St. Luke receives gifts from Trinity Lutheran Church of Royal
The bell of Trinity Lutheran Church of Royal, Iowa, has sounded for more than 86
years, serving as a reminder for the faithful to gather in the house of the
Lord. However, the bell was silenced in September 2002.
This American Evangelical Lutheran Church was founded in 1916, when
families began meeting in each other’s homes to establish the congregation.
Since then, the church has had two homes and hundreds of members, according to
Trinity parishioner Shirley Roghair.
About 38 members remained active at the church the last few years, accounting
for less than 20 families. The growing number of home-bound elderly, a shortage
of young families, and a waning farm economy led to dwindling attendance,
according to Reverend Theodore Letzring, who served as Trinity’s pastor for the
past 14 years. He has been in the ministry for 47 years, but now plans to
retire.
“During the 1970’s, Trinity had about 275 members,” Rev. Letzring explained.
“The numbers have significantly decreased. The remaining members bore the weight
of the decision to disband and disseminate a lifetime of religious relics.
I encouraged the members of Trinity to continue to
work together and to pray together, so no one would become defensive or bitter.
The closing was a memorable occasion – not
anything anybody wanted – but over the course of a year they agreed this was the
only option.”
“The final Sunday
was a very sad day,” said Shirley Fredrick, a life-long parishioner of Trinity.
“We held a potluck, and there were a lot of tears by the congregation – both men
and women. It was hard to witness the last day of the church.”
Roghair said the congregation was compelled to donate items from the church to
various area Christian organizations.
The senior living campus of St. Luke in Spencer was the recipient of several
religious items, including the congregation’s communion wares, liturgical altar
cloths and banners.
Four area Christian schools also benefited, including: Iowa Great Lakes Lutheran
School in Spencer; Concordia Lutheran School in Storm Lake; Zion St. John
Lutheran School in Paullina; and Sioux Valley Lutheran Secondary School in
Sioux Valley, Minn.
“We gave away everything, including refrigerators, stoves, hardware, the organ –
everything,” Roghair said.
Other direct beneficiaries included Camp Okoboji in Wahpeton, Iowa; a Lutheran
church in the Twin Cities; a Lutheran church in Harris, Iowa; and Bethany
Christian Home in Orange City, Iowa.
Church members were invited to keep items they donated to the church in past
years, or relics that held special meaning for them, Fredrick said.
“We are
sorry to see Trinity Lutheran of Royal disband. The members have long supported
our Christian mission at St. Luke. Yet, we feel blessed to be the recipient of
the communion wares for the celebration of the sacrament with our residents,”
said St. Luke Campus Chaplain Deb Mechler. “Our chapels were in need of altar
cloths, and the banners are a wonderful addition. We will cherish these gifts –
remembering the church upon use of the pieces.”
Congregation members must
now face the task of blending into a new family of faith. “We would like to see
everyone be happy where they continue their membership and continue with the
Lord's work,” said Rev. Letzring. “The work will continue, but under a different
congregation.”
The current, red brick church building was constructed and dedicated in 1950.
The building has been sold to area contactor, Scott Breidinger, who plans to
renovate the building into apartments.
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