Our History

The Apostolic Lutheran Church of Seattle was founded in 1935. The first permanent board was elected at a meeting on December 1, 1935, with Isaac Seppala serving as pastor. The congregation met at rented facilities from 1935 until 1950.

In 1941 Chris Holmgren was chosen to be an assistant to Pastor Isaac Seppala. In 1946, Chris Holmgren became pastor with Isaac Seppala assisting.

In 1950 our congregation purchased the church building in Ballard from the Zion Lutheran Church.

Also in 1950, our congregation joined the federation of churches known as the Apostolic Lutheran Church of America.

In 1964 Alvin Holmgren was elected as pastor of the Seattle congregation and in February of 1965 began full-time ministry which continued for 30 years. The elder pastors Chris Holmgren and Isaac Seppala remained active in the congregation’s ministry until advanced age.

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Brothers Ivan Seppala and Ben Johnson, who also began their preaching here in our congregation, served with Pastor Alvin Holmgren until they moved from the city.

In 1972 our present Shoreline location on the corner of North 198th Street and Fremont Avenue North was purchased and our Ballard church was sold in 1973.

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Ground breaking for our new church building was on October 7, 1973, the first service was conducted on March 31, 1974, and the first wedding, David and Karen (Selin) Impola, was conducted a week later.

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Dedication of the new church was on June 2, 1974. Our late brother and faithful laborer Pastor Andrew Mickelsen came to dedicate the church.  A few months later, the congregation witnessed the second wedding ceremony in our new church home—our future pastor and wife, Stan and Shirley (Holmgren) Lampinen were married December 7, 1974.

The congregation celebrated its 50 th anniversary of incorporation in 1985 with special services. Pastor George Wilson was called as the guest speaker with former pastors also in attendance. About this time, God called two of our local young men into the ministry, Stan Lampinen and Bruce Selin, and they began serving with Pastor Alvin Holmgren.

In 1995 when Pastor Alvin Holmgren opted for semi-retirement, the congregation relied upon Brothers Stan Lampinen and Bruce Selin to preach the Word and the three men served together for a decade.

Stan Lampinen and Bruce Selin were elected Associate Pastors and both were ordained into the ministry in 2004. During this time, God also called Brother Gene Mixon into the ministry. When Pastor Holmgren entered full-retirement, Gene Mixon was elected pastor. He was installed in 2006 and was assisted by Associate Pastors Stan Lampinen and Bruce Selin until he moved from the city in 2014. Associate Pastor Bruce Selin served the congregation until 2015.

Associate Pastor Stan Lampinen was elected to serve as pastor in October 2015. As of that time, Pastor Lampinen has been a member of our congregation for 40 years and had served in many capacities. He and his wife Shirley and family have been a blessing to our congregation for several decades.

The congregation elected Aaron Hendrickson Associate Pastor on January 16, 2016; he has lead the Sunday school for the last decade and assists Pastor Stan Lampinen in the ministry.