Who We Are
Richland Lutheran Church is a congregation of Christ followers making disciples who worship, grow, serve and steward.
What We Value
Spirituality (Colossians 3:5)
Love (Luke 10:37)
Truth (Ephesians 4:25)
Accountability (Galatians 6:1-2)
Integrity (Titus 2:6-8)
Our Affiliation
Richland Lutheran Church is affiliated with the Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC).
What We Believe
We confess the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and the Gospel as the power of God for the salvation of all who believe Jesus Christ is the Word of God incarnate, through whom everything was made and through whose life, death, and resurrection God fashions a new creation.
The proclamation of God’s message to us as both Law and Gospel is the Word of God, revealing judgement and mercy through word and deed, beginning with the Word in creation, continuing in the history of Israel, and centering in all its fullness in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
The canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the written Word of God. Inspired by God’s Spirit speaking through their authors, they record and announce God’s revelation centering in Jesus Christ. Through them God’s Spirit speaks to us to create and sustain Christian faith and Fellowship for service in the world.
We accept the canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the inspired Word of God and the authoritative source and norm of its proclamation, faith, and life.
We accept the Apostles’, Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds as true declarations of the faith of this church.
We accept the Unaltered Augsburg Confession as a true witness to the Gospel, acknowledging as one with it in faith and doctrine all churches that likewise accept the teachings of the Unaltered Augsburg Confession.
We accept the other confessional writings in the Book of Concord, namely, the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, the Smalcald Articles and the Treatise, the Small Catechism, the Large Catechism, and the Formula of Concord, as further valid interpretations of the faith of the Church.
We confess the gospel, recorded in the Holy Scriptures and confessed in the ecumenical creeds and Lutheran confessional writings, as the power of God to create and sustain the Church for God’s mission in the world.
Our History
The first service as a National Lutheran Council mission was held at the Lewis and Clark Grade School on February 6, 1944, with 12 people present. The congregation was incorporated as Richland Lutheran Church on February 4, 1946, and applied for affiliation with the former Evangelical Lutheran Church. During this year of incorporation, the Old Edifice was dedicated following extensive remodeling of what had been the community Grange Hall. Pastor J. Milton Grimsrud served as our first pastor from 1944-51.
The first building fund canvass was conducted in 1953, a building committee was commissioned, and an architect selected. Land, with edifice, was purchased from the government in 1954 and the congregation approved the building concept design. The first phase of the education building (with temporary worship center) was constructed during 1956-57, leaving the second floor to be completed by the donated labor of RLC men. A new Church Planning Committee was commissioned during 1962. The architect was selected in 1963. The split-level addition to the education building was completed in 1965, and the newest sanctuary was constructed in 1966-67. You can read more about our building here.
Our Office Staff
Pastor Steve Ernst
Lead Pastor
Amanda Daniels
Youth & Family Minister
Merri Buck
Ministry Assistant, Christian Service
Jenny Page
Ministry Assistant, Worship and Spiritual Growth
Lisa Wiegand
Ministry Assistant, Biblical Stewardship