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125 Years of Faithfulness

In 1882, when German immigrants opened the front doors to St. Paul Lutheran Church in Davenport, Iowa, for the first time, the small band of 10 charter members could have had no idea what the future might hold. Determination, visionary thinking, and great expressions of faithfulness over time gave shape to what is today a wonderfully dynamic congregation. A consistent willingness to take risks and live out the faith of Jesus Christ as boldly as possible has contributed to much of the vitality in St. Paul’s history.

Growing in Love

Founded in 1882 as the first English-speaking Lutheran church in Davenport, St. Paul was located at 14th and Main Streets for the first 70 years of life together. When the congregation outgrew that facility, we moved to the new site across from Vander Veer Park in 1952. The congregation is now in its fourth significant building program, as the facility adapts through the generations to better reach out with Christ’s love.

Planting the Gospel

Over the years, the congregation’s commitment of human and financial resources has helped to establish four new Lutheran churches in the community. In 1976, a dream for an outdoor ministry center gave birth to Camp Shalom near Maquoketa, Iowa.

Teaching congregation

St. Paul has long understood itself to be a teaching congregation. With a longstanding commitment to encouraging church vocation, St. Paul has sent 36 members into the ordained ministry. Now a Pastoral Residency Program is helping newly-called pastors establish practices for a lifetime of leadership in the ELCA.

Continuing the Story

Now, 125 years after first opening its doors, this central city church of 3,000 people has become a significant outpost of the Lutheran Church. Engaged both in the larger world and in the nearby community, St. Paul has a true legacy of generous serving. Among the nearly 11,000 congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, St. Paul is ranked 10th in total giving to the larger Church. The people of St. Paul are part of the continuing story of God faithfully working through the lives of God’s people.

"Our faith should quell our fears, never our courage." ~William Sloan Coffin