath, who was installed on November 28, 1971; and the Rev Kenneth R. Schueler, who was installed on October 3, 1978. He died in office on July 6, 1986. Pastor Wismar was installed in 1987.

Ongoing ministries of the congregation include support of Lutheran Social Services of New England and participation in a number of community outreach projects. The congregation is a designated support unit for missionary Richard Blythe and his family, who are serving in the Czech Republic.

From its founding group, Christ the King has grown to over 500 members from a number of area communities. Its officers are Thomas Mayhew, chairman; Bruce Galaro, vice chairman; Karen Kayfus, recording secretary; Linda Gollenberg, financial secretary; and Nancy Rentz, treasurer. Elaine Perry is parish musician, Gary Secola is church sexton, and Johanna Perry is parish youth worker.