|
|
|
About
Us
|
|
|
|
|
|
The
Lutheran Church of the Atonement
|
|
1959
- 2008
|
|
|
|
Click
Here for ELCA
Quick Facts
|
|
|
|
On
October 18, 1959 Pastor William Jones dedicated this
church building to the glory and worship of God. Pastor
Jones had been sent to Atlanta by the Lutheran
Church-Missouri Synod to start a new congregation. At
his initiation, Saint Mark Lutheran Church consolidated
with the new congregation. During the congregation’s
first years, the traditional Lutheran worship service
and the seasons of the church year became standard
observances.
|
|
|
|
In
1968 Pastor Jones and his family left Atlanta, leaving
Atonement without a pastor. After a year Vernon
Schultheis was called. Under Pastor Schultheis the
congregation shed its mission status and became a
self-sustaining church. A new emphasis was placed on
evangelism in the surrounding community. In 1973 Pastor
Schultheis accepted another call and left Atlanta.
|
|
|
|
In
September 1974, Pastor Leslie Weber was ordained and
installed as the congregation’s
third pastor. A graduate certified for the ministry by
Christ Seminary-Seminex, which was created due to a
doctrinal schism within the Lutheran Church-Missouri
Synod, his calling made it necessary for Atonement to
reconsider its affiliation with the Missouri Synod. In
June 1976, the congregation voted to leave the Missouri
Synod and several months later Atonement was one of the
first congregations to join the Association of
Evangelical Lutheran Churches (AELC).
|
|
|
|
Worship
services took a new direction in 1979 when the new Lutheran Book of Worship was introduced and the Men’s
Chorus was formed. In 1987 Pastor Weber left Atonement
to pursue, on a full-time basis, his doctoral degree at
Emory University.
|
|
|
|
In
1987, the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Church,
the Lutheran Church in America, and the American
Lutheran Church merged to become the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Atonement became a
member of the new body and has had three members from
the congregation to serve on the Southeastern Synod
Council.
|
|
|
|
In March 1989 Atonement called its first African
American pastor, the Rev. Lonnie L. Branch. Our
congregation has been active in the area of Christian
education through support of a Sunday school and Bible
class program; religious instruction for our youth; a
vacation bible school program for our children and the
children of the community. In addition, the Charles B.
Hart Scholarship Fund, established in honor of Charles
B. Hart, Jr., has given several thousand dollars to
young members of the congregation attending college. In
March 1996, after seven years, Pastor Branch left
Atonement to accept a call in prison ministry in
Minneapolis, Minnesota.
|
|
|
|
The
Atonement Women of the ELCA adopted and furnished a room
in the Cascade House. Atonement Men in Mission has
provided outreach ministry to our neighborhood through
its “Fun
Day”
events,
offering fellowship, games and food to neighborhood
youth. The Men’s
Chorus provides ethnic/religious music to other churches
and events in and around Atlanta. Our youth have
actively participated in inter-church programs as well
as community outreach programs. They have also attended
national Lutheran youth gatherings and will attend
future national gatherings.
|
|
|
|
From
March 1996 until January 1998 our congregation was
served by interim and guest ministers as our Call
Committee actively looked for a full-time minister.
|
|
|
|
In
January 1998, after a two-year search, the Rev. Dr. W.
Arthur Lewis was installed as the fifth pastor of
Atonement. Under the leadership of Pastor Lewis we
became more aware that a church functions not only to
serve God and its members but also to serve the
community in which it is located. Through his efforts a
state funded after school reading program was
established that served 30 children from the community.
During Pastor Lewis’s
tenure, we became members of a five church cluster in
the Dixie Hills area. Those churches are Atonement, True
Light Baptist Church, Dixie Hills Baptist Church,
Simpson Road Baptist Church and Newberry Chapel AME
Church. Pastor Lewis left Atonement in July 1999 to
become Director of the Lutheran Theological Center in
Atlanta (LTCA).
|
|
|
|
From
July 1999 to March 2003 interim and guest ministers,
Rev. Eugene Powell, Rev. Mark Ellingsen, and Rev. Hugh
Williams, served our congregation as our Call Committee
actively looked for a full-time minister. It was in
March that Rev. Lamont Anthony Wells answered Atonement’s
call.
|
|
|
|
On
April 13, 2003 the Rev. Lamont Anthony Wells was
installed as the sixth pastor of Atonement. Under his
spiritual guidance we have developed a singles’
ministry, dance ministry, health ministry, drama
ministry, and music ministry offering music through the
Church and Youth choirs. The worship experience offers a
choice in service – 8:30am traditional (Hour of Power
Worship Service) and 11:00am contemporary (Hour of
Inspirational Worship Service). He continues to guide us
in understanding the Word of God through weekly Bible
Study and understanding the power of prayer through
monthly Corporate Prayer.
We have experienced fellowship with other
denominations through Spring and Fall Revivals. Under
his pastoral leadership, the VISION -- the five-fold
ministry: Prophets
in Worship, Apostles
in Fellowship, Teachers
of Discipleship, Evangelists
in Mission, and Pastors
by Serving has been established. Our Mission
statement is guided by P4 – prayer, praise,
preaching, and provision. Pastor Wells is inspiring us
to become spirit-filled disciples, going out spreading
the Good News of what God has done for us.
|
|
|
|
For
everything we truly have to give God Praise.
For God’s Provision
we are thankful. For those who Preached
the word of God we are appreciative. For all the saints
who Pray
for our faith to increase, we are yet holding on to
God’s unchanging hand.
|
|
|
|
He
strengthens us even now and will do so tomorrow,
|
|
and
for this, we give thanks and praise His holy name!
Amen.
|
|
|
