The settlement of German Lutherans in the Vernon area were served first by Rev. Pempeit at Mable Lake beginning in 1902. Various attempts to organize finally came to a head in 1909 when the congregation of St. John's Lutheran Church was organized and they called Pastor W. Willing of the Ohio Synod. The chapel and parsonage were built in 1910. When the pastor left, the congregation sent out another call which was answered by the Missions Board of the Missouri Synod who sent missionary Pastor Traugott Herzer. He met with them and facilitated their affiliation with the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (becoming the first LCMS organized congregation in the interior of B.C.) They then issued a call to his brother Pastor John Herzer. Pastor Herzer used the church as a base for further mission work in the area including Enderby, Armstrong, Mable Lake, Cherry Creek, Nelson, Bruise, Builon, Deer Lake and Renata. A new church was built in 1912 - 1913 and dedicated in March 1913. Services in German were reduced in 1914. A fire occurred in 1944 but the church was repaired and continued in service until 1952. The second church building was dedicated in November 1952. A Sunday School extension was undertaken in 1963 and expanded again in 1967. There was a revival of German language services in 1983. The third church building was dedicated in 1986. The congregation joined the newly formed Lutheran Church-Canada synod in 1988.