The Original Church
The History of St. Paul Lutheran Church
Many Scandinavian families, most with a Lutheran background, had settled in the town of Orion. A group of laymen, with 30 charter members, met on Ascension Day, May 26, 1870, and organized the Orion Swedish Lutheran church. In 1871, they were accepted into the Augustana Synod and completed their first church building. It was a 60” x 40” structure built on donated land for $3000.
By 1900, there were 423 communicant members and over 600 baptized members. In 1902, a new building was built. Much of the lumber from the first building was reused in the 2nd. The cornerstone was laid on June 3rd, and the dedication was on November 18. The total cost was $8,322.81.
1902 Church Building
In 1915, English was used on one Sunday morning each month and every other Sunday evening. There were 509 communicant members. In 1920, English became the official language of the congregation with only one Swedish service per month. There were 509 communicant members.
In 1922, the congregation changed its name to “St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church to reach out to non-Swedish residents. A new pipe organ was purchased for $4,000, plus shipping. A new education wing was built in 1950 at a cost of $54,000.
In 1962, the sanctuary was remodeled with new pews, chancel paneling, communion rail, lectern, baptismal font, and renovation of the choir and organ area. The congregation became part of the new Illinois Synod within the Lutheran Church in America when the Augustana Lutheran Church and three other Lutheran bodies merged.
The congregation celebrated its centennial in 1970. At that point, ten men from St. Paul had been called into the Gospel ministry. The basement was renovated, and a two-story addition was made on the west side of the church for $55,000.
The congregation adopted an internship program in 1979, and 18 interns participated until it was discontinued in 2001. In 1981, a Holy Saturday prayer vigil started.
In 1988, the Lutheran Church in America joined with two other Lutheran synods to form the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. There were 696 communicant members. In 1995, the congregation adopted the vision statement "rooted, nourished, and sent." The steeple was repaired, and interior renovations were completed for $200,000.
On June 18, 1998, the steeple fell during a severe windstorm. By 2000, the steeple had been repaired with $100,000 in insurance proceeds. This money was set aside for future expansion. After additional funds were raised, in 2001, there was a ground-breaking for an 88’ x 120’ building that included fellowship hall, kitchen, nursery, library, chapel, restrooms, courtyard, and additional office space.
The Ark was dedicated on March 30th, 2003. This building was used for community outreach, the 5th Quarter, as a place for high school students to gather after football and basketball games. By 2009, the sacristy addition and remodeled Sunday school room were ready. In 2014 the Ark mortgage was retired. During the 2018 blizzard, St. Paul church served as a warming center for 37 people.
The congregation celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2020. In November of 2025, the congregation voted to join the Lutheran Congregation in Mission with Christ association to continue reaching the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
It is easy to recount the structural improvement over the years. It is much more difficult to measure spiritual growth. Many sermons have been preached, choir songs have been sung, and Sunday school classes have been attended. All these were done with the intention of discipling people and giving a place for faith to grow. St. Paul continues in their mission to be a group of God’s people rooted in the Gospel, nourished by God’s Word, and sent by the Holy Spirit to proclaim Jesus Christ.
