On Pasadena Drive in south Lexington, a brick sanctuary completed in 2018 houses the oldest Lutheran church in the city. St. John's Lutheran Church has gathered on this stretch of Fayette County for the life of four generations, and it still keeps the rhythm of the Reformation it inherited: a Divine Service centered on Word and Sacrament every Sunday, a congregation that communes together at the rail, and a Lutheran identity rooted in the 1580 Book of Concord. Its motto, "Sharing the life and love of Jesus," sits at the top of every page the church writes, and the people of St. John's are committed to proclaim forgiveness and salvation in Lexington, Central Kentucky, and throughout the world.
Living the Reformation Since 1892
St. John's is the mother church of Lutheranism in Lexington. On April 15, 1892, the Rev. Paul Schenke held the first worship service of St. John's German Lutheran Church. Seven months later, on Reformation Day 1892, the first building was dedicated at the corner of Fifth and Toner Streets, near what is now Transylvania University. For the next two and a half decades, the small body of confirmed members met in rented space until a building was purchased on Park Avenue and East High from Park Methodist Church in the years around World War I.
By the late 1950s the congregation had outgrown that home. Five acres of ground were purchased at Pasadena Drive and Southview in December 1957. Groundbreaking came on May 31, 1959, with the Rev. John W. Israel presiding, and the new building was dedicated on November 8, 1959, in services at 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Five acres of land eventually grew into a campus that the present congregation completely rebuilt. Groundbreaking for the current facility was held in fall 2015, and the new church was dedicated on May 6, 2018.
St. John's is the founding congregation of several daughter churches in Central Kentucky, including Our Redeemer and Good Shepherd in Lexington, Our Savior in Danville, and Bread of Life in Georgetown. Today more than 400 members call St. John's their church home, and the congregation continues to be a fixture of the Bluegrass Lutheran landscape.
The Divine Service at the Heart of the Week
Worship is the center of life at St. John's. Two identical Divine Services with Holy Communion are held each Sunday at 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. The services follow the classic Christian pattern for worship, drawing on a variety of songs, dialogues, and prayers - old and new, from around the world - as the congregation hears God's Word and responds in faith. Three Bible readings frame the preaching of the Gospel. Music is accompanied on organ or piano. The service is projected and printed in a service folder so visitors can follow along easily. Children are warmly welcomed to remain in the sanctuary with their families for the whole service.
Sunday School and Adult Bible Class meet between services from 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. during the school year. Children's classes span age 2 through high school; adults gather for an interactive Bible study that has been a hallmark of the congregation for decades. Children in Sunday School also lead song in the sanctuary on the third Sunday of every month.
Communion at the Altar Every Sunday
Holy Communion is central to the congregation's life. St. John's practices weekly communion because members believe the Sacrament is one of the clearest gifts God offers: the physical giving of Christ for the forgiveness of sins and the strengthening of faith. The gifts are received "in the confession and glad confidence that, as our Lord says, he gives his Body and Blood along with the bread and wine, for the forgiveness of sins, and to strengthen our union with him and each other." Both the common cup and individual glasses are offered; visitors who prefer the common cup can let the tray pass and the pastor will offer it. Those with dietary restrictions are invited to speak with an elder before the service.
Because the altar is also a confession of the faith confessed at this altar, those who are not yet instructed or who hold a different confession than St. John's and the LCMS are asked to speak with a pastor or elder before communing. Pastor Schmidt and the elders welcome those conversations.
Children in the Divine Service
St. John's encourages children of all ages to worship with their families rather than being separated off in another room. "Jesus encouraged his disciples to have faith like a child, and there is much that we can learn from the simple way that our children worship alongside us." Parents are welcome to sit up front so children can see, and a cry room is available in the rear of the sanctuary when a little one needs a break. Bags of quiet toys sit in the narthex, weekly children's worship bulletins offer activities for older children, and a children's message is offered every Sunday. Children's choirs sing on the third Sunday of the month, and a Christmas program each December gives young singers a creative way to share the story of Jesus' birth.
What to Wear and Where to Park
St. John's tells first-time visitors plainly: "Dress in a way that makes you feel comfortable." On any given Sunday, someone in shorts, flip-flops, and a t-shirt will be sitting next to someone in a suit and tie. Parking spots are reserved for those with disabilities, for new and expecting families, and for visitors. From the west, on Harrodsburg Road or Clays Mill, the entrance is the first right after First Assembly of God and Summit Academy. From the east, on Nicholasville Road, the entrance is on the left just past Southview Drive. Visitors enter the sanctuary through the big brown doors in the circle.
Greeters and ushers are happy to show newcomers around. Visitors are not singled out during the service, and no one is expected to put anything in the offering plate until they feel ready. Greeters at the welcome center have free information and a guestbook, and visitor cards are available in the pews for anyone who would like to be contacted.
Confessional Lutherans, by Conviction
St. John's identifies as a confessional Lutheran congregation, a member of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. The congregation is an inheritor of the western Christian tradition as expressed in the 1580 Christian Book of Concord, the collection of Lutheran Confessions to which all LCMS pastors pledge themselves at ordination. Pastor Schmidt has written that Scripture is "the first and final authority" for Confessional Lutherans, while the Confessions are subordinate "witnesses" to how Scripture has been read and taught by faithful Christians across the centuries.
Five statements summarize what the congregation teaches. Members believe they are imperfect people in need of forgiveness only God can provide; that God sent His Son, Jesus, to be their Savior from sin; that Jesus gave His life on the cross so that they can be forgiven; that Jesus died and rose again so that death has no power over them; and that through Jesus they will live forever, forgiven and free.
Christian Preschool Since 1986
Since 1986, St. John's Lutheran Preschool has shared the life and love of Jesus with Lexington-area families through quality early childhood education. The school is committed to nurturing the whole child - spiritually, emotionally, socially, and academically - in a small, faith-filled setting where each child is known by name. The play-based curriculum weaves Bible lessons, music, and physical education into hands-on learning that builds early literacy, problem-solving, motor skills, and confidence.
Three classes are offered: a Pre-K 2 class for children who turn two by August 1, a Pre-K 3 class for children who turn three, and a K-Prep class for children who turn four. Pre-K 2 and Pre-K 3 meet three days a week, while K-Prep meets five mornings a week. The school is led by Preschool Director Lindsey Woodyard, who joined St. John's in 2025 and brings a background in elementary and special education from the University of the Cumberlands and Asbury University, along with experience teaching preschool at St. John's earlier in her career.
Confirmation and Lifelong Learning
Confirmation instruction at St. John's begins in seventh grade and runs for two years. Students work through the chief doctrines of the Christian faith as they are presented in Luther's Small Catechism, using a variety of teaching methods to prepare for the public affirmation of their baptism. The goal is that by the end of the program, each student would have "a solid foundation in the Lutheran Confession of the Christian faith and a firmer faith in Jesus Christ." Adult Instruction Courses for those considering membership are offered after Easter and in early October.
Youth from Second Grade Through High School
Three youth groups serve the congregation's young people. Kids for Christ gathers 2nd through 5th graders on the third Sunday of each month from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. for a Bible lesson, a meal (pizza, ice cream sundaes, and birthday celebrations), and games. Junior Youth (6th-8th) meets most Sunday evenings from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. for Bible study, games, and occasional off-site service projects; the group has walked in the Lexington Rescue Mission's Walk for Warmth, raked leaves for church members, and volunteered at the Hope Lodge. Senior Youth (9th-12th) meets most Sunday nights from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. for Bible study, fellowship, retreats, team-building courses, and service projects, including an annual summer trip and, every three years, the LCMS Youth Gathering.
Director of Education Ministries Michael Hartley oversees the youth ministry. Hartley, a graduate of Concordia University Irvine with a master's degree from the Institute of Lutheran Theology, accepted the call to St. John's in March 2015. He also serves as a chaplain in the Kentucky Army National Guard and is ordained as a chaplain by the American Association of Lutheran Churches. College and young adult ministry rounds out the next stage of life, with a weekly small-group Bible study near the University of Kentucky campus and a young adult group that meets for Bible study and fellowship.
Music as Ministry
At St. John's, music is a central part of worship life. The choir, directed by Susan Laski, rehearses Wednesday evenings from 6:45 to 8:00 p.m. (off in the summer) and sings at least once a month at both Sunday services, plus the annual Christmas Concert on the second Sunday in December. An orchestra adds instrumental music during Holy Week, Easter, and the Christmas season, and smaller ensembles and soloists contribute throughout the year. A children's choir sings during the school year, and the annual Christmas program, also directed by Laski, gives the youngest singers a chance to perform for the congregation. Laski, who also teaches music weekly in the preschool, is joined by organist Bette Stanek - a former Director of Music at Hope Lutheran Church in Shorewood, Illinois, and a veteran music educator - and pianist Gina DeArth-Pendley.
Many Hands Around the Building
More than two dozen committees, boards, and small groups share the work of ministry at St. John's. Elders assist the pastor with pastoral care, visitations, and the distribution of the Lord's Supper. The Altar Guild sets up and cleans up for Holy Communion and changes the paraments on the altar, lectern, and pulpit with the seasons. Ushers serve a month at a time, welcoming worshipers, collecting the offering, and guiding the congregation forward to communion. The A/V Team supports both in-person and livestreamed services on YouTube. The Care Team responds to short-term emotional and financial needs, organizes meal trains, and arranges shut-in visits. The Quilters meet every Thursday morning in the fellowship hall to sew quilts for area nonprofits. A Mom's Playgroup gathers weekly at parks, libraries, and the church for fellowship. The Branding Committee designs signage and seasonal displays, the Creative Arts Team produces banners, and the Stewardship Committee oversees the annual budget and pledge process. The Hospitality Committee hosts funeral receptions, the Connections Committee welcomes visitors and organizes new-member receptions twice a year, and the Missions Committee highlights a Ministry of the Month in every bulletin, supporting partners such as the Lexington Rescue Mission, a local faith-based pregnancy center, and God's Pantry, along with an international missionary family currently serving in the Czech Republic.
The Building on Pasadena Drive
Every part of the present campus is the result of the Building on our Faith Campaign, completed in 2018. The new building was designed with safety in mind: all offices and classrooms have interior windows for accountability, the sanctuary opens through a single set of big brown doors from the circular drive, and a cry room in the rear of the nave gives parents a quiet space when little ones need a break. Vacation Bible School is a summer tradition at St. John's, with one week offered to preschoolers during the daytime and another to elementary-aged children in the evening, both free and open to the wider community. Worship is livestreamed on YouTube, donations are processed through Church Center by check, cash, electronic transfer, donor-advised funds, or qualified charitable distributions, and the congregation's giving is supported by friends and members who enroll St. John's Youth in the Kroger Community Rewards program.
From the corner of Fifth and Toner in 1892, to a borrowed sanctuary on Park Avenue, to the present building on Pasadena Drive, St. John's Lutheran Church has kept a single confession at its center: that the Gospel of Jesus Christ, given in Word and Sacrament, is the power of God for the forgiveness of sins. The congregation worships, teaches, sings, and serves from that confession, and the doors on Pasadena Drive remain open to anyone who would like to join them.