A Muskego congregation has decommissioned its historic 1905 church. Demolition is next.

MUSKEGO - With a formal ceremony offering a last look and commemorating its history, St. Paul's Lutheran Church's 1905 building has moved a step closer to demolition.

Congregation leaders held a decommissioning service Sunday, July 21, an event that also included a chance for church members and others to collect some memorabilia from the historic building itself before it is demolished in the months ahead.

For church officials, the event tugged at varying emotions.

"The Decommissioning Service was a sad service but one filled with thanksgiving for the many ministry blessings our congregation received for 73 years in that building, blessings that continue to benefit a much larger congregation today," said Andy Timm, speaking on behalf of the congregation, in an email.

The ceremony included a prayer service followed by a tour, in which attendees were invited to enter the church, S66 W14325 Janesville Road, and ring the bell once as an act of thanksgiving. The tour was repeated Wednesday evening.

Now, Timm said, the process shifts to removal of fixtures and other artifacts from the 119-year-old building, some of which will be retained by the congregation.

"We will spend the next few months preserving items from the 1905 church such as pews that members have requested, stained glass windows for the congregation’s use, and other artifacts that we might be able to use for a permanent display to honor our past and temporary displays as opportunities arise," he said.

An exact demolition date has not been set, nor has the timeline in that process, which isn't expected to happen all at once.

The congregation twice voted — in May 2022 and August 2023 — in favor of church leadership's recommendation to eventually remove the church building from the campus. Church officials in 2023 estimated the cost of repairing the seldom-used church, which was replaced by a larger modern worship center in 1978, at $400,000 compared to a $160,000 demolition cost.

But from the beginning, one congregation-based group , which became The Friends of the 1905 St. Paul's Lutheran Church, has campaigned in an effort to preserve the historic site.

In 2022, congregation member Cheryl Weise said the group, which included congregation member Diane Ciula among its leadership, enlisted the help of John Archibald, a former member now living in Arkansas, to generate possible alternatives to demolition. The opposition group questioned church leaders' repair estimates and have maintained that the land sold by Jacob Tess to the congregation prior to 1905 was intended to be used only as a church and cemetery, with a reversion clause that would transfer control of the land back to the Tess family if terms were not met.

The status of the group's efforts is unclear. Weise said she has not been actively involved for some time. Ciula did not respond to messages requesting additional information.

Contact reporter Jim Riccioli at james.riccioli@jrn.com .

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: A Muskego congregation has decommissioned its historic 1905 church. Demolition is next.