The Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Zion Congregation in Galveston was chartered in 1892, applied for membership in 1893 to the Augustana Synod Kansas Conference of Missions, and built the originally chapel on the southern-most corner in 1895. Records (see Rosenberg Library) go back to 1864 showing they met to worship in individual homes, at a Methodist Church on Broadway and an Episcopal Church on Mechanic (Ave C) at night and these services were mostly in Swedish, with English being introduced every other Sunday in 1897.

This original two-story chapel was 26 feet by 40 feet, with 12-foot ceilings upstairs for the chapel and 8 foot ceiling downstairs for the fellowship hall. The property on the county tax plat records show - "The Swedish Church." Prior to this - the name Henderson was listed as the property owner. (Swedish??)

December 10, 1925, the congregation approved a contract with William Kahlew for $9,990 to build the new church that included stained glass windows and a pipe organ. At the same time they approved $1,000 to remodel the chapel into a parsonage upstairs.

The name in stained glass over the front door is - "The Zion Lutheran Church".

The Lutheran congregation sold this property in 1959 to the Rio Grande Methodist Conference of San Antonio who named it the Zion Spanish United Methodist Church. The Lutherans built their new and current facilities off Stewart Road at 6910 Yucca and kept their name of Zion Lutheran Church.

As you know, Galveston was the port of arrival for thousands of Swedes and many stayed in the Galveston area and established businesses, churches, and family roots. This is the heritage we want to preserve.

Per the Zion Lutheran Church’s Fiftieth Anniversary pamphlet published in 1942, a small group of Swedish emigrants wanted a church of their own. They held their meetings in “other” churches until insistent appeals for a pastor were made by Captain Anderson to the leaders of their Augustana Synod and to officers of the Kansas Conference, were finally heard. It was Dr. J. A. Stamline of New Sweden, TX, who in 1891 came to conduct their first service. Finally on October 2, 1892 the congregation was officially organized and in early 1893 they applied for membership in the Kansas Conference.

The pamphlet further noted that the devastating blow the church felt after the Great Storm of 1900, where “20 adults, besides children” lost their lives and many more Swedes left or never came to the Island.

Also noted in the1942 pamphlet - the remaining Charter Members were: Capt N.J. Anderson, Mrs. C.O. Bergwall, Mrs. J.T. Reinhart, Mrs. August Anders, and Mrs. Anna Rowland.

Florence Helverson, a current Zion Lutheran Church member , remembers the great quote the then Pastor Segerhammer, read to his little flock in his annual report on January 7, 1901:

“We will raise our eyes toward the future. The Lord is with us.

The city of Galveston has a great future; so has this congregation.”

The Swedish Texans by Larry E. Scott and “Texas-Posten" editor, Mauritz Knape documents the Swedish efforts made to aid the Scandinavian emigrants in the Galveston and coastal area after the Great Storm of 1900.

The Swedes in Texas in Words and Pictures 1838-1918 by Ernest Severin states, “The Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Zion congregation in Galveston celebrated its 25th anniversary on October 2, 1917. …Dr. J.A. Stamlin founded the congregation, and in 1917, the congregation is served by Eric J. Heurlin, student of theology. Charles W. Mattson serves as secretary, and N.J. Anderson as treasurer … The congregation owns property valued at $15,000. The blueprints for a new church has been drawn… In connection with the church work, the Seamen’s Mission has been carried on.”

The Fiftieth Anniversary pamphlet states, “for more than a quarter of a century the congregation worshipped in the frame chapel erected in 1895…In 1910 additional lots were purchased…and a beautiful new temple was dedicated on Sunday September 5, 1926…complete with beautiful stained-glass windows and an expensive pipe organ.”