Azalea Garden Church

Currently Saint John Lutheran hosts a variety of activities including Saint John Lutheran School- a 2 year olds through 1st grade school (see the link to Our School), weekday and Sunday Bible studies, a choir, trips and lunches for our seniors, youth groups, and a variety of other activities. We continue to support the ministries of the community through our weekly collection of canned goods for F.O.R. Kids, participate in Ocean View Ecumenical Ministries, the USO, the Lutheran Council of Tidewater, and other organizations. We are the monthly meeting place for the Northside Civic League. Saint John Lutheran began in 1952 as a mission of First Lutheran Church, in the Ghent neighborhood of Norfolk, when the Ocean View area was surveyed as a possible location of a new church in the northern area of the city. In May of 1953, Reverend C. J. Martin, was called by the Board of American Missions of the United Lutheran Church (ULC) to be a mission developer. He began by visiting 71 members of First Lutheran who were living in Northside. That summer, Reverend Martin also visited another 2, 400 families to gather support for a new Lutheran church. As word spread, Pastor Martin, along with some of the new members, organized area meetings. At first, the progress was slow with only three families attending the first meeting. However, the following week, twelve families were invited and all attended. From then on, the mission began to grow. During the summer, more residents of Northside Norfolk were becoming interested in the mission and the first business meeting was held on August 27 at the Mary Calcott School with 37 adults present. From among the group, an organizational committee was formed. Their first order of business was to arrange the use of Mary Calcott School for worship services. Next, they set the date for the first service and discussed possible names for the mission. Among the names suggested were: "Saint Peter's By The Sea, " "Zion, " "Saint Paul's, " Second Lutheran Church, " and "Saint John's." The choice, by a large majority, was Saint John's The initial leadership appointments were made of a temporary secretary, a treasurer, and a building treasurer. Excitement grew, as Saint John Lutheran was becoming a reality. The first service was held at 3: 30 p.m., on September 13, 1953 and was attended by 206 people from the local area as well as visitors from other area Lutheran churches. In order to make the Mary Calcott School auditorium a suitable place for worship, the men of the Brotherhood of First Lutheran Church built a folding altar, a pulpit and a lectern. The Business Women's Unit also gave a set of offering plates, and altar service book and a baptismal font. Conference rooms were provided for Sunday school and storage. Reverend Martin delivered the first sermon and greetings were offered by Dr. L.W. Strickler, Chairman of the Home Missions Committee; Reverend D.W. Taylor, President of the Conference, and other local Lutheran pastors. The first Sunday of Saint John Lutheran also generated several generous gifts form the congregation of First Lutheran that helped to seed the new church in Norfolk. Sunday School began on the first Sunday of October with 81 people present. Thereafter, the Women of the Church and the Luther League were organized. Without a formal meeting place, the groups met the apartment of Pastor Martin with as many as 25-30 people attending. The newly formed choir practiced in a home and Adult Bible Classes were arranged and taught. December 13, 1953 was selected as Organization Sunday with 86 Confirmed and 129 Baptized worshipers who had signed for membership. After worship, the Church Council was organized and officers of the Congregation and Trustees were elected. It was decided that the charter membership roll would be left open until Easter 1954 when the congregation stood at 105 Confirmed and 161 Baptized members. With and established congregation, the next step was to initiation of a building p