Lutheran Church of the Redeemer Memorial Scholarship

A memorial is usually established for someone who is no longer living. And while it might seem unusual for a scholarship to be a memorial for a church, in this case it is very appropriate. For the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, which had existed for 42 years in Sherman Oaks and for which this scholarship is named, closed its doors forever in September 1987.

The church was originally chartered in 1945 and for 20 years prospered and grew. The membership began to decline at the same time that the community of Sherman Oaks was experiencing rapid economic development. In 1977 the congregation was forced to sell its building to rid itself of debt. As church membership continued to decline, it was decided that the church would join the congregation at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in North Hollywood. But other decisions still had to be made as to the congregation’s remaining assets. It was at this point that consideration of California Lutheran University came into the picture.

As one of their last acts as a congregation, the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer presented a $65,000 check to CLU. A strong relationship had existed between the two entities for some time. Two of CLU’s professors, Dr. Wilfred Buth and Dr. Wallace Asper, had served the congregation as interim pastors at the church during the 70s. A major portion of the final gift from the congregation established this endowed memorial scholarship, allowing the name of the church to be perpetuated as a legacy.

To celebrate the occasion, six members from the congregation of the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer gathered around the table in the CLU president’s conference room to share memories and prayers in August of 1987. As they relived the 42 years they had shared, they reminded themselves the church is not and was never meant to be a building but is, rather, the people who make up the Body of Christ.

It was decided that the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer Memorial Scholarship should be awarded to a Lutheran undergraduate or fifth-year student maintaining a healthy 2.9 or better grade point average.