The Germinating Seed    1962 – 1964

Although the seed of Calvary Lutheran Church would not be formally planted until February of 1964, already as early as 1962 the seed was germinating.  On November 5, 1962, a group of faithful Christians met in Dallas with officials of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) to discuss the possibility of establishing a WELS mission.  The people who attended that November meeting were drawn together by the unseen hand of the Lord.  In August 1962, Ruth Hanson, of Oak Cliff, persuaded by her sister, Mrs. Joseph Lakas, wrote to President Oscar Naumann, of the Wisconsin Synod.  The Lakas family and Miss Hanson were hoping that the WELS would see fit to begin a church in the Dallas area.

At about this same time, the Ted Burgdorf and the Carl Doepel families were becoming increasingly aware of false doctrine that was spreading throughout their Northeast Dallas Lutheran church.  Mr. Doepel had written multiple letters to the leadership of their Synod, but their replies did nothing to allay his concerns.  The two families were looking for alternatives.  They could hardly anticipate how God would bring the alternative to their doorstep. 

A postman mistakenly delivered a bundle of Northwestern Lutheran magazines (the WELS news periodical) to the Ted Burgdorf family.  The Burgdorfs had been receiving one copy of this journal as a gift subscription.  Upon receiving their unexpected package, Mrs. Burgdorf contacted the other subscribers.   These historic conversations led to a meeting, on November 5, with Pastor Walter Diehl and Pastor Immanuel Frey of the Arizona/California District Mission Board of the WELS.   That evening, the two ministers met with the original nucleus of Calvary:  the Ted Burgdorfs, the Carl Doepels, the Joseph Lakases, the Ray Swensons, Ruth Hanson, and Louise Streckfuss.   Less than a week later, on November 11, 1962, the General Board for Home Missions of the WELS granted permission to proceed with a mission in Dallas.

The seed that had germinated within the hearts of this core group of people was ready to be fed and nourished by a called pastor.  But God had other plans.  Initially the call to serve this fledgling church was returned by eight ministers, Pastors Lloyd Hahnke, Herbert Koehler, Arnold Mennicke, Harry Shiley, Carl Leyrer, Armin Keibel, W.A. Wietzke, and Roy Hoenecke.  Finally, on December 19, 1963, Pastor Robert Neumann accepted the call to serve.  He arrived in Dallas on January 16, 1964 from Manitoba, Canada, with his wife Dorothy and daughter Ruth Ann, right on the heels, ironically, of a big seven inch snowfall.  He and his family lived with the Carl Doepel family until January 27, when their rented home, at 7345  Syracuse Drive, became available. 

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