Private investor razes historic Dearborn Heights church | News – Dearborn Press and Guide

After years of struggling to reinvigorate itself and attract new parishioners, Christus Victor Lutheran Church quietly closed its doors a few months ago. The once beautiful and iconic building with its sharp zenith rising up toward the heavens was razed to a pile of wood and rubble on Aug. 5

The property at 25535 Ford Road was sold to a private investor.

This is the second site for the church shortly after it was built in the 1960s. The photograph was undated.

In January of 2019 a transitional pastor was brought in with hopes that someone new in the pulpit would enliven the congregation. The Rev. Dana Runestad was trying to bring people back to Christus Victor by creating new programs. One of Runestads first efforts was a drive-through Ash Wednesday service. Ash Wednesday is the start of a 40-day celebration leading up to Easter.

But it appeared that nothing short of a miracle could help resurrect Christus Victor. Like several area businesses, the life of Christus Victor may have been cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Larry Domski, Director of the Building and Engineering Department for Dearborn Heights said that the property is zoned in two parcels. The front half facing Ford Road is zoned commercial whereas the back half, containing most of the former churchs parking lot, is zoned residential.

Domski said that he has not seen any plans for what is to be built on the land.

The Ford Road location is the second home for the churchs congregation. Founded originally as the Ford Road Lutheran Church, the first location was at the corner of Ford Road and Silvery Lane. Under the guidance of Rev. V.J. Luetzow, construction on the first church started in January 1947.

Machinery tears down the last of the former Christus Victor Lutheran Church in Dearborn Heights.

Ground was broken in 1963 for the new sanctuary and it was finally occupied on Sept. 20, 1964, after nine years of planning and one year of construction.

The new structure was able to accommodate up to 430 people and cost $350,000 ($2.94 million today) to build.

With a new church also came a new name. Ford Road Lutheran Church was rechristened as Christus Victor Lutheran Church.

Christus Victor is a Latin phrase which expresses the triumphant aspect of Christ's atonement.

By Aug. 8, only a pile of rubble remained where the church once stood.

The Churchs phone was disconnected, and the website has been shut down. Questions sent to the Facebook page went unanswered.

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Private investor razes historic Dearborn Heights church | News - Dearborn Press and Guide