On a residential stretch of West Layton Avenue where the City of Milwaukee meets the City of Greenfield, Mount Zion Lutheran Church has stood as a house of Word and Sacrament since the first Sunday in Advent in 1931. The congregation belongs to The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and describes itself as a community gathered by the Spirit of the Lord around His saving Word and Sacraments. Historic liturgy, doctrinal preaching, and a steady rhythm of Saturday evening and Sunday morning worship have shaped the parish for nearly a century, and its identity still rests on the four watchwords of the Reformation: Christ alone, grace alone, faith alone, Scripture alone.
Word and Sacrament in Greenfield Since 1931
The first Mount Zion service was held in a private home near South 41st Street and West Howard Avenue. Rev. E. Keller conducted the service, and Sunday School began that same day. Within months the Mission Board of the South Wisconsin District of the Missouri Synod placed Rev. Erwin Paul in charge of the new work. The Mission Board leased a small parcel of land at South 41st and Howard, moved a portable chapel onto the site, and re-dedicated it in February 1932. The little flock became known as Howard Avenue Lutheran Church.
After four years Rev. Louis Huber became the pastor, and after another four Rev. L. Schreiber took the call and served until 1942. Rev. William F. Laesch, a missionary-at-large in southwestern Wisconsin, was then called jointly by the congregation and the Mission Board and was installed on January 10, 1943.
In early 1943 the deteriorating portable chapel had to be abandoned. The north room of a barrack at South 40th Street and West Howard Avenue that had been used for a primary school was converted into a chapel, and services and Sunday School were held in that makeshift space until 1947.
From a Mission Chapel on Howard Avenue to Layton Avenue
Plans for a new house of worship were drawn up but delayed by the restrictions and shortages of World War II. Finally, on June 30, 1946, ground was broken at South 40th and Howard for a permanent church building. The cornerstone was laid on October 6, 1946. In April 1947 the congregation decided that a Biblical name would be more fitting than a street name, and chose Mount Zion Lutheran Church. The new church was completed and dedicated in June 1947.
Membership grew steadily. New Sunday School classes and teachers were added, and two Sunday services with two Sunday School sessions became necessary. Discussion turned again to expansion and relocation. Four acres were purchased on West Layton Avenue and South 38th Street. Ground was broken on May 24, 1964, and a new parsonage was built on the same site and occupied by the pastor on April 27, 1965. The West Howard property was sold to another congregation, and Mount Zion held its first worship service in the fellowship hall of its new building on May 2, 1965.
On December 9, 1974, Rev. William K. Roser accepted the call as pastor-elect of Mount Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Greenfield, Wisconsin, and served until 1994. The Rev. Aaron A. Koch was called to be pastor in March 1994 and continues to serve.
Christ Alone, Grace Alone, Faith Alone, Scripture Alone
Mount Zion lives by four watchwords that frame everything it teaches and does. Christ alone rests on John 14:6: "Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Grace alone comes from 2 Timothy 1:9, that God saved us "not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus." Faith alone echoes Ephesians 2:8-9: "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing, it is a gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." Scripture alone draws on 2 Timothy 3:16: "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness."
The Teaching of the Church
The congregation sets out its beliefs at length in its own doctrinal voice, rooted in the Lutheran Confessions. The one true God is the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, revealed by Jesus Christ in the Holy Scriptures. Human beings were created in the image of God and lived in perfect fellowship with Him, but that image was broken by the Fall. Every human being is now conceived and born in sin, is spiritually dead, and is by nature an enemy of God, with the result that all are under the sentence of eternal death and damnation.
Jesus Christ, true God and true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is the only Savior from sin and the only Mediator between God and humanity. By His perfect life and sacrificial death on the cross He has won the entire forgiveness of sins and eternal life for every human being. He rose bodily from the dead on the third day and now reigns at the right hand of God as Lord over all.
Mount Zion teaches that we are justified not by our works but solely by God's undeserved kindness, His grace given as a free gift through faith in Jesus Christ. The blessings of Jesus' saving death and resurrection are offered, delivered, and applied to us by means of the Gospel in all its forms: the preached and written Word, Baptism, Absolution, and the Lord's Supper, through which the Holy Spirit works faith in Christ.
Good works are the fruit of faith, not the cause of faith or salvation. The Church is present wherever believers are gathered around Jesus Christ and His gifts, wherever the Gospel is purely preached and taught and the Sacraments are administered according to Christ's mandate. Holy Baptism, with water applied in the Name of the Triune God, works rebirth and renewal and grants eternal life and salvation to all who believe the promise attached to it. Holy Absolution is the forgiveness of sins spoken by the pastor to a penitent sinner in Jesus' name and is to be heard as Christ Himself speaking. Holy Communion is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, given under bread and wine, for the forgiveness of sins. The Christian life is one of continual repentance and faith, and the Lord Jesus will return visibly on the Last Day to raise the dead, to condemn unbelievers, and to give eternal life to all who trust in Him.
A Biblical, Historical, Sacramental, Liturgical Life
Mount Zion describes its worship with four words: biblical, historical, sacramental, liturgical. The congregation believes, teaches, and confesses that the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament are inspired, infallible, and inerrant. It embraces the historic life of the Church, shaped by the Church calendar and celebrated by millions of Christians for centuries. Its worship becomes heaven on earth, Mount Zion teaches, because the One who brings heaven is truly present among us. A church founded by Christ, the congregation holds, is a church where Christ gives forgiveness of sins in Word and Sacrament.
On the question of music the congregation is clear: worship uses hymnody that has stood the test of time in the Church and in Lutheran congregations throughout the centuries up to the present day and faithfully proclaims the teaching of the Scriptures.
Saturday Evenings, Sunday Mornings, and Bible Class
The regular weekly schedule centers on three gatherings. On Saturday evening at 5:00 p.m. the congregation meets for the Divine Service. On Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. the principal service is held. At 10:20 a.m. on Sunday morning, Sunday School and adult Bible Class meet together. The Saturday evening service has long been a welcome option for members whose work schedules make Sunday morning difficult, and the Sunday Bible hour provides a regular opportunity for further catechesis and study around the texts of the day.
What Worshipers Find When They Visit
Visitors heading to Mount Zion from the highways are directed to take I-894 to the Loomis Road exit (Exit 8A) south and turn left onto Layton Avenue; the church is on the left about a quarter mile down. A large parking lot sits behind the building, and handicap parking is available in the front circular drive. The front door opens into a fully handicap-accessible entrance. Inside, original artwork by Edward Riojas welcomes worshipers as they enter.
The service follows the historic liturgy, joining Mount Zion with the faithful who have gone before, with reverence for the Lord as a key aspect of worship. Christ and His words remain the central focus of the service. Members are encouraged to modesty and to dress in a way that honors the real presence of Christ the Savior among them; there are no legalistic rules about dress.
Children of every age are welcome at divine service to receive the Lord's gifts, from infants to the aged. Children who become fussy can be taken out of the sanctuary briefly to the narthex or quiet room until they are ready to return. Guests who wish to receive Holy Communion are asked to speak with the pastor before coming forward.
Pastor Aaron Koch and the Pastoral Office
Pastor Aaron Koch is a 1990 graduate of Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. He served as an associate pastor at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Reedsburg from 1990 to 1994 and has been pastor at Mount Zion from 1994 to the present. He is an adjunct theology instructor for Concordia University Wisconsin and served for many years as the sermons editor for Gottesdienst, the journal of Lutheran Liturgy. Several of his sermons and sermon studies have appeared in Concordia Pulpit Resources, and he has written for Concordia Publishing House's Portals of Prayer and for Lutheran Witness. The sermon archive includes sermons preached at the Concordia University Wisconsin chapel, including an Easter-season sermon on the Emmaus account from Luke 24.
Wendy Prostek serves the congregation as organist. Worship is supported by an altar guild and by a rotation of ushers and communion assistants for both Saturday and Sunday services. Office and building care are provided by Sara Kohlmeier and Di'Anna Halverson.
Becoming a Member Through Luther's Small Catechism
Adults seeking communicant membership at Mount Zion receive instruction in the Christian faith as it is confessed in Martin Luther's Small Catechism. Pastor Koch announces the dates and times of these classes. Because the catechism is taught in the same historic Lutheran tradition that shapes the congregation's worship and preaching, new members join a community with a clear doctrinal foundation and a shared practice of prayer, Scripture, and the Sacraments.
Mission Support in Belize and Siberia
Mount Zion supports missionaries and mission agencies connected to The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. The Rev. Micah Wildauer serves with his wife Robin and their family as a missionary in Belize through the LCMS Office of International Mission. The Wildauer family has shared regular updates with the congregation, asking for prayer and continued support of the Belize work and of the missionary families currently on the field. The congregation also supports Siberian Lutheran Missions, joining the wider LCMS effort to bring the Gospel to those who have not heard it. Offerings to support these missions are received alongside regular giving, which can be made online through the congregation's secure giving page.
Children and Vacation Bible School
Children are a regular part of Mount Zion's life. Sunday School meets alongside the adult Bible Class at 10:20 a.m. on Sunday mornings. Each summer the congregation partners with neighboring Our Father's Lutheran Church in Greenfield to hold a joint Vacation Bible School, with a recent program built around the theme "The River of Life" and focusing on the Old Testament waters that point to Christ and to baptism into Him. The week features crafts, music, and activities for the children, supported by volunteers from both congregations. The Pastor's Desk blog and weekly announcements keep families informed about children's ministry, seasonal celebrations, and other parish events.
The Circuit and the Wider Church
Within the South Wisconsin District, Mount Zion belongs to Circuit 1, a fellowship of nearby LCMS congregations. The circuit gathers throughout the church year for festival services and hymn festivals. Recent joint events have included a Festival Ascension Service at Our Father's Lutheran Church in Greenfield, with Pastor Koch preaching, and a Circuit 1 hymn festival under the theme "The Course of the Christian Life." These gatherings are an important part of how Mount Zion lives out its identity as one congregation among many in the LCMS.
Mount Zion also has ties to Concordia University Wisconsin, where Pastor Koch serves on the adjunct theology faculty. The university chapel hosts chapel services that bring area LCMS pastors into its preaching rotation.
Prayer, Preaching, and the Sermon Archive
Worshipers who cannot be present at a service can listen to sermons on the congregation's YouTube channel. The sermon archive includes audio downloads going back many years for nearly every Sunday and holy day, and Pastor Koch also publishes a regular blog with devotional writing and pastoral reflections.
A Prayer Center gathers a weekly cycle of prayers for the Christian life: Sunday for the joy of the resurrection among us, Monday for daily work and schools, Tuesday for deliverance against temptation and for those struggling with sin, Wednesday for marriage and family, Thursday for the Church and her pastors, Friday for the persecuted and the sick, and Saturday for faithfulness to the end. The Prayer Center links to a Daily Lectionary, to weekly devotions, and to the In Prayer app from Concordia Publishing House.
Reaching the Community One Soul at a Time
Members and visitors describe the preaching as sincere, honest, and uplifting, and the congregation as one that follows the Bible and does not compromise the Word of God to please everyone. Newcomers often note the warmth of the welcome and the seriousness of the worship, and many plan to return. Members support the work of the congregation through offerings and donations, accepted online through the secure giving page.
From the Advent Sunday of 1931 to the present day, Mount Zion Lutheran Church has gathered at the Lord's Table to receive the gifts that Christ promises in His Word and Sacraments. The congregation's prayer is that the same Lord who has sustained it for nearly a century will continue to gather His people in this place, around the saving Word and the bread and wine of His Supper, until He comes again.