National Lutheran Council. Division of American Missions. Office of Urban Church Planning.

The National Lutheran Council (NLC) was formed on September 6, 1918 as a common agency of participating Lutheran church bodies to administer domestic programs, publicize Lutheran activities and beliefs, and provide overseas emergency relief to areas devastated by World War I. In 1954, the Office of Urban Church Planning was established under the Division of American Missions to produce urban church planning studies, devise planning study techniques, and provide consultative services to urban churches and cities in an effort to determine how to best minister to those in metropolitan, rapid growth, and industrial communities.

Walter Kloetzli, Jr. served as Office secretary. In 1957, John Wagner was added to the staff as assistant secretary. Howell S. Foster became assistant secretary in 1962. An Urban Church Planning Subcommittee directed the activities of the program.