By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

Messiah Lutheran Church of Hays recently celebrated 50 years in its current sanctuary with the opening of a 50-year-old time capsule.

The contents included a large Vacation Bible School banner, a letter detailing the history of the church to that point and many photos taken of church members and events.

Several longtime members of the church talked about the early days of the congregation in Hays.

Margie Knoll attended services in the congregation’s former red wood chapel when she was in college. During summer school, she made a point to attend the early service because the building had no air conditioning.

The church was growing and the congregation decided it needed a bigger sanctuary, said Pat Phillips, who has been a member since prior to the construction of the current chapel.

The church continues to grow and has many young members and families, Phillips said. She said the church has many more activities than there were 50 years ago.

Knoll added she thought the church is doing more charitable work in the local community today.

“Years ago it was more you sent off t0 missions,” she said.

The ladies found some familiar items among the contents of the time capsule, including the blue hymnals from which they used to sing.

Pastor Rocco Mallardi has lead the congregation for four years.

“It is important to remember the history of the place and the history of a church’s founding and its development,” he said of the 50th celebration.

He added, “It is glorious to see what God has done in the last 50 years.”

Michael Maier, the church’s president, said it meant a lot to the congregation to honor the 50th anniversary of the sanctuary.

“To give thanks to God that He has let us grow and continue in the faith and be here this long and have new people coming in and we’ve expanded to more members,” Maier said.

The congregation has about 150 members from only six voting members when the church was organized.

Maier said he looks forward to “building and growing the congregation using God’s word and continuing God’s work to bring more people to know him and have the chance to be saved.”

The church is gathering for a new time capsule.

A brief history of the church

The official organization of the church was on Jan. 4, 1951. The Rev. Fredric Rhode was installed as the first resident pastor on June 7, 1953. Ground was broken on the first chapel on Oct. 19, 1952, at 20th and Main and was dedicated in September 1953. On March 20, 1960, the church’s education unit was dedicated.

Work on the current chapel was begun in January 1967. The cornerstone was laid and the time capsule buried on May 25, 1969.

The Rev. Warren Schmidt was serving as the third resident pastor at the time.

Included in the capsule was a letter detailing the history of the congregation. The letter concluded with “Today, May 25, 1969, at a time marked by continued warfare in Viet Nam and the return of the second manned flight to the moon, we lay this cornerstone confident of God’s grace in the future and the need of men of all ages and times for the Gospel of Christ who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”