Early immigrants settled in the thick wooded area along the Crow River, west of Minneapolis and St. In 1856, a small station of Helvetia, one mile north of the present day Mayer, was laid out. In the next years, the church forefathers arrived. Some were members of nearby churches, some were not. Many times, the roads through brush and woods were impassable with horse and oxen wagons. Mud, rain, sn
ow, and cold often prevented them from reaching their destination on Sundays. These pioneers felt a great need for a house of worship close by. In 1883, a number of families met to discuss having a church of their own. A church was built, at the cost of $850, and dedicated in September of 1883. In 1901, the congregation joined the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. By 1904, plans were made to build a new church in the village of Mayer. The railroad had made the village of Mayer grow, and it was decided to build a new church where the people were. The new church was built in 1905 at the cost of $10,000. The old church was moved to Mayer and was reconstructed to serve as the first school. Since those early years, God has blessed Zion congregation with many gifted people, dedicated to serving the Lord and His people through Zion church and school. The church continues the mission started by those early pioneers, to "Sharing Hope - Teaching Christ." Today, Zion's membership is over 800 souls. Average Sunday worship is over 360, and average weekly attendance is 460. With new growth in the community, Zion is committed to reaching out to connect people to Jesus, to invite each one to share the gifts the Lord has for His people through His Church.
