With the assistance of pastors from neighboring communities, a Lutheran congregation was organized to serve the Lincoln community in April 1886. The Rev. Th. Wolfram arrived in 1887 as St. John's first resident pastor. In the early years, ministers also served as teachers at the school on the church grounds. A sanctuary built in 1892 during the pastorate of the Rev. Louis Ernst served the congregation until a tornado damaged it in 1957. St. John Lutheran Church remains an important part of the heritage of Lee County.