Lutheran Church
of the Atonement

1285 North New Florissant Road
Florissant, Missouri 63031  
www.alcs-web.com

Catholics were so prevalent in Florissant in the 19th century that there was no Protestant church in the town until after 1890, when a small building was erected at 646 Rue St. François to be shared by Baptists, Methodists, and Presbyterians. After World War II, however, the proximity of McDonnell-Douglas, Ford, and other employers made Florissant the fastest growing city in the region, and more than two dozen Protestant churches appeared. A meeting to organize the Lutheran Church of the Atonement was held in August 1951, and services began a month later in rented space over a plumbing shop. A new church stood on the south end of the present site by 1953, and it gave Atonement Church a national reputation, as one of the most admired of the A-frame church designs that were becoming popular. Architect Harris Armstrong took top honors for it in the regional architectural competition held that year. Armstrong’s school building followed in 1956. As the church continued to grow, the 250-seat church was expanded to 400 in 1962.

But just two years later, Froese, Maack and Becker began designs for the present building to seat 600. It was dedicated in 1967. Ewald Froese, who founded the firm in 1946, had died in 1958, but Albert C. Maack (1894-1990) and Rex Becker, who celebrated his 95th birthday in 2008, continued together for many years, designing a total of 150 Lutheran churches. Much of their work was traditional in style (Gothic at Concordia in Kirkwood, Georgian in Ladue), but here they embraced modernism, with an unusual floor plan, angled ceiling all in one slope, and dramatic lighting from the hexagonal lantern over the altar.

The windows on the left or Old Testament side of the nave represent the twelve sons of Jacob with their symbols. The twelve disciples of Jesus on the right or New Testament side include Judas, who is seldom depicted in such a setting. The Greek letters alpha and omega, i.e. the beginning and the end, mark the arms of the large cross above the altar, while symbols descending the shaft represent the Messianic Rose, the water of life, the vine, the bread of life, the monogram IHS, and the light of the world, all metaphors for Christ. The altar, black marble from Italy, is inlaid with Greek letters in gold mosaic: IC-XC-NIKA, meaning “Jesus Christ the Conqueror,” an inscription found on an altar in Ephesus dating from about 335.

Turning to face the entrance, one sees the large windows that illustrate the meaning of the church’s name, Atonement: expiation or compensation for wrongs, in this case for original sin. On the Old Testament side the hand of God reaches down in the Great Day of Atonement described in Leviticus, while on the left, Good Friday represents the corresponding New Testament day and act of atonement. At the center is the Ultimate Atonement window, showing the triumphant Christ as the lamb on the throne described in Revelation. The organ in the choir balcony was built by Werner Bosch of Kassel, Germany.

April 5, 2009 marks the first performance here by the Chamber Chorus.

Notes by Esley Hamilton and Philip Barnes