Immanuel Lutheran Church of Aldergrove

Church History

by Clara Epp - 1985

The nucleus of our Christian congregation and a church building program here in Aldergrove was started through the efforts of several immigrant families. Due to political change and attitudes toward Christians in Russia, Edward Prochnau, a young Christian teacher and pastor’s assistant in his village called Wolyncu Russia - left his home, family and friends and migrated to Bruderheim, Alberta in 1926.  The Zemkie family, from the same village, followed in 1928.

In 1933, Mr. Prochnau moved to the Fraser Valley, rented a large house on

In 1935 these three families bought acreages on the

In 1929, Rev. Victor L. Meyer of Vancouver started worship services in Aldergrove with a small group of ten people. Pastor A. Haake of New Westminster and R.F. Holtzen of Chilliwack succeeded him serving the German speaking congregation.

Between the years of 1935 - 1951, the services were held in private homes - mostly at Prochnau’s and Zemkie’s.

From 1940 to 1945, Aldergrove was part of the “Fraser Valley Parish” and Pastors A. Krahenbil,  A. Riep and R.T. Gabert ministered to them on weekdays in private homes.  In 1945, when the Fraser Valley parishes were reorganized, Aldergrove was served by the pastor of Cloverdale, A. Krahenbil and his successor, A. Fenske.

On August 26, 1949, the Aldergrove congregation was officially organized as “lmmnanuel Lutheran Church” and the twelve signers of the constitution were Fred Kuhar, Fred Penno, Conrad Miller, Joseph Gassman, William Radons, Otto Baker, Rudolf Semke, Edward Prochnau, Gust Gabert, Arthur Prochnau and H.F. Baker.

The present one-acre site, a quarter of a mile north of the Fraser Highway on Jackman Road (272nd Street), was purchased in 1950, and a building was started. Dedicated on April 1, 1951, the cost was a fairy-tale $2,100 including the $600 cost of the site. The 20 x 40 foot build­ing normally able to seat 75, held 191 and 227 in the two dedication services at which Rev. Martin Cohrs and Rev. Fred Gabert were guest preachers.

Following the resignation of Rev. Fenske as pastor of Cloverdale, Rev. L.H. Gierach became his successor and served Aldergrove, along with two vicars - John Cramer and Harold Ruf, both of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.

In 1959, Immanuel congregation called Rev. Adolph Hippe of Vancouver as its first resident pastor. Installed on September 6, 1959, Pastor Hippe conducted both English and German services, began a young peoples organization, ladies monthly meetings and confirmation classes. However, on December 23, 1968, on the advice of his doctors, Pastor Hippe asked for and received a peaceful dismissal from his duties, after just short of 40 years service in the ministry.

Chaplain Kurt Klein and Rev.  A. Plunz of Vancouver and Victor Hippe a student at the Seminary in St. Louis served the congregation during the vacancy until Pastor H.E. Fruson of Trinity, Abbotsford, was asked and accepted the challenge of serving the vacancy along with his own congregation. From July, 1969 to July, 1973, he provided basic services - worship in English and German, confirmation and adult classes and served as consultant to the congregation as they drew up District approved plans for a new church building.

lmmanuel, Aldergrove, in the midst of a rapidly growing community, having made plans for a new worship facility, decided in 1973 that they once more needed their own resident pastor. Richard Hergesheimer, (or Pastor Hergy as he is affectionately known) a graduate of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri, accepted the call and was installed on July 8, 1973. Upon his arrival, Immanuel. enjoyed fairly rapid growth and soon needed the planned new church to become reality. On March 17, 1974, the sod was broken and the building begun. Christmas Eve 1974, normally a day of rejoicing, was even more so since the first official service in the new building was celebrated.

German services as such were discontinued. Pastor Hergy  developed an active young peoples society, inaugurated the Seder Meal, start­ed the Folk Service once monthly, conducted Home Cottage Bible Studies weekly. In June 1977 - accepted a call to Montreal.

Pastor, H. Paul Schmidt began his ministry at Immanuel in October, 1977. He came from Riverbend Lutheran Church in Edmonton where he had spent four years starting a new mission congregation.

1978 was spent visiting the families of the congregation and seek­ing to get to know them. A Worship Committee was established to have congregational input into the worship planning.

1979 was the year the congregation entered into the Bethel Bible Series program. A two year teacher’s course was conducted twice (1979 – 81 and  1982 – 84) and the congregational level course was conducted once (1981 - 83). Approximately fifty members of the congregation were in­volved in this program, eighteen of them as teacher trainees. 1979 also was the year the congregation purchased the Lutheran Book of Worship.

In 1980, a group within the congregation sponsored the Truongs, a family of Vietnamese refugees. Planning and work began to set up Wagner Hills Farm.

January 20, 1981 was the date of the early morning fire in which the inside of the church was burned. The fully insured building cost $100,000 to repair. The congregation worshipped in the Parish Hall for almost a year.

In 1981 a parish planning council was set up to do advance planning for the congregation. In early 1982 a new organ was purchased and officially dedicated in May.

In November 1983, a portable classroom was moved onto the property to help provide space for the education program. In 1983 the parish also began providing monthly worship and visits to Jackman Manor.

In 1984 the congregation initiated a fellowship study and at the beginning of 1985, entered into a two year Church Growth Project.

The ministry for service and outreach here at Immanuel Lutheran, Aldergrove, assisted in placing into the field of Christian Education three personnel; Edwin Crape, Lila Gubbe, and Haidi Kuhar. All three are still active in teaching.

Pastor A. Hippe, ordained his son Victor into the field of ministry July 4, 1971.