Called to common mission well before recent denominational edicts, a small group of Lutherans joined the choir of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Prince Frederick, to sing during the Advent and Christmas season in 1988. Having discovered their mutual interest in establishing an ELCA congregation, three Lutheran families met with representatives of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and St. John’s Lutheran Church of Riverdale, Md. in April 1989. By summer, a steering committee was formed with the assistance of retired Lutheran pastor, the Rev. William Stremel.

The process of establishing a new congregation was cumbersome. Demographic studies were needed to justify the need for a mission church. Coordination was sought with the LCMS, which already had a congregation in Calvert County. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America was newly emerging from the merger of the American Lutheran Church and the Lutheran Church in America. The steering committee petitioned to become an ELCA mission congregation, but the pangs of forming a new national church slowed efforts.

Now meeting regularly at the home of Rev. and Mrs. Stremel, the small but determined group decided to go forward without official sanction from a national Lutheran body. Member Marsha Trott acted as steering committee chairperson and liaison to the ELCA, arranging for all supply ministers, choosing hymns, and filling in as secretary. The name of Saint Nicholas was chosen because the group had come together in Advent and because Saint Nicholas, the Bishop of Myra, Asia Minor, was the patron saint of sailors, maidens, and children. Being located in a county surrounded by water, the small congregation had many boaters and sailors and was blessed with a number of children among the families. The name of Saint Nicholas seemed most appropriate.

St. John’s Lutheran Church, an ELCA congregation in Riverdale, Md., sponsored our fledgling group as a “preaching point” of their ministry, with pulpit exchanges and financial support. On September 10, 1989, the first official service as Saint Nicholas Lutheran Church was held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, with 45 people in attendance. Regular services were held, with SNLC children attending St. Paul’s Sunday School classes. In December of 1989, 55 worshippers celebrated a joyous Christmas service. The confirmed membership had now grown to 50, with an annual offering of $5,817 being received, $900 of which was sent to the ELCA as a benevolence contribution.

From 1990 to 1992, regular services were continued at St. Paul’s, with Confirmation and Sunday School classes now being offered. Growing at a steady pace, the congregation continued to seek ELCA sanction, developing a mission statement and a constitution while awaiting official status. St. Paul’s offered use of their historic property, Linden House, for Sunday School and meeting space. Saint Nicholas responded in gratitude by painting and repairing the building. In June of 1992, the resolute group was successful in convincing the ELCA of the need for a Mission Developer in Calvert County. In July, the Rev. Dr. Jerrett Hansen, Regional Director of Mission Development and Outreach, began attending services and served as a regular supply pastor. By August, a constitution was developed for congregational approval.

In September 1991, the congregation welcomed the Rev. Nicki Parrish as Mission Developer. Services now moved to Plum Point Middle School to accommodate the growing congregation. Officers were elected and the constitution ratified. Already realizing the need for a church home, the congregation elected John Hofmann as Building and Property chair in October 1992. On Saint Nicholas Day, Dec. 6, Bishop E. Harold Jansen chartered Saint Nicholas as an organized church in the ELCA at a special service with 181 in attendance. At the end of the year, membership had grown to 110, with average worship attendance of 85.

The year 1993 was a defining year, with program emphasis on reaching out in Christ’s name. Rev. Parrish was called to serve as pastor, Christian education and youth activities were expanded, and a building fund was started. One teenager attended a summer work camp, a practice which continued for many years to come, attracting large groups of young workers to accomplish building and renovation projects in impoverished areas. Saint Nicholas was a partner with Trinity Methodist and St. Paul’s churches in founding Project ECHO, the Ecumenical Council for the Homeless, providing volunteers, leadership, and financial support. By establishing a preaching point in the southern tip of the county, we began mission outreach. Worship services were scheduled on Sunday afternoons at the Methodist Church in Solomons. These activities were the beginning of Good Samaritan Lutheran Church, now well established in Lexington Park. With membership now at 167 and Sunday service attendance averaging more than 100, the congregation was supporting ministry with offerings of $60,000. Significant support from local Lutheran churches, the Metropolitan Washington D. C. Synod, and the ELCA continued to sustain us.

A contemporary worship service was inaugurated in 1994, as the membership had now expanded to 180. The church undertook the first “Christmas in April” home repair project, and our first Vacation Bible School was a resounding success.

In February 1995, Saint Nicholas partnered with the ELCA to purchase a 10-acre plot across from Plum Point Middle School. In April, we held our first Easter Sonrise Service on our property. During the summer, we held the first of six consecutive outdoor Vacation Bible Schools, witnessing to more than 100 children. While developing our music and worship style, the congregation continued its emphasis on outreach by helping to form and support CCIDC, a program providing transitional housing for homeless families.

In 1996, we constructed office space in the basement of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, from which the growing congregation’s needs could be served. The need to begin an aggressive building campaign was recognized and begun. Membership had now reached 240, with weekly attendance at 168. In the next two years, program expansion continued with services to teens and children expanding. A capital campaign raised $70,000 in pledges, and the meticulous work of building a church began in earnest, with architects’ plans, building proposals, and committee decisions needing to be addressed.

Pastor Parrish announced her decision to resign in November 1999, but remained with us through the Advent and Christmas season. In January 2000, a service and luncheon of appreciation were held honoring her years of developing and defining mission at Saint Nicholas. At the time of her departure, the congregation had grown to more than 300 members, with an annual offering of $123,000.

During a busy interim period of seven months, actual building construction on our new church home began and proceeded at an amazing pace. Our expectant congregation, empowered by the Holy Spirit and well served by interim pastors Rev. Brent Thalacker and Rev. Richard Berry, continued to grow. Under the guidance of Bishop Schneider and led by member Mark Geckle, a focused pastoral call committee labored diligently to define the needs of the congregation. In June 2000, we issued a call to the Rev. Randall Casto, and in August, we welcomed Rev. Casto and his family into our midst..

By fall, our building was ready for occupancy. We moved into our new church home with joy and thanksgiving in November. Our first service in our own building was held on November 12, 2000, with 312 in attendance. A community Thanksgiving service was hosted on November 24, as Saint Nicholas proudly welcomed our old friends, St. Paul’s and All Saints’ Episcopal congregations, into our church home. We were additionally blessed with the gift of an organ donated by Bethlehem Lutheran Church, in Fairfax, Va. A program of special gifting opportunities, Beyond the Bricks, attracted additional memorial and honorary gifts that have helped to furnish and equip our sanctuary and building. Thanks be to God, our membership today stands at over 600, with more than 260 at worship (three services) with regularity.

Recognizing our need to continue the strong commitment of outreach begun by our founders, we have now restructured our programs under seven ministry areas, with many teams to meet specific needs under each ministry sponsor. Welcoming new folks and families each Sunday, Saint Nicholas looks to our Lord and Savior for direction as we continue to move forward. As we celebrate the blessings and progress of the past decade, we anticipate the wondrous challenges that God has designed for this congregation in the future.

“To God be the Glory; Great Things He Has Done!”