1983 Rev. Forrest Van Gundy, a mission developer for the Lutheran Church of America (LCA), was called by the local synod to plant a new congregation. The synod owned the church building of a congregation that had closed its doors, Christus Victor Lutheran Church, at the corner of Cook and Coldwater Roads (across from Northrop High School). This became the home of what would be Resurrection.
1984 Resurrection was formerly organized out of the gathered mission congregation.
1988 With the merger of the Lutheran Church in America (LCA), the American Lutheran Church (ALC), and the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches (AELC), Resurrection became a part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
1989 The church made additions to the building in 1989 of a fellowship hall and classrooms. As time passed, the inability to add any more parking or building space was identified as a limitation to continued growth.
2003 Commissioning and calling of Barb Limbach as Associate in Ministry (AIM)
2004 The congregation voted to move.
2005 The property sold before Resurrection had the time to select a new permanent location. The decision was made to proceed with the sale and set up a temporary space.
2005 A temporary worship space was constructed inside a warehouse in Huntertown’s industrial park just north of town.
2006 Resurrection broke ground at our current location.
2007 The congregation processed from the interim site to the present facility.
During the time of moving, Resurrection identified its ministry and leadership structure as another limitation to continued growth. To address this, Resurrection began the intentional work of changing from a pastoral size church to a program size church. This transformation organized and empowered members, through a team approach, to manage and grow Resurrection’s ministries.
2010 Cassandra Truelove was hired as the youth director.
2011 In preparation for Pastor Van Gundy’s retirement, and to focus the congregation’s attention on continued ministry, Deacon Barb Limbach proposed the creation of a community park on the property’s back five acres.
2012 After considerable conversation and planning by the staff, council, and congregation, Pastor Van Gundy retired in December.
2012 Using an unconventional transition process, for the purpose of maintaining the congregation’s ministry and growth momentum, Pastor William Smith was called to RLC in November without an interim time of pastoral vacancy. His call overlapped with Pastor Van Gundy’s for two months.
2015 Cassandra Truelove stepped down as youth director. After a brief period with Dana Stonebraker leading, Sue Smith was hired as the new director.
2016 The political tensions of the 2016 presidential campaign and election created tension around points that the congregation had been unable to ignore. The ELCA’s progressive theological stance and its social statements and messages became unavoidable as people polarized. (Documents concerning such subjects as abortion, human sexuality, immigration, and human rights to name a few.) Pastor Smith’s sermons were increasingly examined for political and social alignment. Budget priorities and staff activities started being scrutinized during the following years.
2020 Resurrection began livestreaming its worship services on March 15, 2020, just weeks before public gatherings were banned. It was first done by using Pastor’s cell phone on a music stand and a choir monitor placed beside its microphone.
Resurrection was one of the only churches anywhere that did not miss a single live Sunday morning worship service from its sanctuary with Communion throughout the pandemic. Communion was offered via drive-thru. Zoom was discovered and adopted. Youth group and children’s Sunday school continued using digital platforms and at-home kits. Homebound and older members were contacted regularly, and check-in groups were created for the whole congregation. The congregational meeting was held online.
Continued changes in-person gatherings, distancing, and mask use became points of further polarization. The bishop, synod council, as well as a conflict resolution consultant were engaged to address the growing conflict.
2021 The congregational meeting was held in a hybrid form. The split of the congregation was made official at the end of the meeting when a group stated that they would no longer be attending.
2020 The land surrounding Resurrection was purchased by developers and the construction of the neighborhoods around us got underway.
2023 The plot immediately to the north was purchased by developers and we began conversations about access, utilities, and a shared interest in development of our park.
Dana Stonebraker, one of Resurrection’s daughters, was ordained and called to serve at Mt. Zion in LaGrange and St. Paul’s in Middlebury IN.
Barb Limbach retired in December as she marked 20 years of rostered ministry, first as an Associate in Ministry, and then, by restructuring in the ELCA, as a Deacon.
2024 Resurrection hosted Eric Black for his diaconal internship, who was then called to serve at Messiah in Fort Wayne.
2025 The Park team received approval from the congregation to begin the first phase of park improvements. They installed a basketball court in the south parking lot, paved paths, and added a pavilion and playground to the park. The final install work was completed on Thanksgiving day.