Zion Lutheran Church is a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), South Dakota synod, and has been a faith community in Aberdeen for more than 130 years. Zion started as a fledgling congregation in 1882, as a part of the Lutheran Synod of Iowa. By 1889, the Evangelical Lutheran Zion Congregation of Aberdeen was incorporated.
Zion began worshiping in its own building in 1897 which still stands at 317 1st Avenue SE in Aberdeen. Over time, the congregation would see the need to build a new church. Ground was broken at South Main Street and Melgaard Road. June 7 – 14, 1953 the new building was dedicated, and worship services have been held there ever since. In 1995, an impressive and beautiful addition was completed.
Zion continues to be a strong family of God, rich in history, yet always looking forward to how God can use us to spread the Good News and minister to the needs of the area. Our mission statement is Cultivating Communities of Caring and Belonging as Champions of the Gospel. We seek to honor relationships with God, others, and self through expression of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control by being rooted in faith, growing in spirit, reaching out to those in need; by being faithful stewards of creation, property, and finances; and by valuing and empowering all individuals to be an active participant in our congregation and community.
We nurture our faith through prayer, scripture, worship, fellowship and service. We carry out the mission and ministry that God has called us to with faithfulness, steadfastness, joy and love. Glory be to God!
