Our History

When the parish began 75+ years ago named Grace Lutheran Church Redcliffe, it mimicked the activity of the Lutheran church at that time.

Before the parish was formed in 1946, members of the churches of the two separate synods of the LCA were meeting in the homes of members, both served by pastors from Brisbane congregations. By this stage, the homes were no longer big enough.

The worshipping groups moved their separate services to the CWA Hall in Redcliffe in August 1946. They were held there until in November 1952, the Grace congregation became the first in Australia where the two synods combined to build a joint place of worship. By this stage, each synod had 30-40 worshipping members.

Separate services continued in the McNaughton St church until February 1960 when the joint ownership of the church ceased. ELCA members built their own church, Redeemer Lutheran Church on Victoria Ave at Woody Point. In 1959, Pastor Adam came from the United States to serve as the first Redeemer Pastor. Prior to this in 1957, Pastor Musinskis had begun serving as the UELCA pastor at Grace.

In 1966, the congregation began a service to the community to mind children while their parents worked or shopped for 20 cents per day. From this, Grace Creche and Kindergarten was born in a little house beside the manse. Also in 1966 two Synods of the Lutheran Church of Australia historically combined and following this, moves were made to combine on the peninsula again. The Grace and Redeemer congregations reunited in November 1966. The Redeemer church and attached hall continued to be used for worship services, confirmation classes, Junior Choir practice and the like, and auspiciously was the venue of Grace Lutheran Primary School when it first began in 1971.

Some years later, the Redeemer church was moved to Grace Lutheran College where it served students well into the early 1990s as the Art Block.

At a meeting in February 1981, Grace and Redeemer congregations were dissolved and nominations were received for a new name for the united congregation. Nominations included Grace-Redeemer, Trinity, and Redeeming Grace, but the name overwhelmingly voted for 2/3 of attendees was Faith Lutheran Congregation.

The first service was held in the Courtyard of Grace Creche and Kindergarten. The Kindy continued to be the venue for weekly worship, Sunday School and youth activities until May 1986 when services moved to the hall at Grace Lutheran Primary School. Planning had begun for a worship centre on the old Grace church site but in 1984 the Redcliffe City Council quashed the plans, citing over development of the site as an issue.

In 1988 when the Uniting Church on the corner of Gerald Ave and Maine Rd opposite Grace Primary came up for sale, the church purchased this land, and the current church was constructed with the opening and dedication held in December 1989. Six months previous to this a change of the name of the congregation back to Grace was unanimously accepted, to provide uniformity with the other Lutheran institutions on the peninsula, Grace Creche and Kindergarten, Grace Lutheran Primary School and Grace Lutheran College.

In April 1989, the first service of the congregation at Grace Lutheran College Rothwell was held. Regular Sunday night worship services continued until 1999 when the Rothwell worshipping centre was dissolved for a time. Services of that group recommenced sometime later back at Grace at Clontarf, first for 10:00am services and then eventually the evening services (which was suspended in 2022).

For a period in the 1990s, our Parish was extended to incorporate St Mark’s Lutheran Church at Sandgate as well as the Rothwell group. During that time, the Parish changed to become the Bramble Bay Lutheran Parish, with a Pastor based at St Mark’s and one at Grace. When St Mark’s and St Peter’s Lutheran Church at Petrie closed and merged to become Living Faith Lutheran Church, some of their members transferring across. In 1999 the Bramble Bay Parish was officially closed, with Grace once again being the Lutheran presence on the peninsula. The original Grace church in McNaughton St was decommissioned in May 1997 and relocated the following January to Maleny where it continues to serve as a wedding chapel.

Today we give thanks for the men and women who trusted God and stepped out in faith to create an official Lutheran presence on the Redcliffe peninsula, and those who have continued this legacy in the 75+ years since. Only through their faith and perseverance are we able to see the Lutheran presence that is well known and respected today.