CONGREGATION JOINS SYNOD

For almost 40 years the various pastors of this parish had been seeking to convince the congregation of the wisdom of officially joining the Lutheran Church- Missouri Synod. If such attempts were made during the first 25 years (as well they may have), no mention of them has been preserved in the minutes. Pastor Voeltz also tried again and again to convince the membership that it would not be surrendering title to local church property by officially joining the Missouri Synod. This step was finally taken April 20, 1938. By the end of 1939 the congregation numbered 505 communicants and 677 souls. There were 110 children in Sunday School. During the Christmas season the Pastor suffered a serious heart attack. On January 3, 1940 Candidate Eldor Mueller was engaged to assist Rev. Voeltz temporarily. His condition became more critical, however, and he entered his eternal reward February 21. He would have completed 25 years of service in Sterling had he lived until fall. It was during his ministry that the congregation enjoyed its greatest numerical growth.