History of Holy Cross

Our roots at Holy Cross go back to 1887 when the first baby was baptized into the congregation known as St. Paul's. In 1909, a birch veneer building was erected. Eight families were involved. The congregation was largely from German Heritage.

In June of 1889, nine families (many of Norwegian heritage) gathered to organize another Lutheran Church in Glenwood City known as "Den Skandinaviske Evangeliske Menighed i Glenwood." The name "Our Savior's" was adopted in 1894.

Trinity came into being in 1891 with sixteen members of German heritage. From 1900 to 1904, the church was being built and in 1904 the congregation joined with Immanuel for a two point parish.

A fourth parish in the origin of Holy Cross was the congregation known as Zoar, located in Emerald. Twelve families in 1898 organized the church and shared a pastor with Our Savior's. in 1966, the congregation was dissolved.

Trinity and Our Savior's merged in 1962 with the name "Faith". By 1968, St. Paul's (Missouri Lutheran Synod) and Faith (American Lutheran Synod) ad voted to merge and build a new church. On September 21, 1969, the cornerstone of the new Holy Cross Church was laid. The name "Holy Cross" was chosen as it is the translation of St. Croix. The first worship service was held on Palm Sunday, 1970.

Holy Cross is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. Holy Cross provides many opportunities To Come, To Grow, to Live as Disciples of Jesus Christ.