80th ANNIVERSARY OF OUR SAVIOUR'S
 

THE CHURCH WITH THE NATIVITY SCENE CELEBRATES 80 YEARS

On Sunday June 21 2026 Our Saviour’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, locally known as ‘the Church with the Nativity Scene’, celebrated 80 years of preaching Christ and Him crucified.

This past Sunday, ‘The Church with the Nativity Scene,’ Our Saviour’s Evangelical Lutheran Church at McNaughton and Dover Doon in Chatham celebrated 80 years of God’s faithfulness in sustaining the congregation, and the congregation’s longtime commitment to community service.

It was in June of 1946 that First Lutheran Church in Windsor planted a mission Congregation in Chatham, after being approached by Mrs. Charles Krieger of Chatham. For almost three years, the mission congregation met at the home of Mrs. Eva Miller, also originally from Windsor.

Eventually, a building site was purchased at the corner of Lorne and Lacroix Streets, and member Bert Yager completed the excavation of the church basement.  The contract for the structure itself was awarded to Ernest Moynhan of Tilbury the next spring.  Moynahan’s grandson, Randy Moynahan, noted that, ‘during and after the war, materials were hard to come by, but he was able to complete ‘The Little White Church.’ A Dedication Service was held in 1948. In 1950 the mission congregation adopted the name Our Saviour's Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Over time, successive Pastors of the new mission congregation also served West Lorne, Kingsville, and Inwood. At various times services were conducted in Slovak and German as well as in English. In 1961 St. Peter's Lutheran Church of Pain Court dissolved and the congregation became members of Our Saviour's.

​In 1974, the congregation of Our Saviour's took a 'leap of faith' and expanded into a new church building at the present site at McNaughton and Dover Doon.  The new Church was dedicated on April 20,1975.

The current Pastor, Rev. Dionatan Ferreira noted, “When I think of Our Saviour’s, I think of a home: a place where people are known, welcomed, comforted, and gathered together as family. For eighty years, Christ has made this congregation such a home in Chatham, feeding His people with His Word and Sacraments, forgiving sinners, strengthening faith, and surrounding His children with His mercy and peace. We give thanks for all who have found a place here, and we pray that many more will find in Our Saviour’s a home of grace, where Jesus keeps us in His love and prepares us for the home that will never pass away.”

Our Saviour’s continues to serve the Congregation and the Community today through Mission work in the support of the Food Bank, Hope Haven, the Hospital, the Hospice and Dresden Clothing Closet, as well as missions in remote northern regions of Canada and of Papua New Guinea.

From its humble beginnings in the home of one of the original founders, on its 80th Anniversary Our Saviour’s continues its mission of ‘Preaching Christ and Him Crucified’, and continues to support outreach and mission projects within the community and around the world.