Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church (ZELC) first formed in 1892. Our original church was built with the hands of volunteers where our church office is now, at 4th and Union. The church you see today, at 4th and A, was built by Uphus Construction in 1924.
Designed for a growing congregation, the church would eventually have capacity for 500 souls. Volunteers provided much of the finish and detail work, including the altar, the lectern, and the pulpit in the Sanctuary, all brought forth by the hands and heart of Oswald Lauterbach, a Zion member. The lower level of the church was built to include classrooms for the Zion Lutheran School which would continue on site until 1989 when the school relocated to its present location in Lake Stevens. The school rooms are presently being used by the The Academy school
A 1600 pound swinging bell of cast iron was installed in the bell tower at the time of construction, using “teams of horses and a pulley” to hoist the bell into position. The bell is sounded by a pull that descends from the bell to the second store landing above the Narthex. Our bell has been in continuous use since it was installed. You will hear it Sunday mornings when we call our neighbors to service and again later (three times) as we pray the Lord's Prayer.
The stained glass windows were installed over the course of 10 years. The first window installed was, “God the Father,” in the West (entrance side) window, in 1982, followed by “Love of God sending His Holy Spirit” on the South side in 1989. “Christ, Son of God” and the Lutheran Rose (above the altar) were installed in 1992.
After suffering water damage during an earlier roof replacement, the sanctuary was completely restored in 2021 and a new sound system installed. We are presently replacing the "alevator" (so named in honor of the long-suffering Al Herensberger) and bringing the surrounding access areas into ADA compliance.