ORGANIZATION 100 YEARS AGO

October 4, 1874, Frederick Lussky was ordained and installed in Lyons as Seuel's successor. Naturally he continued serving the nucleus of Lutherans in Whiteside County, conducting a morning service in the Hopewell School of Hopkins Township and an afternoon service in the Swedish Lutheran Church, later St. Paul's Lutheran, A.L.C., on First Avenue in Sterling, now Bethel Reformed Church.

This service was rendered about once a month. An 1875 edition of the HISTORY OF WHITESIDE COUNTY, ILLINOIS reports that some 40 persons were being served in Sterling by Pastor Lussky in Bethlehem Lutheran Church. A nominal rental charge was paid for the use of this building.

With each passing month the two groups of Lutherans grew stronger. There was talk of organizing congregations and a careful discussion of the kind of constitution which ought to be adopted. Both groups definitely committed themselves by adopting their constitutions on the same day, the Hopkins parish in the morning and the Sterling congregation in the afternoon. This all came to pass on the 25th of April, 1875.

Without delay a call was extended by these parishes jointly to the Rev. H. Laven of San Francisco. After considerable anxious waiting the members received word that he had declined the call. Immediately these newly-formed congregations extended a call to the man who organized both congregations, the Rev. Fr. Lussky of Lyons.