Our History

Planting the Seed

While the official anniversary of Oak Road Lutheran Church is celebrated in October, commemorating the day that 90 original members of the church signed its charter in 1985, the church's roots were laid nearly two years earlier, when the Florida/Georgia district called Rev. Dr. Marlin Mentz to work as developer in teh Gwinnett county area. Within a year, the church held its first service in the Five Forks Middle School cafeteria, with 70 worshippers in attendance. In early 1985, Rev. Mentz was commissioned as the church pastor. He would be officially called as the parish pastor later that year.

Sunday School was quick to follow that first worship service. Classes began for the 38 enrolled students in February 1985. The first choirs were formed a short time later. A building committee was formed in June and the congregation accepted the land offered for sale on Oak Road. that same month, the congrregation was recognized as an official member of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, and a class of four students was confirmed in the Five Forks Middle School cafeteria.

The Holy Rollers

Ground was broken on the original facility in May of 1987. by that time, membership had grown to 116 confirmed and 190 baptized members. At approximately 10,000 square feet, the original church structure was the largest ever approved by the district as a church's first building.

By this time, the congregation was meeting at The Skate Place in Lawrenceville due to construction at Five Forks Middle School. The congregation met in the skating rink for one year before moving into the new church building in June of 1989. The building was dedicated in October 1989. At that time there was no carpeting in the sanctuary and the education wing was still under construction. Both of these tasks were completed by the end of 1991.

Living Branches

In January 1993, after serving the congregation for nine years, Pastor Mentz initiated his retirement. Rev. George Murdaugh was called in May of 1993 and was installed in August of that year. A support staff was soon to follow, with the first paid secretary in early 1995, followed by the church's first DCE intern. A music director joined the staff in 1997 and a full-time DCE was added in 2002.

The congregation continued to grow in size and, in October of 1999, the ground breaking for the new fellowship hall/education wing was held. Nearly four years later, in September of 2003, the addition was dedicated.