Apr. 14, 2026 1:15p
(WGTD)---Grace Lutheran in Kenosha marked its 125th anniversary in February. Now it’s getting ready to close.
The once-robust congregation has dwindled in numbers, reflecting a nationwide trend. In addition, the church has been beset with several personality and operational conflicts.
The Rev. Paul Erickson is Bishop of the E-L-C-A’s Greater Milwaukee Synod. He says negotiations with a potential buyer for the Uptown-area building are underway. "My commitment to that neighborhood is that we would find a way for that building and those resources to be used to provide services for the people in that community," he said. "A lot of people in that neighborhood have come to really rely on that location as a place to receive assistance for a variety of things. I'm hopeful and optimistic that that can continue whether it has a Lutheran name on it or not."
Regular Sunday worship services were suspended several months ago. But one last capstone service will be held sometime this spring. "We will be inviting the larger community to attend that worship service to acknowledge the legacy of that ministry and all of the ups and downs and in-betweens...because we recognize that lives have been touched and changed through Grace Lutheran Church," he said. "We want to give thanks."
Erickson also reports that a settlement is near in a lawsuit between Grace Lutheran and the non-profit that ran a food pantry and respite center at the church.
Erickson adds that closing a church, while sad, is not an uncommon task for him. He says he's done it ten or so times in the ten years he's been bishop in the seven-county synod.
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