Our Building

Architecturally, our building is an example of "brutalism" from the French words “béton brut,” meaning "raw concrete." This minimalist approach was popular in the US in the 1960's and 70's.  

The following is architect Uel C. Ramey's explanation of his original design.  Note that the layout of the sanctuary was changed in 1986.  

"The design of your church was born of the conviction that a church building should express architecturally the basic beliefs of our Christian faith as well as the unique doctrines of the Lutheran Church.  The building should teach, should challenge, should accommodate change and variations, and should reflect our heritage.  

God's plan of salvation is easily understood by even the youngest Christian.  The plan of your church is simple, direct and formal, easily comprehended by all.  

A Christian church is the Body of Christ, a family of believers.  The members are one in Christ.  The arranging of the benches around the Lord's table emphasizes the unique oneness of the Christian Church.  

Each Christian is a royal priest.  Each of you will go into the chancel, not just to a rail separating the chancel from the nave, to receive the body and blood of our Lord.

Holy Baptism is one of the two sacraments and one of the three means of grace.  It is an action that calls people from darkness "into His marvelous light".  Baptism is an act that engrafts the new Christian into the Body of Christ.  The place where this miraculous transformation takes place should have prominence, permanence, and distinction.  Entering the baptistry in this church, one goes from darkness into light.  One also descends where, "We are buried with Christ by Baptism into death", and one ascends, "that like as He was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."

 Our liturgy is a bipartite liturgy - sacramental and sacrificial.  In the sacrificial part we bring an offering, bread and wine, to the altar.  God returns this same offering to us as a sacrament and invites us to come to His table and eat and drink.  The altar is therefore both altar and table.  The Lord's table in your church has the form of a table and the permanence of an altar.  

Our Christian faith goes back to the beginning of time.  For thousands of years God revealed himself to the people of Israel.  In the Near East two thousand years ago God completed His revelation.  The simple open tower of your church, with the barrel vault roof, is reminiscent of the architecture of that time and place and reminds us of our Christian heritage.  

A study, in depth, of the theology or worship will make clear to us that the worship life must become a life of worship.  The Christian must do all things to the glory of God.  We cannot leave God in church at 12:00 noon on Sunday and come back at 11 o'clock next Sunday and find Him waiting.   He must go with us into the classroom, the library, when we study, when we play or when we just sit and talk.  Your church is designed to remind you that you are always in the presence of God, that if you draw near to Him, He will draw near to you.  

Worthwhile values such as honesty and personal integrity are eroding.  We are rapidly developing a culture in which the substitute, the artificial, is more desirable that the real thing.  In your building concrete is concrete with all its natural texture, color, strength, and flaws evident.  Beams are beams, columns and columns and wood is wood.   

Your building is designed to accommodate change and variation in the doing of your liturgy.  It is my wish, as your architect, that you will experience all of the old liturgies and the many valid variations and that you will experiment with the new liturgies.  Then your church will come alive, it will teach and challenge."

Uel C. Ramey, A.I.A.
Uel C. Ramey and Jack R. Jones, Architects
Wichita, Kansas

Our sanctuary today.