POCATELLO — Grace Lutheran Church is marking 100 years in the Gate City — a century shaped by devoted pastors, steady growth and a congregation that has become one of the largest in the region.

The roots of Lutheranism in East Idaho stretch back further, to 1919. The first Lutheran church in the area was founded in Squirrel, an unincorporated community southwest of Ashton, made up largely of German potato farmers. Subsequent congregations formed in Twin Falls and Idaho Falls before Grace Lutheran was established in Pocatello in 1926.

Early parishioners worshipped on Custer Street, in a modest neighborhood church typical of the era. That building still stands, as does a second church Grace Lutheran constructed in 1947 at the intersection of 10th Avenue and Center Street. Two decades later, the congregation built a school on Pershing Avenue in 1967. It operated as a grade school before transitioning to a preschool when the church relocated to its current campus at 1350 Baldy Ave. in 1988.

Grace Lutheran has continued to expand at that location, adding a junior high school and, in 2016, a high school.

Pastor Jonathan Dinger, whose tenure included overseeing the construction of the event center and high school, is quick to credit those who came before him.

Chief among them is Pastor Roland Koch, who built the church at 10th and Center and made it a community landmark from the post-World War II era through the 1980s.

Koch’s legacy passed to Pastor Manfred Berndt, whom Dinger describes as a beloved community pillar. Berndt served for 25 years, arriving in the mid-1970s and playing a key role in the church’s move to Baldy Avenue.

As Pocatello grew through the late 1980s, ‘90s and 2000s, Dinger credits Gabe Flicker — a nationally recognized blue-ribbon principal and former executive director — with steering significant expansion.

“He oversaw tremendous growth — the addition of the middle school happened with him, doubling the size of the early childhood center,” Dinger said.

Dinger also highlighted elementary school Principal Anne Bopp, who has served Grace Lutheran for more than 30 years.

“She’s a wonderful, creative, stalwart and steady leader who has really been key in the growth of our school,” Dinger said. “Our current executive is Robert Raschke. Robert has been tremendous at marketing and championing the school. And our high school principal, Hannah Krause, came in 2018 — they have been the key school leaders.”

Over his 19 years at Grace Lutheran, Dinger said the church has grown alongside its staff and is now the largest it has ever been, with about 450 people worshipping each Sunday and roughly 570 students enrolled in the school, ranging in age from 2 to 18.

The centennial will not pass quietly. Organizers have planned a full weekend of events in September, beginning with a day to welcome state and local dignitaries. The celebration event will also include the church’s annual Oktoberfest, which is open for the broader community to attend.

“We’re putting together a video history book, a wall of history,” Dinger said. “We’ll have outdoor and indoor activities. There will be homemade brats. We always have a beer garden. We’ve got games for kids and adults.”

The weekend will close Sunday with a gathering of Grace Lutheran families for worship and reflection on the church’s first century.

As the congregation steps into its next chapter, Dinger is stepping down after nearly two decades of leadership. Newly installed Pastor James Von Busch took over Feb. 1.

Dinger said his tenure has been defined by transparency and a commitment to countering misconceptions about faith communities. When people voice skepticism about Christians based on rumors or secondhand accounts, he simply asks whether they have ever experienced that at Grace Lutheran. The answer, he said, is always no.

“If you come here, I guarantee you it’ll be a place of safety,” Dinger said. “We will welcome you. We don’t care what your background is, we don’t care what your history is, because we all have history. We all have stuff. We all have hurts and scars and we all have hopes. We all want to have meaning, and we firmly believe that our meaning is found in Jesus Christ and in the love that God has shown us. We want that to be contagious and share that with people.”