Emmanuel’s Journey to this Day

The story of Emmanuel Lutheran Church begins in 1945 when the first service was performed in a private home in Manette. Quickly growing, in January of 1946, a postwar Quonset Hut was built and by February the first Council election was held. This marked the official formation of “Manette Lutheran Church” of Bremerton which was then affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Fall 1946 and Emmanuel Lutherans’ Journey

By that fall of 1946 a new chapel was built and was dedicated, with the first church completed in 1949. This initial church structure is now the fellowship hall, with second floor classrooms.

The congregation continued to grow rapidly, and in 1955 ground was broken for the current sanctuary, which hosts our dynamic Childcare Center in its full daylight basement. Nearly 500 worshipers packed the building for the dedication service.

Like most American congregations, Emmanuel’s size has declined since the sixties, but our devotion to serve God and our faithfulness to God’s Word remain the same.

In 1960, the Evangelical Lutheran Church joined with two other Lutheran bodies and became the American Lutheran Church.

1988 and American Lutheran Church Merger

In 1988, the American Lutheran Church merged with two other Lutheran bodies and became the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Unfortunately, that denomination did not retain the ALC’s devotion to the authority of the Bible, and significantly drifted from historic Lutheran Christian beliefs.

Emmanuel Lutheran Church 2010 to Today

In 2010 Emmanuel’s congregation was finding it challenging to maintain their magnificent sanctuary and church campus. The answer to their prayers came through another Lutheran congregation, Hope Lutheran Church, who held their services at Emmanuel. Hope belonged to the American Association of Lutheran Churches.

When the two congregations joined one another, they sought God’s leading as to which Lutheran body they should be a part of. The answer was clear. Since all of the members of the new, combined congregation affirmed the authority of God’s Word, they decided to affiliate with the AALC.

The AALC consists primarily of ALC congregations that originally declined to enter into the ELCA, due to its reluctance to affirm “sola scriptura” (the authority of the Scriptures).

We invite you to learn more about the American Association of Lutheran Churches of which we are a humble, yet confident, part.