Colton Lutheran Church (Colton, Or.)

A young pastor serving a congregation in Portland is credited with beginning Colton Lutheran Church. Pastor Renhard organized the Swedish Colonization Company in 1906 and the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Carlsborg congregation in 1907. A new church was constructed and on Sunday, June 21, Pastor Renhard organized the Sunday School, celebrated the first services of Holy Communion, and received several new members. In 1937, by a vote of the congregation, English became the official language of the church, but it was not until 1945 that the name of the congregation was changed to Colton Lutheran. In the early 1950s, stained glass art windows were installed throughout the nave, a tile floor was laid in the church parlors, and more facilities for the Sunday School were provided. In 1967 Colton Lutheran Church transferred Camp Colton, a conference ground they had built up and maintained for many years, to the Pacific Northwest Synod of the LCA.

From the guide to the Colton Lutheran Church, Colton, Oregon, Records, 1907-2012, (Pacific Lutheran University)