History:

The earliest records of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Broadlands, Illinois, go back to the year 1870.  Pastor H. Grupe of St. John's Lutheran Church, Champaign, a circuit rider, began mission work at Philo, Sidney, Sadorus, Flatville and among the newly arrived settlers from Germany in the Broadlands area.  Pastor Grupe served the area occasionally from 1870 until his departure from St. John's in 1875.  Immanuel's Kirchen-Buch records three marriages and seven baptisms performed by him during those years.  The first baptism performed among these German Lutherans in Raymond and Ayres townships was Johann, son of Johann Heinrich Edens, in July 1870.  The first marriage, according to this congregation's records, was performed by Pastor Grupe on February 9, 1870; this ceremony united Johnann Schumacher and Katherine Edens.  Services during these initial five years were held in the Fairview schoolhouse, two-and-one-half miles north of Longview, Illinois.

Soon after, during the pastorate of E. Martens (1876-1878), the first house of worship, the only one in Raymond township, was built on land purchased from Claus and Emma Edens for the sum of twenty-five dollars.  The structure for this German Lutheran Immanuel Church, located about one mile east of the schoolhouse, was dedicated on October 29, 1870.  The signing of the constitution also dates from this day, and was signed by the following members:  George Edens, John Edens, Fred Mohr, W.Wiese, C. Klinger, C.T. Block, Claus Edens, Christian Kuhlman, C.F. Weise, P.H. Edens, J.C. Weasa, C. Frese, G. Priffert, and A. Priffert.  Later in the same years, more names were added to the list.  Pastor Martens began his first Kirchen-Buch in 1879, although some of the dates recorded preceded his services.  It is believed that these records may have been transferred from St. John's congregation in Champaign at that time.