Shepherd of the Mountains Lutheran Church

Church History

Shepherd of the Mountains Lutheran Church is a congregation of the Eastern Washington-Idaho Synod, in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), a part of the worldwide Lutheran Church Body. We combine traditional catholic worship and sacramental life with the evangelical emphasis on a corporate and personal relationship with Jesus The Christ. We stress Martin Luther's "theology of the cross," the primacy of the Holy Scripture, and the traditional worship life of the Apostolic Church. The Church is a people created by God in Christ empowered by The Holy Spirit, called and sent to bear witness to God's creative, redeeming, and sanctifying activity in the world. To participate in God's mission, this congregation as a part of The Church shall: worship God, proclaim The Gospel, carry out Christ's Great Commission, serve, nurture, manifest the unity of The Body of Christ, The Church.

A Church Built from Crosses began as a way to raise money to help build a church building and pay off the land mortgage. Cross construction parties have included members of all ages, and to date over 118,000 of the small oak crosses have found homes across the nation and around the world. The fellowship, ministry, and blessings that have resulted along the way are without measure.

History: Shepherd of the Mountains Lutheran Church, Jackson, WY, began in 1985 with five families coming together for what was known then as "The New Lutheran Fellowship."

December 1, 1991, Shepherd of the Mountains Lutheran Church organized as a mission congregation of the ELCA.

May 7, 1995, 3.4 acres of land purchased in the Indian Trails Addition for the future church building.

May 7, 1995, Vote to call Rev. Jon M. Beake to serve as pastor

August 27, 1995, Land Dedication Worship Service on site.

June 11, 2000, Ground-breaking worship and celebration for the new church building.

July 1, 2001, First worship service in new church building

July 29, 2001, Dedication Sunday for the new church building

November 15 2009, Vote to call Rev. Al Schoonover to serve as pastor