Members of St. John Lutheran Church began meeting in January 1902, and the congregation formally organized on December 26, 1903, under the leadership of the Rev. Carl Roth. The congregation was part of a three-church parish, and in 1915 members built a sanctuary in the agricultural community of Detmold, home to many German immigrants. In 1933 they enlarged the building, and in 1949 they built a parsonage. The congregation remained in Detmold until 1963, when it constructed a sanctuary and education building at this site. Although Detmold declined in population and activity, St. John Lutheran Cemetery remains there as a link to the early settlers and to the congregation, which still serves its members and community.