50th Anniversary at Lilydale Immanuel Lutheran Congregation

On Sunday November 20, 2022, OELC members and visitors, including a number who were part of the establishment of the Immanuel Lilydale congregation, joined together for a special thanksgiving service with Holy Communion.  The service, led by Ed Blow, included a ‘profession of our faithfulness’ and a ‘litany of thanks’.

After the service, Chairperson Darron Jensz spoke of the history of Immanuel and the amalgamation of Open Door Croydon and Immanuel to form Outer Eastern Lutheran Church.  John Walkenhorst, one of the original church councillors, spoke of the early days and said both he and his wife, Margaret, were overjoyed to see that the chapel was almost unchanged since they moved to Ringwood many years ago.  A number of written greetings were read, including from Una Micken, the wife of Immanuel’s first pastor.

A light lunch followed, with lots of reminiscing of the old days as the group watched two videos supplied by David Modra – one of a very early church service and another of a casual get together at the Modra’s farm, entitled ‘Chariots of Fire’.  And the members who had been wondering for some years where the Immanuel photo albums were finally saw them on the big screen thanks to the work of Lutheran Archives. What a day of thankfulness for the life of the Immanuel (and OELC) congregation.

(photo by Adolph Wurm)