HOLY COMFORTER LUTHERAN CHURCH

JUNE 1966 – OCTOBER 2005

Holy Comforter Lutheran Church, founded in 1966 as a congregation of the Lutheran Church in America, Texas-Louisiana Synod, has served the Humble and Kingwood area for thirty-nine years in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Board of American Missions of the Lutheran Church in America assigned V. George Brookover to be the Mission Developer, and he began his work in the Humble area in June 1966. The first worship service was held on October 2, 1966, in a trailer-chapel shared with the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, located on Atascocita Road south of Humble High School. In October 1967 Holy Comforter leased a trailer-chapel of its own and placed it on leased land located on North Belt. The new congregation was constituted on February 12, 1968, becoming the one hundred and first congregation of the Texas-Louisiana Synod. Growth of the congregation was slow, and as a result the decision was made to recess work in the Humble area. Plans were made to ask for a vote to terminate the life of the congregation by December 31, 1969. This was not to be!

Early in the year of 1969, King Ranch and Exxon USA’s Friendswood Development Company announced the Kingwood Project to develop a community on land north of the San Jacinto River. This, along with the opening of Houston Intercontinental Airport, quickly changed the plans for Holy Comforter. At a meeting on Reformation Day 1969, the decision was made to authorize the continuation of the congregation for one year in a relocated setting. The congregation voted on December 7, 1969, to relocate its center for ministry to a site north of the San Jacinto River in the Civic Center of Forest Cove Subdivision. The timing coincided with the beginning development of the Kingwood Subdivision, Trailwood-One. The first service north of the river was held on January 4, 1970.

The decade of the seventies was exciting for the congregation. Planning began for “our own” building to be located at the present site on Woodland Hills Drive. Groundbreaking for the original building took place on March 18, 1972.

With completion of the facility, Holy Comforter became the first church of Kingwood. The initial service was held on Christmas Eve of 1972 with 363 worshippers from the congregation and the community in attendance!

In an interest to use the new facility for more than Sunday services, the possible establishment of a Pre-Kindergarten program on weekdays was considered. In 1972, Marilyn Pirner conducted a door-to-door survey in Forest Cove and Kingwood to determine interest from the community for such a program. The community responded favorably. With Marilyn as director and teacher, and with one other teacher on board, Pre-Kindergarten classes for four-year-olds were offered. This program was the first of its kind in Kingwood, and on registration day the parents arrived to wait in line to register their children. The church kitchen served as the classroom for two classes of 15 students each and the two teachers.

In 1977, the second building, primarily for educational ministry, was built. With additional space available, the Preschool program was expanded to offer classes for three-year-olds and Mother’s Day Out for younger children. All Preschool classes are now successfully combined into the Early Childhood Education program (ECE), with Colleen Engel as the present Director.

The  congregation continued to grow and expanded the staff in 1977. In the fall of 1978, Vicar Thomas Bradford from the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary began an intern year. The intern year was followed by the arrival of Kenneth Hovland to serve as Associate Pastor at Holy Comforter. Pastor Hovland served from September 1979 through December 1983, when he accepted a call to become the pastor of Covenant Lutheran Church in Temple, Texas.

In 1981, the Church Council appointed a committee to plan for anticipated growth of the congregation. The already over-extended facilities needed enlargement as the congregational needs increased. The completed facility, including a new nave, was dedicated on November 4, 1984.

Pastor Daniel Dickhart began his ministry as Associate Pastor of Holy Comforter in August 1984. As the congregation grew in ministry and mission, additional plans for the future became necessary. In 1987 a Strategic Planning Committee, composed of a wide variety of members, was formed to analyze present and future needs.

In December 1987, Pastor Dickhart accepted a call to Grace Lutheran Church, Villa Park, Illinois. Pastor Don Holmstrom began his ministry at Holy Comforter as Associate Pastor in January 1988. During December of that year, two new half-time positions were added to the staff. Claudia Brookover was named Director of Christian Education and Pat Skoff was named Director of Youth Activities. Pastor Holmstrom accepted a call to Pennsylvania in February 1990.

The Congregation of Holy Comforter observed its twenty-fifth anniversary on October 6, 1991, with a special service and picnic.

Pastor Edward Wunderlich was Associate Pastor from 1990 to 1993, when he was called to an ELCA church in Oklahoma. Staff and program cutbacks occurred in 1993 due to a downturn in contributions, attendance, and membership.

In the years that followed, Holy Comforter’s existing structures continued to be in need of major repair and remodeling. A Capital Funds Appeal in 1995, provided monies for the necessary repairs and for the construction of Luther Hall and the Education Wing, completed and dedicated in the spring of 1996.

Senior Pastor V. George Brookover resigned in April 1996. The Director of Christian Education, Claudia Brookover, also resigned in April 1996.

In August 1996, H. Eldon “Cliff” Akerman became Interim Pastor for one year. Pastor Akerman became Senior Pastor of Holy Comforter in August 1997.

In July of the same year, Jennifer Seaks joined the staff as Youth Minister. She guided the high school group and the “IT” youth program until June 2001, when she became Co-Director at a Lutheran Church Camp in western North Dakota.

Kim Hanus has served since 1991 as Financial Coordinator.

In 1997, Shirley Neiman became Director of Administration, and she continues in this position, with Pam MacNaughton serving as Administrative Assistant.

In 1998, Mary Beth Teegerstrom began a one-year term as Associate in Ministry, specializing in Christian Education. Carol Hyun joined the staff as Director of Christian Education on a half-time basis in August 1999. This became a full-time position for Carol in January 2001.

In February 2001 at the annual meeting, the members of Holy Comforter approved revisions to the constitution. One change was the re-organizational structure of the congregation from a committee concept to ministry teams.

Five ministry teams – Worship, Learning, Service, Witness, Support – were formed as the method to achieve the objectives stated in our mission statement.

Bill Krejci, a member of Holy Comforter, became Evangelism Minister in February 1999, and continued in the position during his Associate in Ministry training. In 2001 he was elected Vice President of the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod. In 2002 Bill was called as an Intentional Interim Pastor for an ELCA congregation in El Campo, Texas, and called as Adviser to the Bishop.

Through Project 2000, special funds were raised to replace fascia, repaint building exteriors, and to repave the parking lot. Project 2002, a second special funds appeal, provided financing to replace the air conditioner/heater in the narthex, reseal the parking lot, and bring the electrical wiring up to code throughout the facility. A dedicated group of volunteers continues to care for and beautify the grounds and the garden.

Vanessa Roesler joined the staff as Youth Minister in September 2002.  Vanessa supervised the high school group and the “IT” program that met weekly for Bible study, social, and service activities.  However, Vanessa encountered some health problems which compelled her to resign her position, and the youth program was administered in the interim by the three-person team of Kevin Gahan, Lisa Calvert, and Cara Engel while the church searched for  a new Youth and Family Minister.  That search proved successful and Amber Gardner accepted the position on September 1, 2004.  Amber continued her predecessor’s responsibilities of overseeing confirmation, students in 6th through 8th grades as well as the “IT” high school activities and High School Sunday School.  Other ministries for young people are overseen by  Carol Hyun.   These include youth in grades K through 5 who meet once a week  for service and fellowship in a program referred to as “Wild and Wacky Wednesdays” (now called WOW – word, witness & worship).

Early in 2002 Pastor Akerman announced he would retire from the active ministry when he reached the age of 65 but that he would remain Interim Pastor during the call process.  True to his word, Pastor Akerman reverted to interim status early in 2003, and a call committee was formed to seek his successor.  The committee was furnished a list of ten persons interested in filling Holy Comforter’s pulpit, and from this list the committee selected five strong candidates for further consideration.  These five visited the church for detailed interviews and to learn about the congregation and the Kingwood community, and, after this process, the committee, during the Spring of 2003, recommended issuing a call to the Reverend Barbara L. Bartling who at the time was an associate pastor at Living Word Lutheran Church in Katy, Texas.  The Congregation approved the issuing of the call which Pastor Barb accepted, and she began her ministry on September 14, 2003.  Having been warmly received by the Congregation, she did not renew the lease on her rented apartment, and she became a permanent resident of Kingwood by buying a house in the community late in 2004.

The music program has always been important to the life of the congregation at Holy Comforter. During the 1960’s and through part of the 1970’s, Adrienne Stone was Organist and Choir Director. In 1974, Judy Hunt became Organist, Choir Director, and Volunteer Coordinator until 1984, when she moved from the area. Returning to Kingwood in 1989, Judy again became Organist at Holy Comforter. In the 70’s and 80’s Don Snyder and Suzie Wright were Choir Directors, with Marilyn Mobley serving as Organist. Alana Jacques handled a very ambitious and successful music program from 1985 to 2002. In past years our own band and orchestra were featured in the music programs. Presently the Gloria Dei choir and Handbell choirs provide music weekly. Bob Olsen, who was Organist and subsequently Organist/Choir Director, joined the staff in 1997 serving through 2002. A special appeal provided funds to purchase a new organ in 1998. John Neilsen first directed the Handbell Choirs, followed by Tammy Waldrop, until 2001 when Beth Moseman took the baton. Julane Swank began serving as Interim Organist and Choirmaster in January 2003, but she resigned June 1, 2003 due to other commitments.  So Judy Hunt once again filled in as interim organist until a replacement for Julane could be found.  That replacement was found in the person of Marsha Seale, a gifted musician who came to Holy Comforter in November 2003 and brought  an added plus for the Congregation.  Her husband, Pieter Visser, is an organ builder who has executed commissions both in this country and in Europe.  So the Worship and Music Ministry at Holy Comforter remains strong with several opportunities for members of all ages to worship God through their singing, their bell ringing, and their playing of musical instruments.

Active groups are Youth, Service, Seniors, Exercise, Bridge, Dinner Club, Care Team, Women’s Group (WELCA) with six Circles. An average of 30 – 35 members donate blood three times a year to the Gulf Coast Bloodmobile on site.

Holy Comforter Congregation celebrated the thirty-fifth year of organization on February 9, 2003. In the late summer of 2005 Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Mississippi, and in its aftermath the levees protecting New Orleans broke, causing flooding to 80 percent of that city and forcing the evacuation of more than a quarter of a million of its residents.  A number of religious and social agencies in the Houston area came to the aid of those evacuees, among them Holy Comforter’s neighboring congregation, Kingwood United Methodist Church, which offered shelter to more than 100 persons.   And when Holy Comforter offered to assist in the relief effort, the result was that the church became an agency for collecting, sorting, and disbursing massive amounts of food, clothing, and personal items that were donated.

During the three weeks that Holy Comforter performed this charitable act, one-sixth of its facilities were used, requiring that alternate arrangements needed to be made for usual parish activities.  WELCA circles met in the narthex because the Wittenberg room was used as a free store.  And the previously-scheduled kickoff program for the new Sunday school year was held in the church’s parking lot because Luther Hall had been converted into a huge clothing depot from which the evacuees could replace their wardrobes. The evacuees sheltered by the Methodists were invited to that parking lot event, and many of them did attend, and they were served and received graciously by the congregation.
Some parents of children attending Holy Comforter’s preschool program expressed concern for the safety of their children in a situation where the church was being visited by outsiders dropping off donations and by the evacuees, but the church eased that concern by restricting its relief operations to hours when the preschool was not in session and by instituting special security procedures.
The end result was that the church was able to conduct both ministries at the same time, and the congregation was able to live up to its name by giving comfort to the victims of a natural disaster.

The next long-awaited milestone was the addition of Kaylyn Wheeler-Kaelin in 2006 to head up Youth and Family Ministry at Holy Comforter.  As a definite area of strenth within the congregation, and definite need in the community, the leadership decided to call Kaylyn to full-time ministry.

In addition in 2006, the Church Council began the formation of a Vision Team to serve as leaders to the “vision process” of Holy Comforter.  After nearly two years of prayer, study, and discernment by the Vision Team, God graciously granted the vision of:  As growing Disciples, we are Equipped for service and Expected to use our gifts for God’s Purpose; hence, the emphasis of going DEEPer with Christ at Holy Comforter.  Since this powerful permission and call was given, we have seen incredible growth in people’s lives of commitment to Jesus Christ, to one another, and to the world around us.

2008 marks the 40th anniversary of Holy Comforter Lutheran Church:  Kingwood’s First Church.  This grand occasion was celebrated special worship service and a grant meal attended by members, friends, and special guest sHouston’s Mayor Bill White and Harris County Judge Ed Emmett.  October 26, 2008 was declared ”Holy Comforter Lutheran Church Day” in Houston, Texas and in Harris County, Texas.

We look forward to a grand future in the hands of God.  We know not where we are going, but only that His hands are leading us.  Thank God. 

 

<PREVIOUS | NEXT >