This file part of www.watertownhistory.org website

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

est. 1971

10 25 1981

Many of Watertown's churches have been in existence more than 100 years. This is a community with deep spiritual traditions dating back to the 1840s and 1850s when Watertown was a fledgling settlement on the banks of the Rock River. Good Shepherd Lutheran Church provides an exception to the long and rich histories of Watertown churches as members celebrate the young congregation's 10th anniversary this Sunday. The idea of a new congregation sprouted shortly after members of St. John's Lutheran Church voted to sever its affiliation with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, on Aug. 30, 1971. Officials of the South Wisconsin District of the synod immediately began discussing the possibility of establishing a mission congregation. A meeting was held Sept. 22, 1971, for individuals interested in forming a new Lutheran congregation in Watertown. One hundred and sixty-three signed a register that night indicating interest in a new church.