The Legacy
of St. Paul's

A story eight decades old

Just after the close of WWII community members established St. Paul's Lutheran Church Throughout the years, St. Paul's has served as a beacon of light in the struggle that life sometimes affords. St. Paul's members are a cross-section of the region, and as such we harvest an inviting and open environment for adults and children alike.

While St. Paul's brickwork is a cultural and architectural portal into a spiritual sanctuary in a traditional sense, our sense or community is progressive. We do not judge or condone any one regardless of personal identity or culture. All are welcome to join us in our love of God and desire to positively impact our communities.

Then

Now

Drawing of the original St. Paul's by an unknown artist around 1947. From the holdings of St. Paul's Lutheran Church.

Photograph by Robert MacMahon almost 80 years later in 2025 demonstrating the retro appeal and historical atmosphere of St. Paul's in modernity.

Images from St. Paul's Past

Above Left: Dedication stone made of marble laid within the brick of our sanctuary. Above Right: Photograph of our first pastor, Pastor Youngquist. probably taken in the late 1940s. From the collection of St. Paul's.

Another drawing of the original St. Paul's in around 1947. Again, the artist is unknown, though it is presumed to be the same artist as in the "Then" image above. From the holdings of St. Paul's Lutheran Church.

Pastors from the Past* (Left to Right): Pastor Younquist, Pastor Miley, Pastor Bulow, Pastor Townsend, Pastor Bieker, Pastor Munson.

*Pastor Townsend continues to play a vital role at St. Paul's, including the conduction of sermons.

Pastors of the Present

Want to learn more about our current pastors? Click the link below and check out our teams page

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Pastor James Townsend

No story of St. Paul's would be complete without the story of Pastor Emeritus James Townsend. Pastor Townsend first showed up at St, Paul's in the latter part of the 1960s, a time of tremendous cultural change in the United States.

Beyond serving the people and the Lord through the Lutheran faith, Pastor Townsend also worked with the community as a social worker in San Francisco. A lover of language, a traveller, a Christian through and through, St. Paul's would not be what it is today without Pastor Townsend, who has been a staple of the St. Paul's community for decades. Today he can still be found preaching sermons, teaching bible study at St. Paul's and engaging with the community through St. Paul sponsored events and elsewhere.

A photograph of Pastor Townsend after blessing Chaplain Scott's adorable dog. St. Paul's pet blessing service Spring 2025.

Pastor Townsend in front of the St. Paul's altar in June 2025.

As the world turns...

A Celebration

In 2015 St. Paul's celebrated 70 years serving what is the modern Tahoe Park community. In honor of this, the church maintains a fringed banner above our main exit to remind us of the historical traditions of previous generations of St. Paulians. In addition to this, the synod we belong to, the Sierra Pacific ELCA Synod and others presented us with letters commemorating our 70 years serving God and the community. Like with our banner, we display these letters on within our sanctuary (when you enter, look left). These honors are important to our internal culture, and along with our architecture reiterates the historical significance of St. Paul's legacy.

Commemoration letter from the Sierra Pacific Synod which is displayed in the entrance hall.

Commemoration letter from the SPS Senate Rules Committee. Also displayed in the entrance hall.

Banner which decorates our sanctuary

commemorates our 75th years.

That Timeless Spirit

Our council, Pastor Stewart, and others from our congregation posing for a photograph in front of the altar at St. Paul's. June, 2025. Back row (left to right): Pastor Stewart, Duane, Don, Gayle, Chuck. Front row (left to right): Wade, Gloria, Eric, Sarah.

Now, after 80 years in Sacramento, and in the aftermath of a global pandemic, St. Paul's continues to remain a timeless presence within the region. While we, like everyone else, were forced to make adaptations during COVID, we maintained our core values and regular audience, a testament to the positive values of our congregation, and the strength of mind to overcome the challenges of the modern world.

As the 21st century, now well underway, has shown, there is nothing more needed than for neighbors, sisters, and brothers to love and reach out to one another in the same way that Jesus Christ himself reached out to those in need. As such, St. Paul's mission is focused on reaching out to the community, as expressed within our mission statement. This states that the goal of St. Paul's is to "reach our neighbors for the Kingdom of God, through visibility, availability, and service." In our modern age this is unquestionably needed and the lasting legacy of St. Paul's places it in a unique position to making lasting positive change.

At Right: First image, left to right: Sarah, Gloria, and Chuck taking a break from distributing diapers and gift cards to local families. The second image is of (left to right): Pastor Townsend, Chuck, Duane, Tahoe Park cleanup coordinator, and Gloria during the Tahoe Park cleanup in Spring 2025.