who we are

Our mission is to worship and work together as a community of faith in Christ, actively welcoming all to explore and develop their faith and to care for God’s creation by sharing and demonstrating God's love and grace.


We Value:

Community

Faith Exploration and Development

Care for God’s Creation

Welcoming


We are first a Christian church.  The source of our life is found in Jesus Christ who died for us and was raised for us. Our goal is to have Jesus Christ be central in all that we do.


We are a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in the Northwest Washington Synod. The message Lutherans bring to the church and the world is that God gives us friendship with himself, forgiveness of sins, and eternal life as a gift of his love through faith in Jesus Christ.


We welcome all to join us in worship, communion, and in our service and fellowship activities.  Lord of Life was started in 1974 and had its first worship services in Hagen's Barn. The informality of the 'barn' has continued with us.


We, the people of Lord of Life Lutheran Church, Renton, Washington proclaim our faith, hope and trust in one Triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.   We believe that the Holy Spirit has called us into the fellowship of this congregation for the purpose of God's mission and ministry.  Our emphasis will be the Gospel of Jesus Christ and people.  The Gospel will have priority in all that we do.


Learn more about the ELCA

Learn more about our Northwest Washington Synod


history

In 1973, the reality of a new Lutheran Church was forming in the minds of Art and Lorrine Theimer who had recently moved to the area of East Renton.  They called Pastor Norm Orth, Mission Director of the North Pacific District of the America Lutheran Church (ALC) and learned that the ALC had purchased a plot of ground in 1967 about 4 miles east of Renton but had never established a mission church there.  Pastor Orth and the Theimers began researching the possibility of building on this land.  


After a survey and much prayer, a Task Force was formed.  Original members were:  Joe and Peggy Ziebarth, Ray and Esther Gower, Ken and Genevie Tschider, Greg and Jean Pratschner, Bill and Karen Walker, and the Freeman Frydenlunds. Pastor Charles Mays was called from Fairfax, Virginia as the first pastor.  He started his work here on August 10, 1973.  


The name "Lord of Life Lutheran Church" was agreed upon at a meeting held September 16, 1973. Those first services and holiday celebrations were memorable.  They were held in Hagen's Square Dance Barn.  At the first Christmas service the people sat in the barn, on bales of hay, remembering our Savior's birth. 


Organization and formal welcome by the ALC, North Pacific District, was on January 26, 1975, with Bishop Clarence Solberg presiding. Plans for a church building were soon begun and the dedication service was held November 7, 1976 with Pastor Orth and other dignitaries present. 


Pastor Mays served until December 1983.  Pastor Ray Lester was the interim pastor from January 1984 through June 1984, when Pastor Jim Rismiller accepted the call to serve Lord of Life.  Pastor Rismiller retired after 25 years on June 28, 2009. Pastor Phil Reitz served as the pastor for the interim.  In June 2011, Kari Reiten was called to serve as Pastor until October 2015. Pastor Neil Vik accepted the call as Lord of Life's new Pastor in March of 2016 following his service as our interim Pastor until his retirement in May 2022.  Pastor Krista Johnson was our Transition Facilitator and Pastor Joe Kutzke served as our Worship and Care Pastor through the interim.


In June 2023, Pastor Halcyon Bjornstad was called to be the pastor of Lord of Life and was installed on September 17, 2023.