Vision Statement: Caring like Jesus, we walk with our neighbors, so they may see The Savior.
Emmaus Lutheran Church is a member of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS). Our congregation began in 1899 with services held near Ottokee. Many of the people attending were Volga Germans, those who followed Katherine the Great to Russia, then came here in search of a better life. In 1911, we began conducting services in various locations around Wauseon, including members’ homes, City Hall, and other church buildings. Emmaus officially organized on November 16, 1913. English began to be used instead of exclusively German during WWI. Our first church building was moved from southwest of Wauseon, remodeled (total cost, $6,000), and first used February 1, 1925 (443 N FULTON ST), and still stands there. Emmaus joined the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod by vote of the Voters’ Assembly on January 10, 1937, and was formally admitted at the Central District Convention in Fort Wayne, IN in June 1937. The current property was purchased in 1956, 7.5 acres, for $15,000. This also was the year the LWML was organized. We moved to our current location at 841 N SHOOP AVE in Wauseon after completion of the building and parsonage in January 1964. Our first service was held here on Sunday, February 2, 1964. Started in 1971, we sponsor the longest running preschool in Wauseon, Emmaus Christian Preschool.
Emmaus is located in Wauseon, OH, a city of 7,500 located in rural northwest Ohio, about 30 miles west of Toledo. Wauseon is the county seat and is known for its exceptional school system and large county fair. The city’s location on Interstate 80 brings thousands of visitors each year, many who attend annual events at the Fulton County fairground.
We are grateful—Jesus walks with us along our paths.
We take the Bible seriously, because it is God’s Word and it was written “that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.” John 20:31
Along with all of Christendom, we hold to the three ecumenical creeds: Apostles’, Nicene, and Athanasian. Our congregation and pastor are subscribers of the Unaltered Augsburg Confession (UAC) of 1530 and the Book of Concord of 1580. If you would like to know more about what Lutherans believe, click here to go to the Belief and Practice page of www.lcms.org.
Emmaus is in Circuit NW2 (Northwest II) of the Ohio District of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. Our Circuit (closest sister churches) includes St. James-Burlington (N of Archbold), Dual parish St. Peter-Florida/St. Paul – Flatrock (Flatrock Drive in Paulding), Immanuel-Hamler, St. John-Holgate, St. Paul-Liberty Center, St. John-Napoleon (Freedom Township), St. Paul-Napoleon, Zion-Ridgeville Corners, St. John-Stryker (@6 & 66), and St. Luke-Wauseon. The circuit pastors meet monthly August-May on the third Tuesday of the month. Rev. Logan Scheiwe (St. Paul Napoleon, Associate Pastor) is the Circuit Visitor for 2018-2021. Rev. Dr. Kevin Wilson is the Ohio District (Ohio, West Virginia, and the eastern part of Kentucky) President 2018-2021. Both will serve through 2022 as the District Convention has been moved to 2022 due to Covid-19.