Late in 1954, several Lutheran laymen living in Donelson, Tennessee met to discuss the need for a Lutheran Church in the fast growing community.

Organization planning was begun and in February, 1955 the Board of American Missions of the United Luthern Church of America (U.L.C.A.) approved the establishment of a Lutheran Mission in Donelson.

1. The first service was held in the auditorium of the Tennessee School for the Blind on the 3rd Sunday in Advent, December 11, 1955 with 147 prospective members, friends and guests in attendance.

2. After the inaugural service which was held at the Tennessee School for the Blind, the congregation of the Donelson Presbyterian Church graciously offered the Donelson Lutheran Mission the use of their new fellowship hall for worship on Sunday afternoons and we gratefully accepted the offer. Men of our congregation built a portable altar and each Sunday it was hauled to the Presbyterian Church, set up, and made ready for services. After worship everything was packed up and hauled back to Walt Dube's garage. This was the routine for three months.

3. Three months later we rented and moved intoa former army chapel that had been vacated by another congregation. It was located at the corner of donelson Pike and Bluefield Drive and was a real "fixer-upper." Mainly, it had no plumbing! the men of the congregation went to work to remedy that, but for a while we joked that we really were the only church intown with wall-to-wall carpeting and an outdoor privy! When all the work was finished, we had an attractive and functional place to worship with altar, pulpit, choir space, upholstered benches with back rests (these were salvaged from a remodeled shoe store by one of our members), ample classroom space, two pianos (donated), a new Baldwin organ and a bathroom!

4. March 11, 1956 was Charter Day, when all the adult and confirmed members signed the Church Charter, signifying their dedication to the Donelson Lutheran Mission. forty individuals, nineteen men and twenty-one women signed at this time. Before we could qualify to officially organize, we had to have 68 signatures, so the charter was left open until we could meet the requirement. September 16, 1956 then became Organization Day.

You might be interested to know that some of those Charter Members are still associated with St. John's. The remaining "founding fathers" are Marjorie Aldridge, Walter and Dot Dube, James and Lillian Hood, Alford Foster and Lois Sinz. These few pioneers have stayed the course and some are still very active and dedicated memebers of the congregation.

To be continued....