German immigrants who entered Texas primarily through the port of Galveston and migrated to the rich farmland of central Texas were largely responsible for establishing this Lutheran congregation. As early as 1890, families met informally in homes for worship services conducted in the German language. In 1892, the growing congregation built and dedicated the Evangelical Lutheran Zions Church southeast of McGregor. By 1921, the congregation had outgrown that facility and hired a San Antonio architect to design a larger church building at this site. The new Gothic-influenced church was completed and dedicated in 1922. By 1946, the congregation discontinued German language worship services. In 1947, the church's name was changed to Zions Evangelical Lutheran Church, though it is commonly known as Zion Lutheran Church. Throughout its history, the church has served as a place of cultural as well as spiritual renewal for the community and has focused its efforts on helping to establish mission congregations.