At the beginning of World War I, a group of Lutheran pacifists found their way to Santa Fe. Their objection to that war followed a long history of their Christian social consciousness based on the teachings of the gospel. In the fall of 1914, the first recorded Lutheran worship services in Santa Fe took place. Rev. Carl F. Schmid, the pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Albuquerque, conducted the first services in the capitol city.
Community Service
Regular weekly services for the Immanuel Lutheran church began in 1915. The Lutherans also provided religious services for inmates at the state penitentiary. Although the church began with great enthusiasm, services held between 1915 and1929 became intermittent. It wasn’t until the early 1930s that regular weekly services resumed. In 1938 the congregation incorporated and weekly services took place in the homes of the members. From 1940 to 1948, the congregation rented facilities for Sunday and midweek activities in Sena Plaza, on Palace Avenue. Finally, in February 1949 the Lutheran Immanuel church opened at 209 East Barcelona street.
Martin Luther Takes a Defiant Stance
The Lutheran Church is the third-largest Protestant denomination in the U.S. During the 16th century Martin Luther, a German monk, began the Protestant Reformation. Luther took a defiant stance toward the Roman Catholic Church, contending that it was corrupt. Luther did not trust the Catholic hierarchy because of their tactic promising less time in purgatory by contributing money to the church. On October 31, 1517 Luther posted his Ninety-five Theses on the church door of the castle of Wittenberg, challenging the practices of the Catholic Church that led to the start of Protestant Reformation.