A Lutheran Congregation in Rural Lenawee County
Emmanuel Lutheran Church sits along Ridge Highway in the small village of Britton, Michigan, in the rolling farmland of Lenawee County's Macon Township. Known locally as "Emmanuel on the Ridge," the congregation gathers every Sunday morning to worship the Triune God, study His Word, and serve the surrounding community. As the church prepares to mark its 165th anniversary in 2026, its mission statement, "Seeking to share the love of God in Christ Jesus with you," continues to guide everything from Sunday liturgy to weekday Bible study to community outreach.
Over 165 Years on the Ridge
Emmanuel's story begins in the 1850s, when several Lutheran families settled in Macon Township near the present church property. In 1855, those families asked the Rev. Trautman of Adrian to serve them with the Word of God and the Sacraments. The congregation was officially incorporated on January 2, 1861, when 14 members adopted the first constitution under the name St. Immanuel German Evangelical Lutheran Congregation in the Township of Macon, Lenawee County, Michigan. The first church property was purchased in 1864.
For nearly the first half-century, services were conducted only in German. In 1913, the congregation added English services every other Sunday, and then accelerated the transition during World War I, when most German services were dropped. By 1924, the German services ended for good, marking a profound cultural shift that shaped the identity of the present congregation.
On April 22, 1920, a cyclone destroyed the original church and parsonage. The congregation resolved to rebuild, and the new sanctuary was re-dedicated in November of that same year. In 1925, a basement was added beneath the church and school for social gatherings, and in 1936 the Sunday School was formally organized, replacing the older catechism tradition called Christenlehre. By the late 1950s, Sunday School had grown to 138 children taught by a staff of 20.
By 1960, the sanctuary could no longer hold the growing congregation, and two Sunday services were required. Five acres were donated across the road from the old church, and the present-day building was completed and dedicated on June 23, 1963. In 1944 the congregation's official name had been changed to Emmanuel Lutheran Church at Britton, Michigan, and in 1978 a bell tower was erected in front of the new sanctuary. The tower houses the bell from the 1920 rebuild, inscribed in German with John 3:16: Also hat Gott die welt geliebt, das er seinen eingeborenen sohn gab, auf dass alle, die an ihn glauben, nicht verloren werden, sondern das ewige leben haben.
The 1990s brought the construction of a new parsonage adjacent to the property on Welch Road, completed in early 1996. In 2001, the church began an addition that added classrooms, administrative offices, and a renovated kitchen, completed in 2003. Today, more than 165 years after those first German-speaking settlers gathered on the ridge, Emmanuel Lutheran Church still meets on the same ridge in the same township, now in English, still proclaiming Law and Gospel and still serving the neighbors who live among the fields of Lenawee County.
Faith and Teaching: Grace, Faith, and Scripture
Emmanuel Lutheran Church is a member congregation of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) and embraces the historic Lutheran teaching summarized in three Reformation phrases: Grace alone, Faith alone, and Scripture alone.
With the universal Christian Church, Emmanuel teaches and confesses the Triune God: the Father, creator of all that exists; Jesus Christ, the Son, who became human to suffer and die for the sins of all people and rose again in victory over death and Satan; and the Holy Spirit, who creates faith through God's Word and Sacraments. The three persons of the Trinity are coequal and coeternal, one God.
Being Lutheran, the congregation accepts and teaches the Bible as God's inspired and inerrant Word. Grace alone means that God loves the people of the world even though they are sinful and rebellious, and sent His Son to love the unlovable and save the ungodly. Faith alone means that through Jesus' suffering and death as the substitute for all people, forgiveness and eternal life are won, and that those who hear this Good News and believe it receive the eternal life it offers. Scripture alone means that the Bible is the inerrant and infallible Word of God and the sole rule and norm for Christian doctrine.
Emmanuel's own mission statement names five commitments: reaching out to the community, inspiring with Christian love, developing faith through Word and Sacrament, growing in grace, and educating through God's Word. The congregation's stated goal is to work within its community to fulfill the Great Commission of Matthew 28: "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
Sunday Worship and Mid-Week Bible Study
The congregation gathers every Sunday at 10:30 A.M. for worship in the sanctuary on Ridge Highway. The service is designed to be uplifting and centered on the Word and Sacraments. As a Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod body, Emmanuel observes the historic liturgy, including Holy Communion, as part of its regular worship. Services are livestreamed on Facebook for those who cannot attend in person.
Sunday School and education for children remain a long-standing part of the church's life, with the formal Sunday School dating back to 1936. Vacation Bible School began in 1954 with 50 students and has continued as a summer tradition in the decades that followed.
Bible study is woven throughout the week. Adults meet for Bible study at 9 A.M. on Sundays and again at 9 A.M. on Wednesdays, digging into different books and topics of Scripture in an interactive and discussion-based format. On Saturday mornings at 8 A.M., men gather for the Men's Bible Breakfast, an opportunity for men of the congregation and the wider community to share a meal and study God's Word together.
Prospective members are welcomed through a straightforward process: attend a new member orientation, complete a membership application, and meet with the pastor to discuss one's faith journey.
Ministries for Every Season of Life
Emmanuel offers a range of ministry opportunities for people at every stage of life and with every kind of interest. The Lutheran Women's Missionary League (LWML) is one of the congregation's most active groups, gathering women for Bible study, fellowship, mission projects, and service. The music ministry welcomes singers and instrumentalists of all skill levels to serve the congregation through song. For those who prefer to serve with their hands, the groundskeeping team keeps the property on the Ridge well-tended and beautiful. Pastoral devotion writing and Bible-focused small group study form another layer of congregational life, supplemented by access to RightNow Media, a digital library of Bible study videos and resources the church makes available to its members.
Children are an important part of the church's life. In addition to Sunday School, Vacation Bible School is offered in the summer. A nursery area is available for young children during the worship service for parents who may need it.
Pastor Peter Burch
Emmanuel is currently served by Rev. Peter Burch. Pastor Burch was born and raised in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and began his faith journey at St. Paul Church in Ann Arbor, where he also attended school through eighth grade. He earned an undergraduate degree in Social Studies, with minors in History and Geography, from Eastern Michigan University. Before responding to the call to ministry, he worked in a deli and bakery and in tech support for a telecommunications company.
He later enrolled in seminary, where he found particular joy in courses that encouraged personal reflection and a deeper expression of his understanding of Scripture. An avid outdoorsman, Pastor Burch enjoys hiking, camping, fishing, and working on computers. He is also an Eagle Scout and holds deep respect for organizations that foster outdoor engagement and character-building among youth. His faith is at the center of his life, guided by Scripture and inspired by the men and women God used in both the Old and New Testaments, whose example he strives to follow in all aspects of his ministry and life.
Members and visitors can reach Pastor Burch by email at the church office or through a dedicated address linked on the church's contact page.
Community Outreach
Outreach is woven into Emmanuel's identity. The congregation actively seeks to be the hands and feet of Jesus in the Britton area, reaching out to those in need, serving the underprivileged, and spreading love and compassion to neighbors. Practical forms of community engagement are highlighted in the church's mission and continue through both organized initiatives and individual acts of care.
The Building and Property
The present-day sanctuary, completed and dedicated on June 23, 1963, sits on five acres across the road from the original 1920 church site. A bell tower built in 1978 stands at the front of the building, housing the original bell inscribed with John 3:16 in German. A 2001-2003 addition added classrooms, administrative offices, and a renovated kitchen to the facility. Adjacent property on Welch Road, purchased from the township in 1988, holds the present parsonage, completed in 1996.
The building hosts Sunday worship, Bible study on Sundays and Wednesdays, the Saturday Men's Bible Breakfast, and a full schedule of ministry gatherings throughout the week. A funeral last wishes form is available online for members wishing to record their wishes ahead of time, and the building is also used to host funerals and other significant moments in the life of the congregation.
Sharing and Staying Connected
Online giving is offered as a regular means of supporting the ministry of the church. The congregation's Facebook page shares news and livestreams worship services for those near and far. A YouTube channel archives video content from the church, and RightNow Media gives members access to a vast library of Christian video content for Bible study and family use.
Emmanuel Lutheran Church welcomes visitors, newcomers, and seekers to come as they are. Sunday morning worship, Bible study, and the Men's Bible Breakfast are open to all, and the pastor is glad to answer questions, take prayer requests, and walk with anyone exploring Christianity or looking for a church home. Whether one has attended church for decades or is stepping through the doors for the first time, the congregation on Ridge Highway in Britton invites every neighbor to share in the love of God in Christ Jesus.