In 1893 Austrian and German immigrants in the Macksburg area began to meet in homes for Lutheran church services.  Rev. C. Buechler of Portland was driven to the area in a wagon by church members every third week to preach to the growing parish.  Following worship, they would return him to Canby where he could board a train for Portland.
     When the church was first able to call a resident pastor, clergy weren’t paid much for their efforts.  They received $350 to $400 per year, plus lots of meat, eggs and vegetables from the farms of church members.  The present parsonage, built in 1948 replaced the earlier one that had been constructed in 1896.
     Most of the early members were natives of Germany and Austria, so German was spoken in all services until 1929.  Worship alternated between German and English until 1943.
     The original trustees of the church were Chris Lorenz, Franz Kraxberger and Albert Klebe. An acre of land for the sanctuary was purchased from Klebe in 1894, at the price of $50.  Johann and Rosina Kraxberger were instrumental in the effort to build the church that was modeled after a church in their native Austria.  The wood-frame Rural Gothic Vernacular building was a simple rectangle with a tall steeple reaching toward heaven.  Four windows on each side were also designed with arches pointing upward.  Construction by a group of Mennonite carpenters from the Needy area began in 1894. The cost was $237, with a lot of the labor donated.  Not surprisingly, the records indicate that it was a cash deal.  Things were always done for cash.  The story goes that the members were assessed proportionately to the acreage of their farms.  The church was completed and dedicated on November 11, 1893.
     When put in use, the building was heated by a large wood stove in the center of the room, and kerosene lamps provided illumination.  A well was dug, and a pitcher pump supplied the water.  Originally a large shed was located right alongside the church so that members could put their horses and buggies out of the weather.  The 1,200 pound bell that still sounds across the countryside on Sunday mornings was purchased in Portland for $90 by Franz Kraxberger and Franz Weninger.  A used pump organ served for many years.
In the Fall of 1929, Macksburg formed a parish with Christ Lutheran Church in Aurora.  A Sunday School was organized, using the English language.  A Ladies Aid and a Luther League were started in 1933.
    In 1940 the little white church received electricity, and a small rear addition.  A basement was dug and a furnace and kitchen were added in 1943.  The distinctive statue in the sanctuary took its place in 1955.  It was acquired from a Lutheran church in Port Angeles.
It was customary  in the old days for men and women to sit on opposite sides of the sanctuary, with the children down in front.  Church was serious business then.  If children talked they were quickly silenced by a look from their father. If that didn’t work, their mother took them outside for a walloping.  When it came time for the collection, the ushers used the Klingel Beutel (a little felt bag attached to the end of a long stick).  The children put in a penny, and five or ten cents was tops for adults.
    A century later, history repeated itself.  Church member Dee Simpson (who was raised as a Mennonite in the Needy area) supervised the construction of a 5,500 square foot addition.  Naturally, it was paid for in cash.  It cost a little more than $237.
    A distinctive mark of the congregation is its love for children.  This is expressed in many annual events, such as a "Fall Festival," an Easter egg hunt, and a very large Vacation Bible School.  Most of all, it is evident in the wonderful pre-school, which is our major ministry.