History of ELCB
In
October 1906, a group met for the first service at what was to become English
Lutheran Church of Bateman. The service was led by Rev. A.P. Lea from the Scandinavian
Lutheran Church in Chippewa Falls. The first worship services, Sunday school
and Confirmation classes were held in member’s homes and when the group grew, they
were moved to the Lafayette District No. 12 Schoolhouse.
The
first recorded minutes were dated June 19, 1910, when a meeting was held to
officially organize the congregation. An acre of land was acquired from the
Wisconsin Central Railroad to build a church and the group proceeded to plan
for the construction of a building. The cornerstone was laid in December 1913.
Through
the years, pastors on a part-time basis from various Chippewa Falls and Eau
Claire Lutheran Churches, supplied the religious needs of the community. When
it became apparent that a more permanent arrangement was needed, English
Lutheran Church of Bateman and Big Drywood Lutheran Church of Cadott formed a
two-point ministry calling the Reverend John Glad as their first pastor in the
fall of 1958.
In
1965, with growth in membership, it became apparent that a larger facility for
worship and Sunday School was needed. A ground-breaking service was held to
start construction of a new church building on Sunday, August 1, 1965. On Palm
Sunday, April 3, 1966, the congregation held its first service in the new
Sanctuary. Completion of the building project was celebrated with a dedication
on May 22, 1966.
In
1983, English Lutheran Church of Bateman and Drywood Lutheran Church decided to
separate due to each needing a full-time pastor.
With
continued growth in membership throughout the years, a building addition began with
a ground-breaking ceremony on September 24, 1993. This project added a Fellowship
Hall, ground level restrooms, a larger narthex, new offices for the pastor and
church secretary, additional storage space, and more parking spaces. It was
completed with a dedication on September 25, 1994. This addition added
accessibility for all, especially those with special needs.
We connected with Stillson Elementary School in 2010 and started our Pantry Pals Backpack Program which expanded in 2012 to serve the Lafayette Community and Stillson Elementary School District.
An electronic sign was added in 2015 that is able to display upcoming events and announcements.
In 2016, English Lutheran Church of Bateman and St. James Trinity Lutheran Church of Fall Creek started sharing a pastor. As of 2020, we share a Pastor and Administrative Assistant.
In
2018, the Men of English led the addition of an outdoor playground and
pavilion. The playground is available for any children with supervision. The pavilion is available for community members to rent as well for a small fee.
Through congregational effort in 2019, ELCB was able to purchase a beautiful Baby Grand Piano.
Side Notes:
It
was the custom in 1913 for the women and the men to sit on different sides of
the church during the service. Mertie was heard saying one morning during a
1921 service “If my husband is going to come to church I am going to sit with
him”. And then she stood up and did just that.
