Saint Stephen Lutheran Church:
Giving God Thanks and Praise for over 60 Years
In September 1956 Trinity Lutheran Church established Trinity Chapel in the Fern Creek Community Center after hearing God’s call to establish a mission congregation in suburban Louisville.
By 1958 Trinity Chapel was a thriving Christian community.
In January 1959 Pastor Robert Hauss was called to serve Trinity Chapel. That same year, the congregation purchased a 7-acre site on Bardstown Road in Fern Creek including a house which served as the parsonage for the congregation’s pastors.
On February 7, 1960, Saint Stephen Lutheran Church was organized by 73 charter members.
There was rapid turnover in Saint Stephen’s pastoral leadership in the early years. Pastor Hauss served less than 2 years. His successor, Pastor Albert Nyland, guided Saint Stephen from early 1962 until the fall of 1964. Saint Stephen’s 3rd pastor, Pastor Henry Reasin, served about the same length of time before resigning in October 1967. In January 1968, Pastor Ralph Kempski was called to lead Saint Stephen.
Groundbreaking ceremonies for Saint Stephen’s 1st church building were held in December 1962. The new church was dedicated in July 1963. Early in 1968, Saint Stephen became independent of salary assistance from the Lutheran Church in America’s Board of American Missions. Soon the parsonage was sold, and a housing allowance was established for the pastor.
Pastor Kempski’s resignation in 1971 led to the call of Pastor William Powlen. Sadly, illness forced Pastor Powlen to resign after only 8 months. In 1973, Pastor Thomas Swasko was called from seminary to serve as Saint Stephen’s 6th pastor in just 13 years.
In 1980 Saint Stephen celebrated the congregation’s 20th anniversary and began a campaign to retire the remaining $28,000 in mortgage debt which was successful in just 1 year. The mortgage was burned in February 1981 and a new building fund was established. In July 1986, ground was broken for an enlarged narthex and fellowship hall, classrooms, and offices. The renovated building was dedicated in February 1987 and was debt-free in just 3 years.
In 1992 Saint Stephen purchased the house and 1/2 acre property adjacent to the church to be used as a rental property.
By 1998 a building fund was again established with the hope of building a larger sanctuary and expanded educational facilities. Also in 1998 Saint Stephen celebrated both Pastor Swasko’s 25th year of ordination and his 25th year as Saint Stephen’s pastor.
In 2000 Saint Stephen celebrated the congregation’s 40th anniversary with worship and a day of special events.
In 2005 a plan was approved for a new 250-seat sanctuary, renovation of the current sanctuary into classrooms as well as a dedicated church nursery, renovation of the kitchen, and enclosure of the courtyard. Ground was broken in August 2006 and construction began in November. The building and renovation project were dedicated on August 19, 2007.
After serving Saint Stephen for over 34 years, Pastor Tom Swasko retired in January 2008. Saint Stephen honored Pastor Swasko’s years of service to our Lord and God’s people with a special worship service and reception for the entire community.
Pastor Laura Meier was called by the Indiana-Kentucky Synod to lead Saint Stephen through the difficult transition period following Pastor Swasko’s retirement.
A Call Committee was formed and began the search for a new pastor in June 2009.
On February 7, 2010, Saint Stephen celebrated the 50th anniversary of its founding.
In October 2010, a call to serve Saint Stephen was extended to and accepted by Pastor Kerri McFarland. Pastor Kerri officiated her first worship services at Saint Stephen the weekend of January 22-23, 2011. Pastor Kerri has been serving as the full-time pastor of Saint Stephen for over 15 years and celebrated her 25th year of ordination in 2026.
God’s Work. Our Hands for over 60 Years!
Throughout the decades, Saint Stephen Lutheran Church has touched many lives in a multitude of powerful ways as this Christian community has worked together to share and to show God’s grace, love, and mercy.
1,000’s of worship services have offered opportunities for God’s people to hear God’s Word and to offer our Lord thanks and praise.
100’s of children have learned about God’s love and delighted in the joys and blessings of Christian community at Vacation Bible School, youth group gatherings, and Sunday school. Many adults have joined in the blessings of Sunday school, VBS, and Bible studies too.
The people of Saint Stephen have served our Lord and his people by working together with the Fern Creek/Highview United Ministries, the Louisville Ronald McDonald House, Lutheran World Relief, Habitat for Humanity, area prison ministries, nursing homes, church camps, and other important ministries. Saint Stephen’s members have made and distributed dresses, prayer shawls, hats, scarves, blankets, baby booties, and baptismal blankets in the hundreds.
The members of Saint Stephen have delighted in the blessings of Christian community by gathering together for fellowship in a multitude of creative and fun ways. There have been Jolly Rockers, Golden Sneakers and The Lutherans Who Like to Eat Lunch gatherings. There have been Big Band Nights, Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations, game nights, Pre-Derby parties, and a whole variety of intergenerational family fun and learning events. Saint Stephen has gathered each November to give our Lord thanks and praise for his generous blessings at an annual Thanksgiving worship service and Thanksgiving dinner for decades. Elvis and Priscilla Presley have even stopped by our annual Thanksgiving dinner! Santa and Mrs. Claus have been visiting our Ladies’ Christmas Teas for years and now join us each December for Cookies with Santa. Our youth have been terrified us with haunted rooms of terror at our October Trunk and Treat celebrations. Saint Stephen’s cooks compete in an annual chili cook-off that is usually lighthearted, but can get rather competitive! Each July Saint Stephen hosts an amazing car, truck, and bike show too.
The members of Saint Stephen have gathered together for countless meetings to plan everything from Sunday school and VBS to anniversary celebrations. We have celebrated baptisms, weddings, confirmations, anniversaries, retirements, graduations, and all sorts of wonderful occasions with one another. We have mourned, remembered, and given thanks for lives well-lived together. We have even lived through a global pandemic together!
During the week our church is a busy, bustling place as exercise groups and Girl Scout troops meet at Saint Stephen.
We have loved, cared, supported, and celebrated with one another. We have been a Christian community since 1960. We are sisters and brothers in Christ!
For all of this and for so much more, we give our Lord thanks and praise! We give God thanks for Saint Stephen Lutheran Church!