The History of Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church Eden Prairie, MN: A Reason for Praise, a Pattern to Follow

Abstract

Joel Albrecht’s 1990 church history paper traces the founding and growth of Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Initiated by Bloomington Lutheran Church as a daughter congregation, the mission began in response to demographic shifts and strategic vision. Despite initial resistance from the WELS Mission Board, Pastor Mark Liesener and lay leaders pursued exploratory services and land acquisition. Pastor Paul Brinkmann was later assigned unexpectedly, leading to a shared ministry model with Bloomington that proved mutually beneficial. Under Pastor Gregory Lenz, the congregation embraced independence and expanded facilities. The church grew from 46 to 276 souls between 1978 and 1989, becoming a model of mission success. Albrecht highlights factors such as local insight, lay involvement, and shared ministry as a pattern for future missions. The paper draws on interviews and district statistics to document this remarkable story. Abstract generated with the assistance of Microsoft Copilot (GPT-4).