Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Maplewood, MN has a long, rich history. Gethsemane was founded in 1939 as a member of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod (LCMS). In 1976, while still being led by its founding pastor, Gethsemane and other moderate congregations broke away from the LCMS and joined what later became the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches (AELC). In 1988, the AELC merged with other Lutheran groups to form the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
From the earliest years of our congregation, Gethsemane has had a focus on children, youth, and families. Our school opened in 1943, just a few years after our first worship service. By the 1970’s Gethsemane Lutheran School served approximately 300 students and their families. With changes in the educational landscape and local demographics, enrollment declined and it became clear in recent years that the school was no longer financially sustainable. Gethsemane was one of the last ELCA churches in the country to operate a K-8 school. In 2023, the church council voted to close the school.
Gethsemane offers two services on Sunday mornings: a traditional liturgical service at 8:30am and a contemporary service at 10:15am, with a coffee and refreshments time between services. Our contemporary service includes a special children’s message and a dedicated space for children. We will be launching new faith formation initiatives in the coming year!
In addition to Sunday worship, Gethsemane’s congregation participate in a number of ministries and activities including Serve the World, Wednesday Bible Fellowship, partnership with churches in Tanzania, a book club, prayer group, and more. [Link to ministries page.] The former Gethsemane Lutheran School classroom spaces are now home to Sejong Academy, a Korean immersion school, and we also share our spaces with other groups from our community, including a Spanish-language church, Al-Anon meetings, Special Olympics, Empower Me Group, and others.
The school was a major part of Gethsemane’s life and ministry for over 80 years. While Gethsemane’s congregation was sad to close our school, we are excited for the opportunity to rediscover God’s call for our congregation and find new ways to engage with our neighbors. We hope you’ll join us as we create a new vision for faith formation and service to our community!
Gethsemane’s building includes a large sanctuary with a 1972 German Baroque style Casavant pipe organ, a gymnasium, school classrooms, cafeteria/common area with full kitchen, and our grounds include a 10+ acre park.
