Administrative/Biographical History
The Lutheran Campus Ministry at Northern began informally in the early 1950’s when a small group organized by local pastors and some faculty began to meet twice a month in NISTC buildings. In 1956 local congregations employed a graduate assistant to work with this group of Lutheran students and a year later First Lutheran Church of DeKalb purchased a private residence on Normal Road for use by the group. First Lutheran also called an ordained pastor who was to work in the congregation one-third time and to develop campus ministry two-thirds time. In the efforts to secure the property and staff First worked closely with and received support from the Lutheran Church in America’s campus ministries administrators.
After remodelling the garage of Luther House for a chapel, regular formal worship services began. In 1959 LCM purchased the property just to the south on the northwest corner of Lucinda and Normal for $45,000 and it is on that property that the present facility was built and opened in 1975. For the first several years, LCM shared the facility with Judson Fellowship until Baptist Campus Ministry completed its own new structure further north on Normal Road.
