Zion Lutheran Celebrates a Century of Service

By Mark Mayland

Turn-of-the-century San Francisco was wild and wooly. It was also an eclectic mix of hardworking immigrants representing diverse religious convictions. Such was this unlikely environment for St. Paulus to begin a branch Sunday School in the Richmond District, which was "rural" sand dunes. By April of 1902, the first Lutheran Church service was held at Richmond Hall, located at Fourth Avenue and Clement Street, led by Reverend M.L. Liebe, MAL. On May 3, 1903, the German Zion Evangelical Lutheran congregation was organized.

Those pilgrims of Zion, not unlike Zion's leaders today, were motivated and things began to happen very quickly. By winter of 1904, Rev. Liebe was installed as the first pastor at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, and in August of 1905 the official articles of incorporation were filed with the California secretary of state. Later that fall, the congregation bought a corner lot at Ninth Avenue and Anza Street to build its church. In July of 1906 the congregation elected to join the California-Nevada District of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. As might be expected of a Lutheran Church at the turn-of-the-century, Liebe's congregation was German.

That first church lot cost a then-hefty $500. Liebe's grandson, Paul Janke, reports that the pastor never owned a car and served the community on public transportation. In 1917, a school opened but would be short-lived when its sole teacher was drafted a year later. During Liebe's 40-plus years at Zion, the church became self-supporting and faithfully acquired additional land around the church as it became available. He would see the shift from German-language-only services to the addition of an English service on Saturday evenings, leading to the eventual change to English in the '30s. Liebe and his wife untiringly served Zion and San Francisco until December of 1945, when Rev. F.A. Jacobsen was installed.

And so the torch was passed from one visionary Church leader to the next.

On Sept. 3, 1947, Zion Lutheran School opened with 19 students under the capable leadership of Miss Verna Rahdert, principal and teacher. During the early months, classes were held in the church's social halls, but moved in January 1948 to a classroom fashioned from converted Army barracks.

Jacobsen found his church in a dilemma. With a communicant membership of 350 and seating capacity of 150, something bold needed to be done. It was time to build a new church. The people of Zion wanted a new church and illustrated this dramatically with sacrificial gifts: one family gave up their vacation fund; another, their funds for a new automobile; and yet another borrowed from their life insurance policy. The estimated cost of the new church was $150,000, with $60,000 - $75,000 required to begin.

And so in 1950, the little church at Ninth and Anza was sold to the Park Presidio Baptist Church and was moved three blocks down the street to 10th Avenue and Cabrillo Street.

The dedication of Zion Lutheran Church was held March 11, 1951, led by Jacobsen and attended by Pastor Emeritus Liebe. Eric von Fange, school principal (and organist for the event) and Helen Hilst, a teacher at Zion Lutheran School, had joined the ministry in the fall of 1950 and participated in the celebration. The Parish Hall was built in 1951 and was followed by the sanctuary in 1956.

In 1953 Frela Firchow joined the Zion School staff and her daughter Carole enrolled in California Concordia College to prepare for a career as a Lutheran educator. The school would increase its role in the parish's mission field. More than 65 families were represented by the 87 students in the school, and only half were Zion members.

In 1955, Helen Hilst would become Zion's principal, a role she would play until 1993.

One of the first major changes would be the parish's education facility. The Education Building's dedication took place Oct. 17, 1965, on the brink of the turbulent '70s and all the changes that were coming for the country, San Francisco and Zion's neighborhood. Bussing, which began locally in the early '70s created "white flight" as families began to flee the city for suburban havens and "good" public schools. Many stalwart city-dwellers began to look for private schools to ensure their children's education in a safe environment.

Zion Lutheran School had established a safe, loving Christian atmosphere with high academic standards. At the same time, the Richmond neighborhood was quickly becoming home to second-generation Chinese families, many of whom were attracted to the education that Zion offered. This led Zion to a new mission. Guided by families who wished to add Chinese language and culture to their students' academic life, Zion opened its first Chinese school in the mid-'70s. Jacobsen led this outreach charge and soon a Chinese pastor was conducting Chinese school during the week after school, and worship in Chinese on Sunday.

The '70s also saw Zion's junior high students move to a renovated house on 10th Avenue, which stands today as its junior high school facility.

By the early '80s, the school had 220 students in kindergarten through eighth grade, plus an active youth group. Needing more room for youth ministry and physical education, Zion launched construction of a new gymnasium in June of 1982. The structure was dedicated in January, 1984. Lloyd Goez, a Zion member since Liebe's tenure, left his entire estate to Zion School. This $170,000, plus funds raised by school events, financed the expansion.

The '80s and '90s were filled with shifts in leadership throughout Zion. Jacobsen retired in 1984 but would remain an active member of the ministry.

Rev. Ted Zimmerman was called by Zion in 1986 to become the congregation's third pastor.

To better serve the needs of Zion's members, an elevator project was begun in 1998 and completed in 1999, making the facilities far more accessible. Additional staff and program growth led to the expansion into the annex building on Ninth Avenue north of the school.

Zion Day School's six-year accreditation through the Western Association of Schools and Colleges closed the '90s. But Zion's spirit of building to accommodate the needs of a growing ministry has not diminished. Guided by ministry leaders and fueled by the lay leadership, Zion is embarking on another large building initiative in 2003 to expand the ministry facilities and provide much needed classroom space for junior high students. Fundraising for this initiative is projected to begin in the fall of 2003.

Zion in 2003 is poised to forge ahead for the next hundred years of ministry to its members, students, families and the San Francisco community.