About Us

Our history

In 1968, a tiny nucleus of eight believers in Austin, Texas yearned for the confessional stand of their home synod - the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. The nearest congregation, Our Savior Evangelical Lutheran in San Antonio, itself only a mission, shared its pastor, William Krueger.

Barely more than a year after its first exploratory service, Pastor James Radloff was installed as Holy Word's first resident pastor, and on May 17, 1970, twenty-six souls were recorded as charter members. After several years of renting worship space, a church building was constructed. It was dedicated on February 24, 1974, and served as the sanctuary until 2002. A new and larger sanctuary was dedicated on June 2, 2002.

Holy Word Christian Day School began in 1974 with fifteen children in a portable building. Currently, our school has about sixty students and has graduated 100.

The Lord has provided faithful shepherds to guide and teach his Holy Word lambs: pastors James Radloff (1970-84), Silas Krueger (1985-88), Bruce Bitter (1988-91), Larry Ellenberger (1997-98), Harold Johne (1998-2001), and Donald Patterson (1992-present); and vicars Todd Engel (1994), Michael Geiger (1995-96), Nathan Buege (2000-2001), Caleb Schoeneck (2001-02), Robert Guenther (2002-03), Steven Prahl (2003-04), and Andy Mueller. Through God's grace, Holy Word's membership has increased to over 500.

Our message

Our message is simple: Jesus Christ came from heaven to save us from our sins. After he lived, died, and rose again for us, he sent his disciples out to tell the world that he had reconciled us to God and opened the way to heaven. We believe and teach what they have taught us in the New Testament - that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and that through faith in him every person can know who he is, why he is here, and where he is going. In Christ we find the meaning of life.

As Lutheran Christians, we are still fully committed to the threefold foundation of the Reformation: grace alone, faith alone, and scripture alone. We believe and teach that salvation is ours by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, as taught in the Word of God. Our whole purpose is to bring this knowledge of the Savior to those in need of it.

Our mission and our ministry

Our mission is to spread the news of God's love and salvation, to study the Word of God in its truth and purity, and to serve the spiritual needs of our community.