Our story
Almost a century on Williamsbridge Road
Our Saviour began in a Bronx storefront. It grew into a parish, a school, and a place that stayed in the city when many others left.
1927
A storefront mission
The first service was held in a Bronx storefront. A year later, the congregation bought a house on Williamsbridge Road to use as its chapel.
1935
A chapel of its own
The cornerstone was laid in October, and the first chapel was dedicated that December.
1936
Pastor von Schenk
Rev. Dr. Berthold von Schenk began more than two decades of ministry. He made Our Saviour known across American Lutheranism for its reverent worship and weekly Communion.
1942
A school opens
The congregation opened a Christian day school in September.
1950
Today’s sanctuary
The larger church we worship in today was dedicated. The first chapel became classrooms.
1955
A high school
Our Saviour Lutheran High School opened, and the church and school began teaching students through twelfth grade.
1990s
Staying put
As the Bronx changed and many churches left for the suburbs, Our Saviour stayed on Williamsbridge Road. Rev. Dr. Thomas Nelson Green preached here through the decade.
2001
Pastor Sauer
Rev. Dr. Paul Robert Sauer began nearly twenty years of service as Pastor and Executive Minister, through 2020.
2023
A new chapter
Rev. Matthew Ryan Gonzalez was installed as Lead Pastor, and Our Saviour joined in partnership with Trinity in Castle Hill.
2027
One hundred years
Our Saviour marks a century since its first service on September 11, 1927. Still here. Still open.
Read the full history
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Our Saviour held its first service in 1927, in a storefront in the Bronx. The service was led by Rev. George Koenig of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Tremont. In November 1928, the young mission bought a house on Williamsbridge Road to serve as its chapel and parsonage. The congregation incorporated in 1932 as The Ev. Lutheran Church of Our Saviour, U.A.C. The letters stand for the Unaltered Augsburg Confession, a sign of its commitment to historic Lutheran teaching.
In January 1935, the congregation contracted for a sanctuary. The cornerstone was laid that October, and the chapel was dedicated in December.
In 1936, Our Saviour called Rev. Dr. Berthold von Schenk as pastor. He was a leading voice for liturgical renewal in American Lutheranism. He taught the weekly celebration of the Lord’s Supper and the Church as the living Body of Christ. In 1945, while serving here, he wrote The Presence: An Approach to the Holy Communion. In January 1941, under his leadership, Our Saviour became a fully self-supporting congregation.
In January 1942, the congregation voted to open a Christian day school, and classes began that September. The school grew quickly. A dedicated school building was dedicated in November 1944, and in December 1950 the congregation dedicated the larger church it worships in today. The original chapel became classrooms and offices. In 1955, Our Saviour Lutheran High School opened.
In the decades that followed, the Bronx changed around the church, and many congregations moved to the suburbs. Our Saviour stayed. The parish and its school turned their ministry toward the neighbors around them, serving families of every background.
Rev. Dr. Thomas Nelson Green served the congregation through the 1990s. From 2001 to 2020, Rev. Dr. Paul Robert Sauer led Our Saviour as Pastor and Executive Minister.
Today Our Saviour remains a congregation of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, Atlantic District. Rev. Matthew Ryan Gonzalez has served as Lead Pastor since September 2023. The church still holds to Lutheran doctrine and liturgical worship, and it still serves its neighbors in Morris Park.
