Begun as a response to Lutherans in the Kaiserslautern Military Community (KMC) for a more "civilian" parish, Kaiserslautern Evangelical Lutheran  Church (KELC) was founded on Easter Sunday 1985.

Initially the Lutheran Church in America (LCA) was approached to sponsor the congregation.  Due to their upcoming merger with the American Lutheran Church (ALC) into what would eventually become the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) they declined to become involved.  The ALC similarly declined for the same reasons.

The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) was approached and consented to sponsor the parish and help financially if the parish would utilize LCMS clergy as pastors.  The congregation agreed and the partnership was activated.

The initial Congregational was made up of military families and Department of Defense employees in the KMC.  The first pastors were local Lutheran Army Military Chaplains (one LCA and one LCMS) stationed in the KMC.

In the fall of 1987 the congregation extended its first pastoral call to Glenn and Martina Koch.  Glenn was a retired Air Force Chaplain.  The congregation flourished under the Koch's unique style of ministry coupled with strong lay leadership.  After a year worshiping in a rented building and due to the strong commitment of the laity it was decided to build a Church.

The LCMS was approached for financial aid and the congregation received a commitment for $1 million to help in buying land and building a suitable Church.  Land was purchased in Landstuhl for the new Church.  If you take the Landstuhl exit off of Autobahn 6 the land that McDonald's now sits on was at one time the property of KELC.  KELC purchased the land for DM385,000.

Shortly after that Pastor Koch became ill and had to resign his pastoral responsibilities.  In the winter of 1988 and returned to the United States.  Prior to this, however, Pastor Koch and Martina had moved the parsonage from Enkenbach-Alsenborn to Kaiserslautern into the building on Bruchstrasse 10, which today continues to serve as the parsonage and Church office.  At this time the congregation also started worshipping at St. Michaelis German Lutheran Church while awaiting the completion of their new building.  Even though Pastor Koch had left, the congregation continued with the plans for the new Church building in Landstuhl.

In good time a call was issued through the LCMS Board for Mission Services for a new Pastor.  Pastor James Hoke and his wife, Linda and daughter, Wendy were extended the call and accepted.  Pastor Hoke performed his first official service on Maundy Thursday, March 1989 with a communion
service in the parsonage.  At that time the congregation numbered approximately 75 people.

By November 1989 the congregation had grown to over 125 members.  But the falling of the Berlin Wall also spelled the falling of KELC membership.  During the next year the military drawdown cut the KELC membership in half!  It was becoming obvious that with a shrinking military population the
proposed new Church building was in jeopardy.  In July 1990 the decision was made by the congregation to sell the property in Landstuhl and remain worshipping at St. Michaelis in Kaiserslautern.

On 14 August 1990, Pastor Hoke, acting as the official representative for KELC, sold the Landstuhl property for DM500,000.  The military drawdown finally halted in 1994 and the congregation
stabilized at approximately 30 members.

Despite her size KELC remains a beacon of the Orthodox Lutheran faith in the KMC and serves as a gathering place where God's Word and Sacraments and Luther's pure doctrine are still preached and practiced.