The Spirit of Peace Lutheran Church in Milwaukee has officially decided to close its doors.
Leaders with the LGBTQ+ affirming congregation say they were unable to fully recover from the pandemic. Their last service will be this weekend.
Spirit of the Peace was known to be as inclusive as churches come. TMJ4's Sydni Eure says she felt that welcome as soon as she shook Pastor Michael McAllister's hand.
The church has hosted a Lutheran congregation for more than a hundred years, but it became Spirit of Peace Lutheran Church in 2014. Inclusivity has become a major part of the church's mission, from welcoming members of the LGBTQ+ community to meeting people through the food pantry they've operated for years. Pastor McAllister says all walks of life worship at Spirit of Peace.
He says it'll be bittersweet to say goodbye, but a legacy will live on.
"The love and the faithful service and worship that we've done in this place will live on," McAllister says. "It will live on through us and the other ministries we will continue to support and that's something important to realize and remember."
McAllister says the congregation will find other churches to call home. Buyers for the building plan to turn it into a daycare.
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