The history of the Lutheran Church in the American Falls area began in Pleasant Valley in 1910 when services were first conducted by Rev. E. Berthold, who at the time was serving a congregation of the Lutheran Joint Synod of Ohio in Walla Walla, Washington. Organization of the Martin Luther congregation took place in 1911. Rev. Berthold and several other pastors of the Ohio Synod continued to serve the congregation until 1912, but since the Ohio Synod could not fill the congregation’s application for a resident pastor, the congregation applied to the Iowa Synod for a minister. Services at that time were held in the home of Ludwig Adolf, Sr. and later in the Pleasant Valley School.
According to all available records, St. John’s was organized in may of 1913 with 12 voting and 61 baptized members. In February of 1947, Martin Luther and St. John’s united under the name of St. John’s.
A building for the newly combined congregations was completed and dedicated January 27, 1952, and a new parsonage was completed in August of 1963.
From the guide to the St. John's Lutheran Church, American Falls, Idaho, Records, 1911-2012, (Pacific Lutheran University)
