Our History

Here is a short version of the History of London's Lutheran Campus Ministry:

From early records we find that 1948 was the year when Lutheran students at the University of Western Ontario
began to show an interest in forming an organization of their own. At that time, two students
(Hedy Armbruster and Jack Wettlaufer) both members of LSA (Lutheran Students’ Assicoation) had come from
Waterloo college to complete their degrees at UWO.
In the summer of 1948 they had both attended the Lutheran student ASHRAM at Interlochen, Michigan.
The theme of this convention was “If We Obey Him, We Will Serve Him”. Inspired by this there,
Hedy proceeded to encourage other Lutheran students (William Scoedel and Marjory Klopp)
whom she met in a Latin course, to form an LSA at UWO.

Records in the registrar’s office were
searched for student religious affiliation
and approximately sixty names were
listed of Lutheran background.
Telephone contact was made and a meeting
was held during which Dr. Herbert Kalbfleisch
of the UWO faculty (German Department) offered
his enthusiastic support for their plans for the future.
The group decided to hold meetings of an informal,
social nature on a monthly basis.
In the autumn of 1949 the group elected its
first executive with Jack Wettlaufer as President,
Marjory Klopp as Vice-President,
Ruth Weismiller as Secretary
and William Schroedel as Treasurer.

The first meetings were held on campus but as the group began to grow, they were looking
for a better place to meet. On April 1, 1959 the house at 1079 Richmond Street was dedicated
as the first Lutheran Student Centre in Eastern Canada.
Starting in 1963 (and officially recognized in 1969) a local committee was chosen to support
the chaplain and involve the local congregations in the work of the Lutheran Campus Ministry.
It was decided that the committee should have one representative from each Lutheran congregation
of the city, three representatives from Lutheran Student Movement and the chaplain.
In 1963, it was also discovered that the capacity of 1079 Richmond Street was not enough since the chaplain
and his family were living there, as well. Late in the year, 1144 Richmond Street was purchased as a centre for
the students. Now 2 levels are allotted to Lutheran Campus Ministry and the top apartment is rented out to students.

Chaplains