All Saints Lutheran Church
Historical Background
History of Pastors:
• Rev. David Aanonson served as the mission developer and first pastor from December 1978 to November 1980
• Rev. John Cunningham served as pastor from March 1981 to February 1985
• Rev. Lisa Dietrich served as pastor from October 2002 to February 2011
• Rev. Clark Olson-Smith served as pastor/redeveloper from April 2011 to
December 2015
• Rev. Amanda “Amy” Diller served as pastor from August 1, 2017 to February 15, 2020
• Rev. Richard Pokora served as pastor from March 16, 2020 to July 13, 2025
• Synod Authorized Ministers: Matthew Reece, Wanda Barber, and Julie Schoville from July 14, 2025 - present
A Brief History:
The first worship was held at Plaza Bowl North on Sunday, March 25, 1979, with 96 in attendance. Services were held at Plaza Bowl North through August 1980, at which time larger facilities were needed. Moved to Walnut Center on Brady Street in September 1980. This location was used through January 1982. Charter Sunday was November 4, 1979 at which time 104 signatures were placed on the charter. Organization Sunday was March 16, 1980, exactly 52 Sundays after All Saints worshipped for the first time. On April 18, 1980, All Saints was accepted into the Iowa Synod of the Lutheran Church in America as a member congregation. Groundbreaking for the new building was August 30, 1981 and construction got underway in September 1981. Estes Construction was the building contractor. The building was dedicated on February 14, 1982. Groundbreaking for the addition of the new sanctuary and fellowship hall was April 25, 1999 and construction got underway June 10, 1999. Story Construction was the building contractor. A Service of Celebration and Passage was held on Sunday, November 21, 1999 at 5:00 pm where the congregation transitioned from the old sanctuary to the new sanctuary. The first worship service in the new sanctuary was on November 28, 1999 and was later dedicated on March 12, 2000.
