St. John's Lutheran Ministries History
In 1927 Pastor G.H. Hillmer was granted permission by his congregation at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Riverside to conduct Bible classes and Services in Hemet. These services were held in member's homes.
The first formal service was held on December 31, 1927 at the home of Ross and Adelia Anderson, it was a communion service. On March 20, 1928 the Constitution of St. John's was adopted and the first officers of the congregation were elected. There were 23 communicant members on that date. During 1928 arrangements were made to allow Pastor Hillmer to conduct services at the First Baptist Church on Sunday afternoons.
The first Resident Pastor of St. John's, Hemet, was Pastor Oswald Skov who was installed in August 1928. In order to hold Sunday morning services, the meeting place was moved to the basement of the old Hemet Library. In 1937 land was purchased at the northeast corner of Buena Vista Street and St. John's Place for a price of $735.00 and construction began in May 1937. Pastor Skov was the architect and construction supervisor.
On March 26, 1939 the new sanctuary was dedicated. Over 244 days of labor was donated and the sanctuary was financed through a loan of $4,500. It wasn't until January 1944 that the congregation became self-supporting. In 1957 two Sunday services were established to accommodate the rapidly increasing attendance. St. John's was the first church in Hemet to have two Sunday morning services.
Rev. Martin Wahl accepted a call to St. John's and his installation service was conducted on February 9, 1958. In 1959 another church site was sought. In May 1961 it was resolved to purchase the present church site at 26410 Columbia St, Hemet, Ca for a price of $5,000. The new church site was dedicated in March 1965. In 1971 Mr. Larry Gorrell was installed as Vicar. In September of that same year Pastor Gorrell was installed as Associate Pastor.
In 1975 Pastor Gorrell accepted a call to Hope Lutheran in Glendora and on August 22, 1977, Rev. Dean Boernke was installed as Pastor with Pastor Wahl continuing as a visitation Pastor. In 1992 Pastor Gorrell returned to St. John's as Assistant Pastor and in 1993 accepted the role of Sr. Pastor when Pastor Boernke accepted a call to Colorado.
In 1994 Pastor Craig Michaelson accepted a call to become our Assistant Pastor and in 1997 he accepted a call to a church in Arizona and in May 1998 Pastor Gorrell retired. In October 1998 Rev. William Ferguson accepted a call to St. John's and served until October 1999. In May 2000, Pastor Roy Schoppa, an active Pastor in the "International Interim Ministry" program, served St. John's until December 2001. In January 2002, Pastor Dennis Stueve was installed as Pastor of St. John's Lutheran Ministries.