Unity Lutheran Church Celebrates 75 Years
By Ron Winkler

The genesis of Unity Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1025 E. Oklahoma Ave. was on September 14, 1930 with a worship service in the old Odd Fellows Hall on the northeast corner of Kinnickinnic and Potter, across from what is now the Hi Fi Café. Most of the eleven people at the service were former members of St. Lucas Evangelical Lutheran Church, which was one block away at 2605 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.
The group had left St. Lucas earlier that year when the new pastor at St. Lucas discovered that some members belonged to the Masonic Lodge and other similar organizations. St. Lucas is part of the Wisconsin Synod and such membership is prohibited. The previous pastor ignored these memberships, but the new pastor let it be known that lodge members had to decide between the church and their lodges.
During the summer of 1930, the group met with Synod Mission Developer Gottfried Kempf, who was doing missionary work in Bay View. There were no churches south of Humboldt Park, so Rev. Kempf felt that another church could be successful. Pastor Kempf had previously helped with the organizing of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Cudahy.
Unity chosen as name
The Unity congregation was officially organized on March 29, 1931 with 56 charter members.This group had a dream of someday building a beautiful church and their hard work was a labor of love with everyone working together. Therefore, they chose Unity Evangelical Lutheran Church as the name for their church.
A white house on the southwest corner of Oklahoma and Herman was purchased on January 2, 1932 for $7400. This house at 3103 S. Herman St. was remodeled into a chapel. Services were held in the chapel for the first time on February 7, 1932, with the dedication the following Sunday, February 14th. In the early years, an English language service was held at 10:00 am, with a German language service at 11:00 am.
In early 1934, Pastor Kempf left Unity to accept a call at another congregation. The interim pastor was a student from the Chicago Lutheran Theological Seminary. This young man impressed the congregation to the point that they requested that he become pastor upon his graduation. As a result, Rev. Robert L. Boulton began his ministry as Unity’s pastor, where he was to serve for twenty five years until his death on October 4, 1960.
Congregation grows
By 1939, increasing membership and the need for repairs resulted in architect Fred Wegner drawing up plans for a new lannon stone Gothic-type church. Ground was broken on Sunday, October 22, 1939. During construction, services were held at the old Palo Alto Hall, 3145 S. Kinnickinnic Avenue.
The cost for the 300-seat church was $25,000 and dedication was on Sunday, March 10, 1940. The church was oriented on a north-south axis, with the altar at the south end. This orientation was 90 degrees to that of the old white chapel.
Continuing growth
By 1948, Unity’s congregation was again outgrowing its building. The ground breaking was March 10, 1949 and the cornerstone was laid May 29, 1949. Architect Fred Wegner was again hired to design the new church. He incorporated the front half of the 1939 lannon stone church into the nave of the new church. The rear half of the old church was remodeled into a vestibule with two offices. Orientation of the new church was perpendicular to the 1939 church on an east-west axis, with the altar at the west end. The new edifice perfectly matched the existing church in its use of limestone and Gothic-inspired prototypes. In addition, the altar from the 1939 church was used. Dedication for the $150,000 structure, with seating for 450, was held on February 5, 1950.
Stained glass windows were not part of the 1949 project. In 1955, Centerpiece Art Glass Works installed the three windows above the altar at a cost of $1600. The nineteen side windows were added in 1955 and 1956, at a cost of $230 per window.
Bullock home purchased
As the Sunday school expanded due to the post World War II baby boom, the congregation purchased the adjacent property to the west at 1007 E. Oklahoma from Clarence J. and Virginia Bullock for $48,000 in 1957. The house was used not only for Sunday school, but for meetings of the various church groups and committees.
By 1965, the Bullock home too, became inadequate and was also in need of costly repairs. The decision was made to raze the home and build a new facility. Ground breaking took place on May 22, 1966 and the cornerstone was laid on June 11, 1967. Architect Norman Hinz produced the contemporary design, which was an architectural contrast to the church. This educational/fellowship building was added to the west end of the church. The $400,000 addition, containing a hall/gymnasium, classrooms, choir room, and offices, was completed in December 1967. Dedication was January 14, 1968.
With the extra space, Unity opened its doors to a Senior Center on September 10, 1968. Over the years, the center has grown to its present size of 100 to 125 members. The Senior Center, whose name has been changed to the Active Adult Center, meets every Tuesday and is open to anyone age 50 and over, regardless of religious orientation.
New organ
In 1971, construction began on a $36,000 organ designed by Otto Eberle and Unity organist, Bob Legler. The Schaefer Organ Co. of Slinger, Wisconsin built the console, combination system, relays and chests. Werner Bosch of Kassell, Germany, made the exposed pipes. Some pipes from the old organ were retained. Milwaukee’s Jerome B. Meyer & Sons, Inc., made the remaining pipes.
Unity today
Unity has an active outreach program. Examples include maintaining a weekly, Wednesday evening soup kitchen. In addition, there are two Alcoholics Anonymous Chapters as well as a Cocaine Anonymous Chapter, all of which meet weekly at the church.
Unity began as a German immigrant congregation, but today is a multi-ethnic congregation serving an area that has expanded beyond the borders of Bay View. Like many mainline Christian congregations, the membership has declined. However, the congregation has a dedicated core membership that has taken responsibility for the work of the church and it continues to thrive. Among the church’s organizations are a youth group, women’s group, Bible Study, vocal choir and hand bell choir.
As the congregation’s membership ages, one of its goals has been to attract young people in order to ensure the church’s future. Already this has started to happen. In 2005, when Pastor Amy Becker, a recent graduate of the Chicago Lutheran Theological Seminary became Unity’s senior pastor, she had the distinction of being the youngest person to serve Unity in that office. Indeed, her enthusiasm, energy and ideas have resulted in an increase in church attendance and increase in membership within the church’s organizations.

Unity in 1935

Unity Today