We formed our 150th Anniversary Committee several years before 2017. The Committee initially generated, accepted, reviewed and monitored nineteen projects and activities to commemorate our 150th anniversary in 2017.

These included renovations, celebration services, a commemorative stamp application, cookbooks, photo directories, this website and several other ideas. The original list of nineteen eventually grew to thirty-four. Of these, we successfully completed over 75% of the list. Let’s take a look at some of the activities and during 2017, our “Anniversary Year!”

What better way to start the Anniversary Year than with a scheduled service on Sunday, January 1st?  We thought it a good idea to take a photo showing those who attended our first service of 2017, and so…we did! Pastor Larry Ehrhardt, who was our longest-serving Pastor, led the service. And here we are!

We held our two Easter services on April 16th. A light rain fell during the day but it didn’t dampen our spirits! Thanks to the Council members who prepared an excellent Easter breakfast for us. The church was extremely well-decorated and the two services were carried off in great style! Here is a photo of the altar area.

With the retirement of Pastor Bev Nitschke, a new Pastor arrived in April. We were pleased to welcome Pastor Albert Romkema to St. John’s.  Pastor Albert had already had a career in the medical professions, and had recently completed his internship prior to being ordained. With his ordination later in the spring, he was installed at St. John’s in the company of the other Lutheran clergy from the surrounding area. Our new Pastor is in the back row, second from the right. Welcome to St. John’s, Pastor Albert!

On June 25th we formally celebrated the 150th Anniversary of St. John’s. We were delighted to have as our guest Bishop Michael Pryse, the Bishop of our Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. After our service, he very kindly unveiled a new commemorative plaque that marks our 150th Anniversary and the 500th Anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation.  Here is Bishop Michael (left) with Pastor Albert just after the unveiling. A catered dinner for our guests followed for out guests in Luther Hall.

Sadly, we had to bring down five of our large pine trees that fronted on Black Bay Road.  Over the years they had become diseased to the point where they posed a safety hazard to traffic and persons. The removal was coordinated and completed by Elwyn Behnke. He and his trusty front-end loader are seen here pushing down one of the five trees. All five were removed in one day: pushed down, moved across the road, limbed and eventually moved. Thanks to Elwyn for a job well done!

St. John’s had placed a monument to the early German pioneers as part of our 100th Anniversary in 1967. We received much assistance from CFB Petawawa at that time. Over the years the monument  degenerated a fair bit, to the point where the 150th Committee decided to renovate and re-dedicate it as a project for our 150th Anniversary. Campbell Monument in Pembroke undertook the work, which was finished in late spring. The re-dedication took place on September 10th, exactly fifty years from the date of its original dedication.

To mark the assistance of CFB Petawawa in 1967, and to strengthen the connection between St. John’s and our military neighbours, we were pleased to welcome members of the 4th Canadian Division Support Base Petawawa: Colonel M. L. Lapointe; Chief Warrant Officer T. K. Verner; Major M. Ng, and Padre M. Lucas who was accompanied by his wife. Padre Lucas and Pastor Albert jointly conducted the Re-Dedication Service. We thank our military guess for attending, and we wish them and all members of 4CDSG all future success.

Here we see the newly renovated and re-dedicated monument with all attendees to the service. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful service!

The November meeting of the 150th Anniversary Committee was the 26th and last meeting since it was formed several years ago. Larry Chaput guided the members through much effort to make the 150th a memorable anniversary. Pictured above, left to right: Gary Barling, Gloria Neville, Dorothy Chaput, Larry Chaput, Norma Oelke, Linda Gutzman and Pastor Albert Romkema.

Well, it’s been 365 days since our 150th Anniversary year started, January 1st, 2017. It was a Sunday, so our Anniversary year started with our first service of the year on the first day of the year with Pastor Larry Ehrhardt conducting the service (see above!) Now it’s 365 days later, December 31st, 2017. And it is a Sunday, so our Anniversary year ended with the last service of the year on the last day of the year. And, to complete the wondrous chronology of it all, Pastor Larry Ehrhardt returned to conduct our service.