Our History

St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church traces its roots to Swedish immigrants who helped form the Augustana Synod in the Midwest in the 1860s. As Swedish immigration increased in the 1880s, worship services began in Stamford under the leadership of a Bridgeport pastor. In 1891, St. John’s was officially organized with 26 members.

Land was purchased on St. John’s Place in 1892, and the church building was dedicated in 1897. In 1906, a pipe organ was installed with support from Andrew Carnegie. In 1923, the congregation undertook an extraordinary move—relocating the entire church building across Main Street by horse-drawn rollers to Grove Street.

Swedish was the language of worship for decades, gradually giving way to English. The present sanctuary on Newfield Avenue was dedicated in 1954. Its three bells were cast in Sweden, honoring the congregation’s heritage.

In a remarkable chapter of interfaith cooperation, St. John’s shared its Grove Street building for seven months with Temple Sinai while the new sanctuary was under construction—an unusual partnership that drew national attention and fostered lasting friendship among Lutheran, Jewish, and later Catholic congregations connected to the site.

 

In recent decades, St. John’s has strengthened partnerships across Stamford and beyond—supporting local service agencies, establishing a Little Free Pantry, assisting refugee resettlement, and participating in ecumenical and interfaith collaborations. We host a Fall Pumpkin Patch each year, raising funds which are all donated to community organizations. Our building also serves several partner congregations, the Concordia Conservatory of Music, and the Evergreen Adult Day Program.

 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, worship and ministry continued online and through community care networks. When Zion Lutheran Church closed in 2021, many of its members joined St. John’s, enriching the congregation’s life (are there other churches that merged in which should be acknowledged here?)

 

In 2023, St. John’s formally acknowledged its presence on the ancestral lands of the Munsee Lenape, Schaghticoke, and Wappinger peoples.

 

Today, St. John’s is a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and a Reconciling in Christ community, publicly committed to the full inclusion of LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC persons. Rooted in its Swedish heritage yet shaped by generations of faithful people, St. John’s continues to proclaim the Gospel, serve the community, and trust in God’s future.

 

1891–1925
Several pastors served short-term calls
(The congregation was served by multiple pastors during its early decades, most for brief periods. Swedish was the primary language of worship.)

1925–1944
Rev. Nore Gustafson
Led the congregation to become self-supporting and guided significant membership growth.

June 15, 2025–Present
Rev. Martha McCreight