History of PLC
In January, 1981 the Lincoln City Council asked the Western North Dakota ALC district for help in taking a religious preference survey of Lincoln. This started that ball rolling and the district office began discussing the possibility of starting a mission in Lincoln.
In late 1983 Good Shepherd Church in conjunction with the ALC Division for Mission Service in America decided that worship services should begin in Lincoln on an experimental basis. The fist service was held in February, 1984 and was led by Pastor A.L. C. Keller, Chaplain of Missouri Slope Lutheran Care Center, in the Lincoln Community Center.
On January 1, 1985 Dennis Buccholz began as half-time pastor at Lincoln Lutheran Ministries. If February, 1985 we moved services from the Community Center into a double-wide mobile home, which after a subsequent move and the addition of another single-wide unit, became our church.
In 1986 we decided to end our mission status and organize as a full-fledged congregation. On October 4, 1987, after approval of our constitution by the ALC district office, we officially became Peace Lutheran Church of Lincoln. With the merger of the ALC, LCA, and ELC to create the ELCA, in 1988 the congregation issued a call to Pastor Dale Nabben. He accepted the call and began as full-time pastor of our church on November 1, 1988.
In July, 1987 the first money was set aside into a building fund and the land purchase was finalized in March of 1990.
On October 31, 1993 Pastor Dale Nabben submitted his resignation and one of our current members Pastor Wilfred Hanson began as our interim pastor until July 4, 1994, when Pastor David Swonger accepted the call as a half-time minister to Peace Lutheran Church and began on July 5, 1994. He also was a half-time pastoral support to House of Prayer in Bismarck, ND.
On July 12, 1994 the building process began under the direction of members of the ELCA Mission Builders. The construction project progressed through the summer and fall with the Dedication Service being conducted on November 16, 1994.
Pastor Swonger resigned effective December 31, 1997 at which time Duane Sorum was appointed by the Bishop to serve as our Vice-Pastor until a Call Committee could place a call to a new minister. Pastor Jo Olson (Dietz) served as half-time pastor from February 1999 – May 31, 2005. She also was a half-time pastor for Grace Lutheran in Driscoll, ND.
Upon her resignation Dr. Rev. C. Jack Eichhorst, was appointed by the Bishop to serve as our Vice Pastor from June 2005 through August 2009. During this time Rose Trenbeath became a Theological Education for Emerging Ministries (TEEM) Candidate assigned to Peace during her training.
Pastor Jay Jackson accepted the call as a three-quarter time minister for Peace Lutheran and one-quarter time pastoral support to First Lutheran in Bismarck from September 9, 2009 through July 2, 2011.
Pastor Allen Wagner from First Lutheran in Bismarck was appointed by the Bishop to be our Intern Minister in July 2011. Peace Lutheran Church and First Lutheran Church initiated the process with the Western ELCA Synod office to become a TEEM site and in January 2012 we were excited to receive the good news from the ELCA that Peace was approved as a TEEM Site and Kevin Nelson as a TEEM Candidate.
Kevin G. Nelson completed his Theological Education for Emerging Ministries (TEEM) education and was been approved by the ELCA Synod to be Ordained as a Pastor in the fall of 2015. During the Annual Meeting on February 28, 2016, Peace voted to Extend a Call to Kevin G. Nelson to be our Ordained Minister at Peace. The Call was to serve as 1/2 time Minister. He accepted the call and on March 19, 2016 Kevin Nelson was Ordained at Peace Lutheran Church. Pastor Kevin Nelson continues to serve the church community at Peace Lutheran Church of Lincoln.