Our Story

Our Redeemer's has had a mission-minded focus for over 90 years. After initial mission work by Pastor Belno Lange, Our Redeemer's was officially founded in 1926 when Pastor V H Winter of Norfolk, NE accepted the call to be a missionary in Martin. With an eye toward the future, the new congregation went to work quickly, and in February of 1927, the first church building was dedicated. Continuing mission work led to a second congregation, St Paul's in Batesland, officially being organized in 1929.  Both locations were served by the same pastor.  In 1944, a church building and parsonage were purchased in Batesland, and the pastor moved there from Martin. Beginning in 1980, the congregations began serving a third group in Gordon, NE, which in 1987 organized as Rock of Ages. Rock of Ages dedicated their newly purchased building in 1988. In 1990, the current Martin church building was built on the site of the original building, and in 1996 a new parsonage was constructed, once again in Martin.

After 82 years, the congregation and church buildings in Batesland closed, and members joined one of the two remaining congregations. Today,  Our Redeemer's and Rock of Ages serve over 170 souls and continue to seek opportunities to reach out to the people of Bennett and Sheridan counties.  

Our Pastor

Pastor Joshua Hillman has served Our Redeemer’s and Rock of Ages since February of 2019. He formerly served in Beatrice, Nebraska.

Our Beliefs

We are a biblical church. We want God's Word to have the first place in what we believe and in our worldview. 

We are a Lutheran church. The doctrine of justification, that through Jesus Christ's payment for sins God declares a person forgiven, righteous, and holy, is our constant message.

We are a Christian church. We gather to praise God and to be strengthened by God's Word. We reach out to those around us in Christian love. 

For a more detailed explanation of our beliefs, see the documents below. "This We Believe" is a statement of beliefs from our national church body, the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). The Augsburg Confession is one of the historic documents explaining what Lutheran churches believe, teach, and confess. 

Finally, our pastor is always ready to study our teachings with you, from the Bible, so that you can see for yourself what God says. 

Our Heritage

Our Redeemer's is a proud member the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS).  The WELS has been around since 1850, and serves nearly 400,000 Christians in North America, and supports mission work in 25 countries around the world.

Our Redeemer's follows the Bible as the first and foremost authority. We also hold to the Lutheran Confessions. These documents were prepared in the 16th century during the Lutheran Reformation. Undeniably, life is not the same today as it was in Germany in the 1500s. Fortunately for all of us, God remains the same forever. The truths of grace, love, redemption and the practical wisdom for life God has given us through His Word are just as real and useful today.  We seek to share the life giving message of Jesus, honoring the past and looking to the future.