The other St. Andrew’s celebrates a half-century

St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church is located at 815 Renfrew Ave. in North Kamloops. The Sunday, Sept. 16, anniversary service will begin at 10 a.m.

DAVE EAGLES PHOTO/KTW

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• MEANWHILE, A HALF-CENTURY LATER . . .
• Sunday anniversary tea at St. Andrew's on the Square
• CELEBRATING A CENTURY
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• St. Paul’s hosts free lecture

When St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church officially opened its North Kamloops doors, the Rolling Stones had just performed their first live show at a London rock club.

Nelson Mandela sat in a South African jail cell, having been arrested weeks earlier, a new superhero — Spider-Man — had recently debuted in the pages of Marvel’s Amazing Fantasy No. 15 and the Cuban missile crisis was just taking shape.

On Sept. 23, 1962, local Lutherans joined church dignitaries at the new building on Renfrew Avenue for a special service.

Nearly 50 years to the day later, St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church members have another date circled on their calendars.

This weekend, the church is celebrating a half-century with two special events — a banquet on Saturday and a service on Sunday.

Dennis Kujat, president of the church council, has been attending St. Andrew’s Lutheran since moving to Kamloops in 1975.

“This neighbourhood, North Kamloops, was well-established here,” Kujat told KTW, taking a break from painting the trim around the church’s front door in anticipation of the weekend events.

“There was a drive-in theatre across the street, where the mall is now, and we could see the green hills to the south of us [in Sahali].

“There was nothing there, just about.”

Kujat said the church congregation is excited about the 50th birthday party — just as they were for the 20th, 25th, 30th and 40th.

“Everybody’s been pitching in, so it’s really good,” he said.

“It’s almost like the old Prairie homecomings that they have.”

Kujat said Saturday’s banquet, at the North Shore Community Centre, 730 Cottonwood Ave., is already sold out — and organizers are expecting upwards of 150 people for Sunday’s service and the Lutheran potluck to follow.

“We’ve got three former pastors coming back and we’ve invited all the past members that moved away,” Kujat said.

“We have people coming from Arizona, Saskatchewan and all over B.C.”