The five members making up the first worship service of St. Paul Lutheran Church and School have grown into 200 members.

In June 1995 they were meeting in a small office in Willowbend Center in Peachtree City. It was agreed by all of those first five people, none of whom had school aged children, that establishing a Christian school should be accomplished before building a sanctuary for worship. The church has written, “God, as it turns out, agreed with that plan.”

In November 1996, Gordon S. Stuckert was installed as the principal of the school, which finally came into being 11 months later. At this time the students were housed in seven trailers.

As the student enrollment increased, so did church membership. A strong belief in the importance of the school is shown by students and teachers who have just moved into a new $5 million complex. By the beginning of the 1999-2000 school year in just one month, it is expected to have 200 students, and 13 members will comprise the faculty.

On Sundays, the congregation will conduct its worship services in the cafeteria and the students will have lunch there during the week.

Pastor the Rev. Ron Janssen has been with the congregation since its inception.

He was born and reared in Illinois and was graduated from the University of Illinois with a B.A. in psychology. It was during his senior year at college that he felt the pull into ministry, and was graduated from Concordia Seminary, now in Ft. Wayne, Ind. He holds a master of divinity from there, as well as an honorary doctorate of divinity. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

His honorary degree came as a result of his idea while serving at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Riverdale. Half of the congregation were Laotian and one of the pastors, who was Laotian, was simply unable to leave and attend seminary for four years. Janssen, along with Lutheran officials, established the Distance Education Leading to Ordination, a program allowing persons to stay where they are and complete the necessary work allowing for ordination.

He has served in Illinois for 12 years and in Riverdale for 12 years. He is married to his childhood sweetheart, Rita, and they are the parents of two children: Angela was a STAR student at Jonesboro High School, has a B.A. in mathematics from Valparaiso University and a masters of divinity from the University of Chicago. Matthew is a graduate of the University of Georgia with a B.A. in history and philosophy and is currently attending Georgia State University pursing a B.B.A. in business and finance.

St. Paul Lutheran Church and School is at 700 Ardenlee Parkway, at the corner of Ga. Highway 74. It is across from the Kedron Kroger shopping center.

Services are each Sunday at 8:30 a.m. for Sunday School and adult Bible studies, with worship services at 9:30 a.m. An adult Bible study is each Monday at 7 p.m.

The church can be reached at 770-487-0339 and the school can be reached at 770-486-3545.

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