Over 100 years ago, in about 1903 Slovak immigrants began to arrive in the Detroit area in numbers. Many families settled in the area of the city called “Delray”. Here other Eastern European immigrants also settled. They worked hard in order to bring other family and friends over from Slovakia. Many of these immigrants were Lutheran, but there was no church in which to hear the Word of God in their native tongue, so they would get together at each other’s homes in order to hear Bible stories and sing hymns.



In 1902, the Slovak Evangelical Lutheran Synod was formed in order to serve Slovak speaking peoples in North America. As early as 1906, Slovak speaking pastors came on a temporary basis to Detroit to preach the Word and administer the Sacraments to the gathered people. But the Slovak Lutherans of Delray didn’t have their own pastor, and sometimes would go weeks or months between Divine Services.



There was a strong desire among the Slovak Lutheran residents of Delray to organize their own congregation and call their own pastor. On January 3, 1909, a group of 25 men gathered to form a congregation.  They elected Ján Adam as their congregational president, Pavel Hibbler as their recording and financial secretary, Andrej Pavlinj as their treasurer, and Andrej Hruska, Sr. and Ján Prjebera (Priebe)as elders. They originally named the congregation First Slovish Evangelical Lutheran of Detroit.



On February 27, 1909, the congregation accepted Rev. Julius Cernicky of Lakewood, Ohio, as their first resident Pastor. Pastor Cernicky only stayed a very short while, probably several months. There are no records from this period that exist, but we know that for the next four years the small congregation was served by several visiting pastors and pastoral students (including Rev. Dr. Matthew F. Benko, who later served as the president of the theologically liberal Slovak Zion Synod). When there was no pastor available, which was frequent, the congregation would meet together in devotions, hymn singing and reading of prepared sermons from a book. They met together in the church school of Good Hope Lutheran Church in Delray, which was on the corner of South and Post Streets. Good Hope was a church of the Ohio Synod.



During the first three years of the existence of First Slovish Evangelical Lutheran Church (1909-1912), there was no synodical affiliation.  At this time there were quite a number of Lutheran synods each having a slightly differing doctrine. From what we can gather from the meager records of this period, First Slovish was served by various pastors, missionaries and pastoral students from the General Synod. The General Synod was the oldest synod in America having been formed in 1820. It had a very loose doctrinal stance toward traditional Lutheran beliefs, and did not accept the Book of Concord as the rule and norm of Biblical doctrine. This was a concern to many of our ancestors.



In 1902 the Slovak Evangelical Lutheran Synod (later called the Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches) was formed in Braddock, Pennsylvania, with 15 member congregations. It was a small ethnic synod that trained it’s pastors at Missouri Synod seminaries, usually Concordia Theological Seminary in Springfield, Illinois. This small synod did not have the manpower or dollars to send missionaries to the various ethnic Slovaks that were gathering together in places like Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan.  The Mission Board of the Missouri Synod therefore took up the task of serving these congregations.



It was the Missouri Synod that assigned Rev. Josef P. Kolarik to First Slovish of Delray in 1912. For the next 12 years First Slovish was at least partially funded by the Missouri Synod mission board. However, on January 12, 1924, the church became a self-supporting congregation of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.



We’ll let Rev. Kolarik explain his thoughts on his time in Delray. Here is an excerpt from the auto-biographical sketch:



After I completed my studies (at Concordia Theological Seminary, Springfield, IL) I received a call from the Board of Foreign Missions of the Missouri Synod to Detroit, Michigan. I accepted the call, and on July 7, 1912, was ordained in Pleasant City, Ohio, by Pastor Ján Pelikan. I had taught in his congregation during the summer of 1911 and he as president of the Slovak Synod urged me to accept the call to Detroit.



From Pleasant City, I traveled to Cleveland, Ohio, where I spent several weeks in the home of Pastor L.A. Jarosiko. As early as the summer of 1911, I had become acquainted with Miss Anna Dinda. This acquaintance developed to the point that with the consent of parents, we became engaged in the summer of 1912.



I left Cleveland for Detroit at the end of July with instructions to seek out Mr. Ján Adam (1865-1957) and Mr. Andrej Hruska (1884-1962).



I first visited the Rev. Rudolph H. C. Meyer, pastor of the German congregation (Concordia-Detroit). He knew of a number of Slovaks but he didn’t know whether they were really eager for spiritual care. The next day he led me to the home of Mr. Ján Forgac (1867-1933) to give me directions to Mr. Adam and Mr. Hruska.
Several Slovak Lutherans lived at Mr. Forgac’s. However, I was not received in a very friendly manner. Although the Forgac’s behaved decently, a certain Ján Blcha confronted me and would have driven me out had he had his way. I didn’t want to cause any trouble and asked them to lead me to the aforementioned gentlemen.



Mr. Adam and Mr. Hruska were respectful and friendly, but they informed me that Rev. A.L. Ramer of the General Council (another Lutheran Synod) had taken an interest in them and had sent a student, Mr. Matthew Benko. He apparently conducted services on both the east and the west sides of Detroit. My situation was difficult. There was no time to go from house to house to win people over to our side, and in any case, that would not have been proper. This was a matter for the congregation of people to decide.



Services were held Sunday afternoons in a church of the Ohio Synod on the south side. Both Student Benko and I came to the service. Following a motion by Mr. Ján Adam and Mr. Andrej Hruska, the congregation decided that on the following Sunday, I was to preach and Student Benko would play the organ. It was also immediately decided to change location and hold services in the church of Pastor Meyer.



After they had completed the move, the congregation began to think seriously about reorganizing and calling me as their regular pastor. And so it happened that they elected me their pastor and issued me an official call at the beginning of August 1912.



It goes without saying that all this did not happen without opposition. Student Benko informed Pastor Ramer about the situation and he set about to undo everything. He first wrote, then decided to come in person to stir up opposition and win people over to his side. He sent a telegram that he would come Saturday morning, that they were to wait for him, and that they were not to undertake anything without his knowledge and advise.



However, even the presence of Rev. Ramer was not to prevent matters from going forward. When I heard about his plans, I fell on my knees on Friday and implored God to obstruct his visit and prevent any dissention. God heard our prayers. An accident occurred on the New Jersey Central Railroad that cost a number of lives. This accident was God’s way of preventing Rev. Ramer from coming to Detroit. As late as Sunday morning, a telegram came from him asking people to wait for him and not decide anything. Nevertheless, the congregation met and after services, unanimously elected theological candidate Josef Kolárik as their pastor. The only one to oppose the vote was Mr. Ján Blcha and he immediately left the premises.  The congregation selected August 25 as the day of my installation.



As the congregation was quietly leaving, happy to have its own pastor, they ran into Pastor Ramer on the street. There was a great deal of scurrying, arguing, promising, and open lying on the part of Rev. Ramer. I had to visit a number of families that very same day to convince them of the untruthfulness of his claims and to convince them of the truth. Rev. Ramer cried, raged, lied, but all in vain. The congregation took its stand on the Word of God and neither promises nor threats had any effect. The members remained steadfast. That day a new, vigorous church life began on the west side of Detroit.

My installation took place at a festive service on August 25, 1912, in Concordia German Lutheran Church. The Rev. Dr. Ján Pelikan preached and conducted the installation, with the assistance of a number of German pastors, who laid their hands on me as they invoked appropriate passages of Scripture.



We conducted services in the school of Concordia German Lutheran Church, and although we felt at home, we longed for our own spiritual household.  We began to think about buying some property. We had in mind two places and eventually decide to buy the land where the church and parsonage now stand (near the corner of Burdeno and Dearborn Streets in Delray). We had hopes at the time of buying the adjoining home also. The property was quickly paid off and congregation prospered spiritually and materially. As a matter of fact, when the director of foreign missions came to visit us, he could not get over the progress we had made in such a short time.



I worked, visited, and gathered Slovak Lutherans and the results were most comforting. Services were well attended and income did not lag behind. Fall came and I thought about moving from my current quarters with a Hungarian Reformed family to a place where I could work and arrange everything as I liked.

Just at that time the congregation in Tarentum, Pennsylvania was vacated by the departure of Rev. Schnirch. They turned to me and sent me a call. I though it wise to return the call on the grounds that I might do harm to the work that we had started so successfully. However, when they sent me a call the second time, the (Synodical) Conference urged me to accept.



The Detroit congregation released me with heavy hearts since they had become fond of me. It was equally difficult for me to leave. After all, it was my first charge and God has blessed our mutual efforts. I said farewell to the congregation on the third Sunday in November and left for Tarentum.



During this period, the congregation continued to grow and prosper. When Rev. Kolarik left in November 1912, he was replaced by another recent graduate of Concordia-Springfield, Rev. Jan M. Marcis. Marcis was installed as pastor on January 26, 1913.



Not a lot is known about Rev. Marcis. He served here just over a year before accepting a call to Pennsylvania. What we do know is that his oldest daughter, Olga, later married Rev. Theodore Daniel, a son of our congregation.



When Rev. Marcis left in early 1914, he was replaced by another recent graduate of Concordia Seminary-Springfield, Rev. Andrej A. Daniel. Rev. Daniel was installed on July 5, 1914. He would serve here for 38 years, leaving in 1952.



During these early years our congregation did not have a church building of its own. Services were usually held at Concordia Lutheran Church, a German-Lutheran (Missouri Synod) Church. However in 1912 land was purchased on the corner of Burdeno and Dearborn Streets one block west of Jefferson Avenue in Delray for a future building site. The congregation toiled for five years to bring enough money together to build there own church. On September 17, 1917, ground was broken for the new building, and on June 16, 1918, the new church was dedicated.



During the years that Rev. Dr. Andrej A. Daniel was pastor at First Slovish of Detroit [1914-1952] the congregation grew and prospered. It was under his leadership that the first church building was constructed. Three adjoining lots had been purchased by the congregation back in the fall of 1912 on the corner of Dearborn and Burdeno Streets in Delray.



During these early years First Slovish was partially funded by the Mission Society of the Missouri Synod, but by January 6, 1924, the church became a self-supporting congregation of the Missouri Synod. Culturally though the congregation’s Slovak heritage and language were not tied to the German speaking Missouri Synod, and so on September 5, 1928, the congregation officially became a member of the Slovak Synod of America (later the Slovak Evangelical Lutheran Church [1945] and yet later the Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches[1959]).



It wasn’t until January 6, 1929, that the first worship service was conducted in the English language. While most if not all the congregation members still primarily spoke Slovak at home, increasingly they were becoming acculturated to the society around them that while still mostly ethnic, was English speaking. It was English that became the primary language of business even between the ethic populations of Delray whether they were Slovak, Hungarian, Polish or German.



First Slovish never undertook the ministry of having a Christian Day School associated with the congregation, so many of the children of the parish either went to public school or to Concordia Lutheran School which in 1927 merged with St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church and School.  But the children of the congregation were encouraged (maybe even required) to attend Saturday School, where Pastor Daniel taught Bible History and catechism in the Slovak language.



Dr. Daniel served as the 7th Synodical President of the Slovak Synod (SELC) from 1939-1949. His father-in-law Rev. Dr. Jan Pelikan was also a synodical president from 1905-13 and 1919-21.



Dr. Daniel was born in Slovakia, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, on March 12, 1891. He immigrated to this country as a very young age and attended Concordia Theological Seminary in Springfield, Illinois. Two of his Slovak classmates at Springfield also served at First Slovish in Delray, Rev. Josef P. Kolarik (class of 1912), and Rev. Jan M. Marcis (class of 1913). Daniel was in the class of 1914 and his first assignment was to the mission congregation in Delray. He remained there until 1952 when he accepted a call to become the director of the Slovak Synod’s home for the aged in Oviedo, Florida—Luther Haven.



Dr. Daniel returned many times to “his” congregation and he died on June 13, 1980, in Oviedo, Florida.



In 1937 the congregation officially changed its name from First Slovish Evangelical Lutheran to First Slovak Evangelical Lutheran.



Rev. Michael Brondos, Jr. was the next pastor to serve here. Under his leadership the congregation started to make plans to move out of Delray “out to the country” of Taylor Township. In the post World War II economic boom many people began to move out in to the townships in order to live in new houses with bigger lots.



On June 3, 1956, 9 acres was purchased on the east side of Pardee Road for the future building of a church. Pastor Brondos took a call to Australia the same year. He later served in Detroit and is currently retired and living in Richmond, Virginia.



Rev. Nicholas Zipay, Jr.  was called in 1956 and served until February 9, 1964. Under his leadership the name of our congregation was again changed in On October 13, 1957 to “Our Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church”. Also on May 31, 1959, a new parsonage was purchased at 9521 Sylvester Street, in Taylor Township, in the subdivision just west of the current church property. This new house was purchased for a whopping sum of $14,250. [approximately $105,250 in today’s dollars]. Plans were developed to raise the money to build on the Taylor property. Rev. Zipay is today retired and living in Elyra, Ohio.



After Pastor Zipay took a call, Rev. John Stefan Obeda was called. He was installed on November 26, 1964. During his short tenure, from 1964-66 the congregation made their move to close and sell the Delray church and move to Taylor. Rev. Obeda performed the closing service on May 29, 1966, and then took a call to Trinity, Wyandotte. He later served in London, Ontario, where he is today retired.



During the transition from Delray to Taylor the congregation was without a church meeting place for over a year. In the meantime they met in Kinyon Public School Building. But in October 1967 the new church building at 9601 Pardee in Taylor Township was finally finished and dedicated. Interim pastor Rev. Clement Lee presided. Rev. Lee is now an Episcopal priest serving in New York City.



Rev. William J. Yunk was the next pastor to serve. He was installed on November 19, 1967, just a month after the new church groundbreaking ceremony . He presided over the new church dedication on May 19, 1968. He served here until January 16, 1970. Rev. Yunk left the ministry after serving here and moved to Redford, Michigan where he served in municipal government until retiring.



Next came Rev. Richard C. Eyre. Pastor Eyre was installed on January 3, 1971. This was a turbulent time for not only our synod but also our congregation. In 1974 most of the students and all but 5 of the faculty walked out of Concordia Seminary St. Louis in a heated disagreement with the president of the synod. The synod split down the middle with some taking the side of the seminary and some taking the side of the president.  Eventually the walk out became permanent and this core group went on to form a new synod that eventually became part of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of America.  Pastor Eyre was one who initially supported the seminary and he also left the synod in 1974. He came back only six months later, but by that time he was no longer our pastor. He went on to faithfully serve as a pastor, Concordia College professor and Clinical Pastoral Counselor in the Milwaukee area. Today Rev. Dr. Eyre is retired, and living in suburban Milwaukee, but is one of our synods authorities on ethical issues, and is a frequent author of books concerned with ethics and counseling.



On October 13, 1974 Rev. Robert E. Kass was installed at Our Redeemer. In early 1974, before he left our parish, the congregation sold the parsonage on Sylvester Street to Rev. Eyre and his wife on a land-contract. So when Rev. Kass and his family came the congregation purchased a different parsonage on Hayes Street in Taylor. 24904 Hayes, originally built in 1955 was purchased on September 9, 1975, for a sum of $33,500. [approximately $134,000 in today’s dollars]. Pastor Kass served until 1981 when he took a call. Today he is retired and living in Evanston, Illinois.



On March 1, 1981 Rev. Gordon K. Goltz was installed at Our Redeemer. He served until his retirement on June 21, 1998. During his time here some of our land on the east side of the property along Monroe Street was sold to a developer, this is now Tiara Drive, just beyond our woods. Pastor Goltz served here faithfully and retired to a farm near Grand Rapids, where he still serves the LORD in the capacity of an Intentional Interim Pastor, serving vacancies as needed. He preached here again on October 14, 2007, during the 40th Anniversary celebration of our Taylor facility.



On July 1, 1999, Rev. Samuel R. Pranschke came to Our Redeemer. Pastor Pranschke had been a Lutheran School teacher and principal and had served with Lutheran Bible Translators as an editor before returning to Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne in preparation for pastoral ministry. He entered the “Alternate Route” program which was especially designed for second career men who had significant experience not only in the church, in Word and Sacrament ministry, but also in other vocations which would bring a depth of experience to the pastoral office. After two years of seminary work he was assigned to Our Redeemer as a vicar, a year under the supervision of another pastor, but with full pastoral duties and responsibilities. After his vicarage year, he was ordained and installed as pastor here on July 16, 2000. He served faithfully until the LORD of the Church called him unto Himself on July 22, 2004. Pastor Pranschke, like our other pastors, was much loved and is still dearly missed.



On July 15, 2005, Rev. Erwin M. Hutter, came to Our Redeemer, also as an “Alternate Route” Vicar. He graduated from the Concordia Seminary in St. Louis and after his vicarage year was ordained at his home congregation-Zion Lutheran in Bay City, Michigan, and was installed here at Our Redeemer on July 15, 2006. Rev. Hutter was the preacher of our Anniversary sermon.



While the official 100th Anniversary date was January 3, 2009, the congregation decided to wait for better Michigan weather and have the celebration on May 17, 2009. Festival Service was at 9:30 am with a celebratory dinner at the “Lakes of Taylor” at 12:30.



In the years since the centennial celebration, Our Redeemer has continued its mission to be God's people in Taylor. They have joined with other local congregation to form the Fishes and Loaves Community Food Pantry, have annually worked with the Lutheran Child and Family Services in support of their mission to children and families, and have reached out to the area with God's Word and our hands.

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May God bestow upon us another hundred years and more in HIS service.

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