THE FIRST 75 YEARS

Holy Cross Lutheran Church’s Diamond Anniversary
April 9, 1944 – August 25, 2019
April 9, 1944 – 33 Lutherans worship together on Easter Sunday for the first time in Greenbelt at the home of Adele and Edward Trumbule
June 1944 – The Lutheran Mission moves its services to Greenbelt Center School
1944-1952 – Congregation is served by the Rev. Edwin E. Pieplow, Pastor, Trinity Lutheran Church, Mt. Rainier, Maryland
April 1949 – The Mission is organized under the name Greenbelt Lutheran Church and purchased property at 22 Ridge Road.
May 6, 1951 – Groundbreaking service for new church at 22 Ridge Road.
April 1952 – Congregation is accepted into membership of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod.
July 27, 1952 – Dedication of the church at 22 Ridge Road
September 1952 – Kindergarten opens, Miss Audrey Graunke, teacher.
August 2, 1953 – The Rev. Edward H. Birner is ordained and installed as the first permanent pastor
December 8, 1958 – Name of congregation is changed to Holy Cross Lutheran Church.
May 1, 1962 – Congressman Lankford introduces a bill in the U.S. Congress authorizing the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain lands in the state of Maryland to Holy Cross Lutheran Church. This is a section of Greenbelt National Park cut off from the rest of the park by the new Capital Beltway.
October 9, 1962 – President John F. Kennedy signs HR11551 into law, authorizing the Secretary of the Interior to convey to Holy Cross upon payment of value, the property located on Greenbelt Road.
July/August 1964 – Congregation purchases new church site from the Department of Interior for $50,000
April 7, 1968 – Groundbreaking services are held at the new church site
January 12, 1969 – Cornerstone Laying Service is conducted
September 7, 1969 – New church is dedicated – cost $320,000
May 11, 1970 – City of Greenbelt purchases old church site at 22 Ridge Road and will use it to build the Green Ridge House retirement facility
May 24, 1970 – Dedication of new church furnishings including the reredos wall, altar, pulpit, lectern, communion rail, pews, and baptismal font
October 1, 1978 – Scott Wycherly is installed as Minister of Youth, Education and Music
September 1980 – Sunday morning nursery program is established with Peggy Melley as director
1980 – Stephen Ministry established at Holy Cross
October 27, 1985 – Steeple, etched windows, and cross on front of the church are dedicated to the Glory of God
April 1989 – Eunice Kuring is called as Director of Christian Education
May 5, 1991 – Groundbreaking for new addition to Holy Cross (Fellowship Hall, Sunday School classrooms, church offices, conference room)
May 17, 1992 – Dedication of new addition – Cost $530,000
September 5, 1993 – Retirement Celebration Service for Rev. Edward Birner. Pastor Birner served Holy Cross Church for 41 years; 1 year as vicar and 40 years as pastor
November 7, 1993 – The Rev. Stephen H. Mentz is called as Pastor of Holy Cross
February 20, 1994 – Installation Service for Pastor Mentz
April 10, 1994 – Celebration of 50th Anniversary of Holy Cross
1996 – Breakfast Sunday established
1997 – Wendy Linstrom becomes Director of Family Life and Education Coordinator
1998 – Holy Cross hosts “Lift High the Cross” hot air balloon evangelism event
2000 – Handbells are purchased and a Handbell Choir is established
2000 – Kid’s Hope program established between Holy Cross and Springhill Lake Elementary School with Marie Ray as Director
Summer of 2001 – Community yard sales begin
February 24, 2002 – Dedication of New Organ (old organ damaged by lightning)
June 2, 2002 – Dedication of statue of Christ in narthex
August 25, 2002 – First annual Church Picnic
2003 - Holy Cross Quilters started
September 5 – 8, 2003 – Water Booth at Greenbelt Labor Day Celebration
December 2003 – Lydia Goldstein becomes Holy Cross Parish Nurse
February 2006 – New web site established with Jim Ittenbach as webmaster (www.myholycross.org)
September 3, 2006 – Holy Cross begins to partner with Christ is my Refuge (Iglesia De Dios Pentecostal) which now shares our facilities
February 1, 2007 – Thrift Store was reopened by Holy Cross - headed by Shirley Lee
June 15, 2008 – Ordination of Rev. Neil Ray (son of the congregation)
2008 - C.S. Lewis Book Club organized
April 2009 – 65th anniversary of Holy Cross
March 19, 2010 – Funeral service for Pastor Birner
September 2011 – Lunch with Pastor begins.
September 2011 – Started support for Lutheran Seminarian from Haiti – Maurisseau Sadrac Pierre
December 2011 – Sunday evening worship services started
May 2012 – Establishment of Jean S. Whittaker Memorial Scholarship
2012 – Anointing services first held at Holy Cross. Services are held on the 3rd Sunday of each month
March 20, 2015 – Began annual Palm Sunday Prayer Walks in the Greenbelt community
2015 – Evangelism Workshop taught by Pastor Deddeh
August 30, 2015 – Church Mortgage Burning Celebration and church picnic
January 2016 – Pastor Suah Deddeh becomes Holy Cross Assistant Pastor of Welcoming and Outreach
April 8, 2017 – First Community Children’s Easter Celebration
October 29, 2017 – Celebration of 500th Anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation
November 5, 2017 – Dedication of Rev Edward Birner Memorial Cross in the circle in front of the church
December 9, 2017 – First Community Children’s Christmas Celebration
May 2018 – June 2019 – Replacement of roof over Sanctuary, Thrift Store & Parlor
June 2019 – 40th anniversary of Pastor Mentz ordination into Holy Ministry and 25th year at Holy Cross Church
August 25, 2019 – 75th Anniversary of Holy Cross
Much has changed since that humble beginning on Easter Sunday, 1944. But one thing hasn’t changed. Holy Cross Lutheran Church has been bold to proclaim the ancient confession of the Christian Church: “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all (Ephesians 4:5,6).