Thank you, Ruth Simoneau, for sharing this wonderful picture with us!

Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church
Formed by the merger of the following churches:


Our Saviour's Luth. Church
  • Synod: Lutheran Church in America (LCA)
  • Danish Heritage
  • Building located 304 Walnut Street
  • Pastor: Rev. Gudman Petersen
  • After merger, the building was donated to the Our Saviors Historic Society.  
  • It is the oldest Danish American Evangelical Lutheran Church in the US.
This picture was from a St. Peter's Lutheran Church directory.
St. Peter's Lutheran Church
  • Synod: American Lutheran Church (ALC)
  • German Heritage
  • Church located on Fifth St., just west of US31
  • Parsonage located next door to church.
  • Pastor: Rev. James Hughes
  • After the merger, the church building was eventually torn down.
This picture was in the Manistee News Advocate.
Messiah Lutheran Church
  • Synod: Lutheran Church in America (LCA)
  • Swedish Heritage
  • Church located at 521 Cypress St.
  • Parsonage located at 514 Cypress St.
  • Last called Pastor: Rev. Ronald Fuller who accepted another call in March 1969.
1969-1970, the beginning....
  • June 4th: The Manistee Lutheran Merger Study Committee (MLMSC) was formed.
  • Nov. 23, 1969: All three congregations passed the 3-church merger agreement.
  • Nov. 30, 1969 was the first congregational meeting.
  • January 4, 1970: Legal Start Date
  • New name: Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church.
  • January 25, 1970: Rev. Chris Laursen accepted the call to be the first pastor
  • Synod: Lutheran Church in America Synod (LCA). 
  • Organists: Mrs. Harry Thompson and Quentin Jorgensen.
  • Choir Director: Ed Knaffle
  • Church Building: The old Messiah Lutheran Church building, 521 Cypress St., was chosen because it was the largest building.
  • Parsonage: The old St. Peter's parsonage on Fifth Street was the parsonage for Good Shepherd Ev. Lutheran Church.
In May 1997, Warren Johnson wrote "UNITED BY THE SPIRIT" (The Merging of Three Congregations Into One). 
His reasons for writing it were:
  1. "to give an historical account of events leading to the merger of three local congregations into one, the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church of Manistee, MI."
  2. "to acknowledge the little known efforts of the Rev. Ronald F. Fuller, which precipitated the actual merger negotiations."
Press the "UNITED BY THE SPIRIT" button below to read more details of the merger.
From ALC, LCA, and LCA to ELCA....
​In 1988 the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America synod was formed by the merger of three synods: The American Lutheran Church, the Lutheran Church in America, and the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches.  Good Shepherd Ev. Lutheran Church became a member of the new ELCA synod.
From ELCA to NALC
More recently, Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church congregation voted to move from the ELCA synod and become part of the fairly new North American Lutheran Church synod.  This happened while Rev. Philip Nordstand was serving as Interim Pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.  

​If you have any information you would like to supply, please contact the Church office at 231-723-7161.