The special anniversary cake baked and decorated by Cindy Holland of Cindy’s Cakes in Kilgore was shaped like and decorated with the logo Seth Hiltzman created for the anniversary service and celebration. Photo: Wayne Galler
Some 77 people, including twelve Lutheran pastors from across the area, turned out September 30th for a special 4:00 p.m. Vespers service that marked the 60th anniversary of Pilgrim Lutheran Church and included a re-dedication of its newly-remodeled sanctuary at the corner of Broadway Boulevard and Florey Street in Kilgore. The Vespers service was followed by a reception with finger foods and a special cake shaped like and decorated with the logo created for the anniversary.
With its ritual action, hymns, Bible readings, sermon, and prayers, the service followed the historic evening order of worship and centered on the theme “Praising God for 60 years of salvation in this house”. (Decorations in the Parish Hall for the reception also centered on church “houses” and carried through the primary colors of the logo.)
“The great thing about our God is that He’s willing to be in the houses we built,” said anniversary service guest preacher The Rev. Dr. Scott R. Murray, pastor of Memorial Lutheran Church, Houston, Texas, and fifth vice president of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), the national church body of which Pilgrim Lutheran is a member congregation.
“We’ve got a God Who’s so gracious that He’s willing to place Himself in those boxes, so that we can lay our hands on Him, so that we can hear Him speak in a specific place, so that we can come here and kneel at this altar and have His servants place in our hands that precious body and in our mouths that blood of life,” Murray continued in his sermon on Luke 19:9-10. (The entire sermon can be read or heard here.)
Pilgrim’s pastor, The Rev. Dr. Jayson S. Galler (left), began the special service by declaring that the doors of the church continue to be open for the preaching of God’s saving Word and the administration of His holy Sacraments. Capital Improvements Committee chairman Danny Sampson (right) followed along. Photo: Angela Sampson
The Rite of Re-dedication and the special Collect, or prayer, for the anniversary similarly emphasized God’s presence with His people in Word and Sacrament for the forgiveness of sins and the salvation that forgiveness brings. The re dedication came after more than $35,000 worth of remodeling this summer to the outside and inside of the congregation’s 58-year-old church building, the first such extensive work in nearly 40 years.
“Members of the congregation and visitors are pleased with how all the renovations turned out,” said The Rev. Dr. Jayson S. Galler, Pilgrim’s current pastor. He added, “The glory for the congregation’s continued existence, for the building’s remodeling, and for the anniversary celebration all goes to God.”
To honor pastors and others who had served the congregation throughout its history, the nearly $1,000 special offering collected at the anniversary service went to Veterans of the Cross, an LCMS program that provides small stipends to impoverished, aged pastors, teachers, and their families in order to help them pay for things such as utilities and food.
Pastor Galler made clear that anyone is always welcome for Sunday morning refreshments at 9:15, Sunday School and Adult Bible Class at 9:30, and Divine Service at 10:45. The congregation also usually offers Midweek Bible Study on Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. People who cannot be present at those times onsite are encouraged to listen to Bible Classes and sermons at their convenience online, where a variety of other information about the congregation can also be found and Pastor Galler can be contacted.
The renovation of Pilgrim Lutheran Church’s chancel included relocating its communion rail down to the level of the sanctuary’s floor (the woodwork of the rail is not yet completed in this photo), replacing the old carpeting with a new wood floor, painting the walls “heaven” blue, adding flower shelves to either side of the altar, and replacing the old dossal curtain with a new reredos, the decorative and functional panel behind the altar. Still to be completed also is gold lettering atop the reredos: “Pilgrims here; our home above”, a line from Sigismund von Birken’s hymn known in English by the first line “Let us ever walk with Jesus”. Photo: Angela Sampson
With the new reredos in the background and part of the new communion rail in the foreground, shown are the pastors attending the 60th Anniversary Vespers service (left to right): The Rev. Mark Dahn of Trinity, Tyler; The Rev. Dr. Scott R. Murray of Memorial, Houston (guest preacher); The Rev. Art L. Hill of Trinity, Tyler; The Rev. Vic Willmann, retired, of Tyler; The Rev. Eloy Gonzalez of Our Redeemer, Irving (Vice President of Texas District Area B); The Rev. Toby Byrd of Grace, Paris; The Rev. Dr. Jayson S. Galler (Pilgrim’s current pastor); The Rev. Frank Starr, retired, of Lufkin (Pilgrim’s most-recent vacancy pastor who served as one of the lectors for the occasion); The Rev. Michael Monterastelli of First, Lufkin; The Rev. Dennis J. Bragdon of Our Redeemer, Longview; The Rev. David R. Bergman of Bethlehem, Palestine (Circuit #14 Counselor and another lector); and The Rev. Harold Wageman, retired, of Overton (Pilgrim’s pastor from 1960-1981 and the third lector). Photo: Gayle Gardner
