How it All Started...
Founded in 1962 to meet the need for Christian fellowship, worship and education in the newly growing community of Hacienda Heights, St. Mark's Lutheran Church proclaims the good news of Jesus Christ to all people. Under the leadership of Pastor Bergum (1962-64), Pastor Obed Nesheim ( 1965-94) and strong lay leadership, St. Mark's grew into a strong congregation full of families and known for excellent education, music and youth ministry. In the 70-80's we were known for being one of the best decorator groups for rose floats in the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade as well. In more recent years our best known ministries are our excellent Pre -8 school and our work supporting Social Service Ministries including the ACTION Food Pantry, New Horizons, and the Homeless Coalition of East San Gabriel Valley. We are part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America which is the largest Lutheran denomination in the United States.
Education has always been important to our witness and service to the community and in 1963, St Mark's Lutheran School began. It has grown over the years to include a preschool, elementary/Jr Hi school and, for a time, even an affiliated high school. Always striving for quality, the school become a recognized National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence . Currently, the K - 8th grade school is the largest school in the denomination.
Expanding the Vision...
Today, St. Mark's Lutheran Church and School continues to provide a community that gathers to give thanks to God through worship, service and a caring approach to one another. With the call of Pastor Jim Mericle in July of 2020, we sought to becom a bolder witness of Jesus Christ in the surrounding communities and the virtual community as well. During his time here we reimagined our mission and expanded our outreach beyond the school community to the broader community starting with this website that functions as an extension of us - offering worship, encouragement, nourishment for the soul, along with current information on events, education and service opportunities. In addition, we added live streaming and more social media along a greater presence in the community through service at New Horizon's for school children throughout the region and through participating in many Park and Recreation Community Days. The facilities are also being upgraded for the school and church to provide wonderful spaces for learning, worshiping, fellowship and comunity groups. Pastor Mericle retired at the end of 2025 and now St. Mark's starts a new chapter in its history.
Where we are Headed...
Committed to being a welcoming Church to all people in this beautiful diverse community we are a part of, St. Mark's is working to increase and broaden its reach so that each person knows that God loves them and welcomes them into a journey of relationship without judgement. If you would like to be a part of a community like this, we invite you to come and see.
