St. Stephanus transitions to Church of the Redeemer

One of Frogtown’s oldest church buildings is housing a new congregation. As of Jan. 1, 2026, the longtime home of St. Stephanus Lutheran Church now houses an Anglican congregation Church of the Redeemer. It’s the end of one era and the start of another at 793 Lafond Ave.

Attendees filled the pews at the last St. Stephanus Sunday Service Dec. 28 and the New Year’s Eve service Dec. 31. Rev. Andy Thompson served St. Stephanus for the past 16 years. He teared up a few times during the final services. Congregation members shed a few tears, too.

Thompson said it had been the “honor of his life” to serve the Frogtown church. His final Sunday sermon focused on stories – not just Biblical stories, but also the stories of the longtime Missouri Synod congregation, its activities and all of its people. He spoke of times of great beauty and hope, and times of despair.
Thompson drew chuckles when he talked about the church and those who kept it going, when he noted that he tried to stay out of the church kitchen and the doings there.

St. Stephanus has been the site of countless baptisms, confirmation events, children’s activities, weddings and funeral during its history. Thompson was married there 25 years ago. The final Sunday service included a recognition for one of the congregation’s two upcoming high school graduates.
One poignant moment was when congregation members stood around each other and prayed. Another was when everyone was reminded to help themselves to ornaments from the two large and beautiful Christmas trees in the sanctuary.

The congregation has long worked to offer services and open its doors to its neighborhood. It has hosted an array of programs over the years, including food distribution, immigrant outreach, blood drives and charitable efforts. Many Frogtown neighborhood meetings were held there.

Like many churches, St. Stephanus was getting smaller. It had about 200 members, with 50 to 60 in church on Sun days. Some attendees at the final service noted that they had attended the church since childhood. Members will either transfer to Jehovah Lutheran Church in Hamline-Midway or remain in Frogtown with the new congregation.

The congregation voted in September 2025 to sell its building and contents to an Anglican congregation, Church of the Redeemer. The sale price was just $1.

The sale not only gives the Anglican church its first permanent home in 15 years, it also gives the St. Stephanus congregation the knowledge that their lovely old building will continue to be used.

St. Stephanus has a long area history in faith, education and community service. The church got its start in 1888 when the Trinity Lutheran Church congregation on Wabasha Street built a two-story wood frame school and church building at Lafond and Grotto avenues in Frogtown. The congregation quickly outgrew that space, so a new church was built and dedicated in 1890-91. The daytime dedication service was in German, with an evening service in English.

Just as it began as a mission church of Trinity Lutheran, St. Stephanus would later launch two churches as missions, Jehovah Lutheran in Hamline-Midway neighborhood (1923) and Bethel Lutheran in North End neighborhood (1925). Bethel closed in late 2024.

The St. Stephanus church bell was added in 1896 and is still in use.

Two of the many artistic features of the church are the Richter Memorial Window, which depicts the doctrine of the Redemption, and a mural of Saint Stephan. Another feature, dedicated in 1961, was a bas relief by sculptor Alonzo Hauser. It honored Max Buetow, a noted architect and congregation member who died in 1957.

Its sanctuary has a distinctive curving balcony/loft space and stained glass windows with a cross-hatched design.

The brick church building has been through various renovation and expansion projects. A 1925 fire extensively damaged the church but also provided a chance to expand.

Another major renovation took place in 1977.

The church education wing was built in 1958 after the old grade school was torn down.
A 1990 wind storm did major exterior damage to the building. Visitors can see two cornerstones, one for the original 1890 building and one for the 1990 renovation. The storm tore about one-third of the bricks off of the front of the church. The damage provided the congregation with the impetus to expand the narthex and improve building accessibility.

Saint Stephanus, like many other area churches, had its own grade school or partnered with other churches to provide education for many years. The school worked with five other congregations - Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, Trinity, Jehovah, Mount Olive and Bethel – to start Central Lutheran School in 1942.

St. Stephanus operated one of two school campuses until a new school could be built and opened in fall 1951. That school closed in 2018 due to declining enrollment.