Mount Olive Evangelical Lutheran Church, as she was known before the merger into Our Savior, was the result of a merging of Mount Olive Evangelical Lutheran Church and Gethsemane Evangelical Lutheran Church. The process, officially begun on September 14, 1986 came to its close on October 26, 1987. By the grace of the Lord of the Church, these two congregations formed one to continue to faithfully preach Christ Crucified.
Mount Olive Evangelical Lutheran Church held her first service on November 7, 1915 in a storefront at East 113th and Superior Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio. On September 17, 1916 the Rev. W. E. Stein was Ordained and Installed as the mission’s Pastor, and the name of Mount Olive was chosen. The new congregation soon had their own church, located on Eddy Road, dedicated in 1917. They soon outgrew this location and moved to a new church at Superior Avenue and East 108th Street. Unfortunately, the Great Depression greatly affected Mount Olive, and she was forced to surrender her building following Services on September 22, 1940. By the grace of God, Mount Olive dedicated a new church on November 22, 1953. They held their last service in that church on November 23, 1986. The following Sunday they began worshipping with Gethsemane Evangelical Lutheran Church in preparation for a merger.
During her 71 year history, Mount Olive was served by only four Pastors. The Rev. W. E. Stein served Mount Olive for 45 years. Following the Rev. Stein, Mount Olive was served by the Rev. Arthur Beall, the Rev. Dr. A. Bueltmann, and the Rev. William G. Kohlmeier.
Gethsemane Evangelical Lutheran Church was organized in 1922. The Evangelical Lutheran Mission Society of Cleveland identified a need for a Lutheran Church in Cleveland Heights. The Rev. Martin Ilse, Sr., was given the responsibility of organizing a new congregation in this area. June 11, 1922 was the first service for the new congregation, with 39 children in attendance for the Sunday School hour following the Divine Service. Soon the congregation’s storefront on Noble and Nelaview Roads was inadequate, so the Mission Society purchased land on Noble Road for a new building. Gethsemane’s first church, which still stands to the rear of the Noble Road property, was dedicated on October 19, 1924. That same year, Gethsemane officially organized as a congregation and called her first pastor. Gethsemane joined the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States (today The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod) on June 2, 1925. The congregation purchased a Moeller pipe organ in 1948. By 1953 it was apparent that the space was no longer adequate for the growing congregation. A Building Committee was formed and in 1957 ground was broken for the larger building on the same property. It was dedicated on Laetare Sunday, March 16, 1958. By her 50th Anniversary in 1975, Gethsemane was comprised of 309 souls.
During her 64 year history, Gethsemane was served by the Rev. Martin Ilse, Sr., the Rev. Elmer I. Miller (who served Gethsemane for 23 years), the Rev. Eugene W. Beltz, the Rev. Gerhardt A. Wagner, the Rev. Michael R. Totten, and the Rev. H. John Reis.
The year of Our Lord 1985 marked a turn for both congregations. Due to changes in both congregations and their neighborhoods, it became apparent that neither congregation would be independently viable much longer. The chairmen of both congregations contacted each other to discuss the possibility of merging the two congregations. By November 1985, a majority of both congregations approved the idea of a merger. In 1986 a new Constitution and By-Laws were written for the new congregation and approved by both congregations. On October 26, 1987 the final agreements were signed and one congregation emerged, now stronger and confident of her future, with the Lord of the Church guiding her. The Rev. William G. Kohlmeier, Mount Olive’s Pastor was also serving as Gethsemane’s Vacancy Pastor at the time, so both congregations agreed to issue a Call to the Rev. Kohlmeier to serve as Pastor of the newly formed merger congregation. The new congregation had a total membership of approximately 375 members.
During the years since the merger, Mount Olive has been led by several Pastors. In 1990, the Rev. Kohlmeier accepted a Divine Call which took him to Denver, Colorado. Following his departure, several men faithfully served Mount Olive as Pastor, several as Vacancy Pastor. Those faithful servants were the Rev. Randell Tonn, the Rev. James Jasper, the Rev. John Wisch, the Rev. Timothy Landskroener, the Rev. Nicholas Zipay, the Rev. Donald Hayas, and the Rev. Robert Mertz. In the early months of 2012, it became apparent to Mount Olive that she was in need of her own permanent Pastor. The congregation approached their District Bishop and President, the Rev. David P. Stechholz, to express their desire for their own Pastor. He encouraged them to Call a Candidate from the Seminary, and on April 15, 2012, Mount Olive extended a Divine Call to a then unknown Candidate from Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana, and on May 2, 2012, the Rev. Ryan D. Beffrey was issued the Divine Call to serve as Mount Olive’s new Pastor. He was Ordained on June 9, 2012 and Installed at Mount Olive by Bishop Stechholz on June 17, 2012. During the Spring of 2017, Rev. Beffrey received a Divine Call to serve Epiphany Lutheran Church in Dorr, Michigan. After prayerful consideration, Rev. Beffrey accepted this Call and was installed on June 4, 2017. On November 18, 2018, Mount Olive extended a call to a candidate from the seminary in Fort Wayne. Rev. Jonathan C. McCall was ordained at his home congregation of Trinity Lutheran Church in Tryon, North Carolina, on December 2 and installed as pastor at Mount Olive on December 9, 2018.
Just one year later, Abiding Savior Lutheran Church in North Royalton was in need of a vacancy pastor and Rev. McCall stepped in to fill that role. In 2020, Mount Olive decided to sell its property in hopes of prolonging its Ministry and successfully sold in December of that year. Abiding Savior invited Mount Olive to meet in their North Royalton building in a combined Divine Service, which they began doing on December 6, 2020. In the Spring of 2021, the two congregations decided to move toward a merger and worked the remainder of that year on a new constitution and other preparations for completing the merger, including choosing a new name for the congregation. Out of this work and joining together, Our Savior Evangelical Lutheran Church emerged officially in May 2022 with Rev. McCall serving as pastor.
It is with deep gratitude to the Lord of the Church that we gather this day. We thank Him for His great love, shown to us by Word and Sacrament, through which Christ Crucified is given and received for the forgiveness of our sins. As we trace the history of two congregations become one, twice over, we see the direction given by the Triune God. We boldly face the future, knowing that we continue on in His great love and mercy.