St. Peter's History

1832-1861

      Throughout the history of St. Peter Lutheran Church of Schaumburg, Illinois, we see God's abundant grace and every blessing.  It is fitting that we recount God's divine favor and acknowledge His goodness upon our congregation in this country. After the Blackhawk Indian War of 1832, adventurous Englishmen entered the Illinois Territory and surveyed it for homesteading.  They called this area Sarah's Grove in 1835.  When repressive action followed the unsuccessful German Revolution of 1830, scores of German immigrants came to America and some to Sarah's Grove. Grateful to  God for their freedom in this new land, they held their first Luther­an service in Schween's barn on Second Christmas Day of 1840. The service accompanied by the cackling of hens and lowing of cattle, as that which hallowed the First Christ­mas, was conducted by the Reverend Francis Hoffmann. He continued to come from Dunkley's Grove (Addison) once a month and served the German settlement with Word and Sacrament.   More Lutheran families moved into the community during the 1840's. Then it was decided to join with the congregation at Long Grove and call the Reverend Simon Dumsen, who had been serving as missionary to the Chippe­wa Indians.  He began ser­vices here in July of 1846.  Here they con­structed a building to serve as church and school and provide a cemetery for the burial of their dead. They immediately sold the east ten acres for $50 to have the land unencumbered.

      Even though the first begin­nings were recorded on Decem­ber 26, 1840, and they continued as a worshiping communi­ty from that time, it was not until the Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity in 1847 that St. Peter Congregation was formally organized. Fourteen families signed the constitu­tion, fell a tree and brought the lumber to the site to erect their first building.  It was completed and dedicated with a fifty‑foot tower the next year.

      The Reverend Francis Hoffmann was called in 1847 to serve as pastor and teacher. He not only served as spiritual leader to his flock, but was their interpreter of the new American way of life. He was the first postmaster for the community. When he resigned in 1851 due to a physical affliction, he became a banker in the city of Chicago and later was elected lieutenant governor of Illinois. He wrote under the pen name of Hans Buschbauer.

      A distinct German community was deserving of a distinct German name. The English name of Sarah's Grove did not satisfy those of German heritage. In 1850 they held a town meeting. All suggestions were put aside when the German patriarch Frederick Nerge arose to speak and pounding the table, declared in low German, "Schaumburg schall et heiten!"  So it was named Schaumburg after their homeland in Germany.

      In 1851 the congregation extended its next call to the Reverend J. Nicholas Volkert of Highland Grove. He accept­ed and was installed on Second Pentecost Day, 1851. These were difficult days for the doctrinal life of the congrega­tion.  The books and hymnals they had brought with them were confusing the people with their rationalism and pietism.  Under careful pastoral leader­ship they came to realize this and set them aside in 1853 for the hymnal of the Lutheran Church ‑ Missouri Synod and a catechism from New York.  In the spring of 1858, Pastor Volkert accepted a call to Lafayette County, Missouri.

The congregation was led to calling next the Reverend Frederick Rickmann of Grand Rapids, Michigan.  He, as Pastor Francis Hoffmann, was present and a signer at the organization of The Lutheran Church ‑ Missouri Synod in Chicago on April 26, 1847. He came, not only to serve St. Peter, but, also, St. John Lutheran Church of Rodenburg from 1858 to 1862 and then St. Peter alone to 1869. His ministry was eventful and progressive.

      A new constitution was adopted and the congregation was accepted into membership of Synod on October 10, 1860. A new parson­age was built. As chaplain for the 58th Regiment of Ohio Volunteers, he gathered a number of men together from the area and served in the Civil War in 1862.  He wrote a number of letters to report his activities to the president of the Synod, Dr. C. F. W. Walther, which are in the possession of the Concordia Historical Institute in St. Louis, Missouri.  After three months of service, he was compelled to return home because of  ill health.

1862- 1900

      Now that the congregation had outgrown its first house of worship, it was decided in 1862, while the Civil War was still raging, to build a new church. The cornerstone was laid on May 12, 1863. Members hauled brick from Dundee and other materials from the surrounding community and fur­nished the labor for the building. When completed, they looked upon a beautiful edifice 85 feet long, 40 feet wide, and 22 feet high at the eaves with a 127 foot steeple. Not counting the cost of labor donated by the members, their gothic structure cost $10,000 and was almost all paid for at the time of comple­tion. Dedication took place on November 4, 1863. Later a 1,600 pound bell was added to call the worshipers to services. Pastor Richmann resigned in 1869 to accept the call to St. John in Elgin, Illinois.

      His successor was the Reverend Henry Schmidt of Dundee, Illinois, who was in­stalled on October 17, 1869. During his pastorate the congregation was instrumental in beginning new missions in the area. In 1873 the congrega­tion hosted the Western District of the Synod and was honored by the presence of the president, Dr. C. F. W. Walther. The old organ purchased in 1855 for $500 was replaced with a new organ in 1880 for $1,224.00. After a faithful ministry of fourteen years, Pastor Schmidt asked for his release to accept the call extended to him by the congre­gation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

      The congregation then called the Reverend Gustaf Mueller of Kankakee, Illinois, who was installed on November 25, 1883. He introduced the "Christenlehre" during the services on November 25, 1884. An amendment was made to the constitution denying membership to lodge members. The East District School was organized and started in September of 1886 with school and teacherage on the corner of Schaumburg and Rohlwing Roads (I‑90). The West District School on the church property in 1888 built a new building to replace the original chapel‑school of the congre­gation. This building was moved to be near the church and parson­age and served as a meeting room and confirma­tion room. An addition was built on the parsonage. In 1888 the Illinois District of the Synod met at St. Peter. A new school district was formed in 1899 with St. John of Rodenburg in Roselle. This group later became an independent congrega­tion, Trinity, in 1910.

1900 - 1959

      Lightning struck the church steeple on July 11, 1904, and set it on fire. The fire, which burned slowly downward, was extin­guished by bucket brigade. But the steeple was destroyed and had to be rebuilt, and the organ had to be replaced at a cost of $1,300, and the bell was cracked and made useless. In 1956 the Men's Club re­placed the bell and memorialized the founders of the congre­gation by placing it as a monu­ment on the front lawn of the church.

      For reasons of health Pastor Mueller resigned in 1905 after twenty‑two years at St. Peter. His remains lie in St. Peter Ceme­tery.

      The Reverend Gottlob Theiss was called from Hampton, Iowa, and installed on April 29, 1906. During his pastorate the congregation decided to electrify the church in 1929. In 1932 they began to remove the horse sheds with the assur­ance that the owners could park their cars in the same place. English services were introduced once a month in 1932. In addition to serving the congregation, Pastor Theiss held various offices in the Northern Illinois District of the Synod. His sudden death in 1935 brought an end to his faithful pastorate of thirty‑nine years. He was buried here at St. Peter Cemetery.

      At this time the congregation called the Reverend Carl Pfotenhauer of Vernon, British Columbia, Canada, and he was installed November 3, 1935. In 1939 two English services were conducted each month and Holy Communion was celebrated four times in English and eight times in German each year. When Pastor Pfotenhauer received the call from Zion, Chicago, in 1940, he felt conscience bound to accept it.

      For his successor, the congregation chose the Rever­end Martin Behling of Pingree Grove, Illinois, and he was installed on June 2, 1940. The congregation made ar­range­ments at this time to celebrate Holy Communion once a month in German and once a month in English, and divine services were conducted in both languages. An American flag was placed in the church in 1941; the first church bulletin appeared in 1942; the altar candles were replaced with electric lights in 1946; 100 English hymnals were purchased in 1946; and in the same year the congregation adopted the Synodical Pension Plan for pastors and teach­ers. A base­ment and new heating system were installed in the church in 1946 for $2,493. Congregational meetings in 1948 were now conducted in English and it was ordered to change the constitution and by‑laws from German to English. In 1948 Pastor Behling accepted a call to Decatur, Indiana.

      Imploring the Holy Spirit's guidance the congregation called the Reverend Frederick A. Hertwig from Holy Cross in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and installed him on January 30, 1949. The congrega­tion went on to purchase a new organ in 1949 at a cost of $11,500. The East and West School Districts were consolidated in 1949 and the West District school building on the church property was enlarged to accommodate the enrollment in 1950. English services were now held every Sunday in 1950. The revised constitution and by laws in the English language were adopted with rules and regulations for the cemetery. The electric lights on the altar were replaced in 1954 with candles to be lighted every service. The first Sunday School was conducted in 1954.

      A major renovation and redecorating program of the church building was under­taken in 1954 and 1955. It began with the tuck-pointing of the exterior and followed with the renovation and redecoration of the interior at a cost of $29,000. A teach­erage was built in 1957 at a cost of $15,070. The first Vaca­tion Bible School was held in 1957. This was followed with the beginning of a kindergarten class in 1958. In 1959 Pastor Hertwig accepted a call to St. John of Edgerton, Wisconsin.

1960 - 1990

      St. Peter congregation called the Reverend John R. Stern­berg from Memorial, Vancouver, Washington and installed him on March 6, 1960. To more adequately provide for the spiritual feeding of the congregation, Holy Communion was served on the second and fourth Sundays of the month and monthly Sunday evening services with Holy Communion were conducted. German communion services were held sepa­rately each month. Later they were reduced to six a year and finally discontinued in 1970.

      The Sunday morning "Coffee Hour" of Bible study was instituted in 1960. To meet the expanding school enroll­ment, a cornerstone was laid for a new building in September and dedi­cated in November of 1960 with four classrooms, library, office and gymnasium. Two services were held each Sunday with Sunday School and Bible classes in between the services. Mid‑week summer services and Advent services were also added. The consti­tution and By‑Laws were revised to more adequately provide for the expanding church program and the greater involvement of the lay people.

      In 1963 the congregation celebrated throughout the year the one‑hundredth anni­versary of its church building in various services and programs. Since the original corner­stone could not be found, a second cornerstone was placed. A museum was organized in the original chapel school building in 1963 and later relocated and renovated in 1970 at is present site. This building is the oldest building built by Lutherans in all of Chicagoland.

      A vicarage program was begun in 1965. Pastor Sternberg was elected to the District Board of Christian Education in Northern Illinois in 1963 and served in this capacity as chairman until his retirement in 1990. As a member of the Schaumburg Rotary Club, he served as its president in 1974‑75. He also served the commu­nity as Commis­sioner on the Olde Schaumburg Centre Commission.

      With the continued growth of the area, the school enroll­ment also increased. It now became necessary to enlarge the school with six more classrooms, kitchen, cafe­teria and offices in 1963. Even this was not enough and two relocatables were added for two more classrooms and the "old school" building was used for kindergarten classes and later for the pre‑school nursery begun in 1971. The old school building is also used for scout and youth activities.

      Building continued at St. Peter with an additional teacher­age in 1962 for $11,000 built entirely with volunteer labor. In 1970 a new parsonage was built for $22,000 and the old parsonage was removed.

      In 1972 the congregation celebrated its 125th Anniver­sary in services, programs and a pageant for the community. At this time they also undertook the large task of re‑shingling the church roof and steeple at a cost of $12,294 and the complete redeco­ration of the interior for $23,000.

      The vicarage program, begun in 1965, was discontinued in 1974. To better provide more pastoral care for the congregation and particularly its youth, the congregation, now numbering over 1,000 communicants and over 2,200 souls, decided to call a second pastor. The Reverend George K. Krestik of Herrington, Kansas, was called and instal­led on July 14, 1974. This necessitat­ed a second parsonage, which was built in 1975 for a cost of $37,000. He served here until 1978 when he accepted a call to Greensboro, North Carolina.

      The congregation then called the Reverend Fred C. Ade from Good Shepherd, Frankfort, Illinois, to become Associate Pastor. He was installed on December 10, 1978, to serve particularly in the area of stewardship.

      For the next two years Pastors Sternberg and Ade were instrumental in starting a new mission. They began Ascen­sion Lutheran Mission in Elk Grove Village on September 16, 1979. After conducting services in Link School the first year and a half, ground was broken and two mobile class­rooms were brought in and remodeled into a chapel and fellowship hall. A pastor was called and installed on July 19, 1981.

      When Schaumburg Road was widened, the congregation took on the huge task of property improvement in landscaping, entrance, sewer and water project, and the black topping of its parking lot. A home was moved to the property through the generosity of William Lambert and became the home of the principal.

      After evaluating its ministry and potential for greater service to the Kingdom, St. Peter congregation decided to engage the ministry of an evangelist in the person of Lee Beer. He was installed on June 24, 1984. In 1986 he was given a call with tenure as Evangelist‑Assimilator for the congregation.

      The Youth Ministry was now placed in the hands of Douglas Flett who also served as teacher in the school. He was succeeded by Cheryl Koester and many others since. A Family Life ministry was also begun by dividing the time of Principal Karl Schmidt with his school responsibilities, and then, upon his retirement in July, 1987, this became his part time ministry.

      Roger Kirsch was called to be principal of the school beginning July 1, 1987. Dale Woock was appointed as Minister of Music, and Deborah Minnick as Parish Education Consultant. Dale Woock accepted a call to St. John, Elgin, in 1990. In October 1992, Linda Scheurman accepted the call to be Minister of Music.

      To better meet the spiritual worship needs of people, the congregation inaugurated a contemporary "Service of Praise" in the Fall of 1986 that is held each Sunday int he school gymnasium.

      In June of 1990, after 30 years of service to the Lord and His church, the Reverend John R. Sternberg retired from full time service at St. Peter Lutheran Church. A special retire­ment celebra­tion was held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Schaumburg where the congregation presented Pastor and Mrs. Sternberg with a new van. The Sternbergs now reside in Portland, Oregon.

1991 - Present

     After a year and a half of searching and interviewing a number of pastors, the Reverend David P. Hudak, who served at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Streator, Illinois, accepted the call to serve as Administrative Pastor of St. Peter Lutheran Church. Pastor Hudak and his family moved to Schaumburg in January 1992. Pastor Hudak was installed on Sunday, February 2, 1992.

A groundbreaking ceremony for a new sanctuary was held on May 1, 1994. The new building is located near Schaumburg Road. The dedication of this new sanctuary was held on June 25, 1997.

Sue Burke served as Minister of Care from 1989 until her retirement, September 1, 2007.

The Reverend Eldor W. Richter became part-time Pastoral Assistant on November 15, 1997.

Curt Jungkuntz resigned his position as Minister of Youth to pursue a full-time teaching career. The congregation then called Mr. David Cheatham to serve as Minister of Youth/DCE. He was installed on September 10, 1999. Mr. Cheatham left the congregation in November 2002. DCE interns from Concordia University Chicago were employed to work on an interim basis in the areas of Children’s Ministry and Youth.

A connecting building between the church and school was completed in the fall of 2000. The building houses five classrooms, a media center and a multi-purpose room.

In December 2002, the Reverend Fred C. Ade was called home to be with the Lord.

The congregation called the Reverend William C. Cate of Rockford, Illinois, to serve as Associate Pastor after he served a year of vicarage at St. Peter. Pastor Cate was installed on September 11, 2005. His wife, Paula, was a first grade teacher in our Christian Day School. Pastor Cate accepted a call to a church in California in 2009. Paula and Pastor bill Cate left in December of that year.

Jaime (Lange) Brinkman served as intern in 2003 and was later called to service as DCE working with Youth Ministry. She left in 2006 to serve as a missionary in Panama. Sherry Hentze was called to serve as DCE for Children’s Ministry in 2004. Nathan Patterson served as DCE intern 2006-2007 and was called in 2007 to work with junior and senior high school youth.

Jason Grandt became St. Peter’s first Technology Coordinator in 2004.

Joan Falkenthal retired October 1, 2007, after serving as church executive administrator for 38 years.

Worship attendance averages 700 each weekend. St. Peter employs more than 50 full and part time employees. 301 children attend St. Peter School.

The church narthex was redecorated in 2007 with ceramic, slate style tile, wall covering and new furniture.

Saint Peter Lutheran Church is affiliated with The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod which shares the same year for its organization, 1847. Rev. Dr. Gerald B. Kieschnick is president of our church body with headquarters in The International Center, 1333 S. Kirkwood, St. Louis, Missouri 63122.

Saint Peter Lutheran Church is in the Northern Illinois District with offices at 2301 S. Wolf Road, Hillside, Illinois, 60162. The district president is the Reverend Dan Gilbert.