Religious roots run deep in Lodi

By Martin Stein
News-Sentinel staff writer

Today, the Lodi area boasts close to 90 houses of worship, covering Buddhism, Islam, Catholicism, every flavor of Protestantism and almost anything else you could think of. But things weren’t always so.

Lodi’s first church was erected on the corner of Oak and School streets in February 1871. Lodi wasn’t even called Lodi but was named Mokelumne Station after the Central Pacific Railroad depot. Before that, a small group of worshippers would meet in the second floor of a home owned by A.T. Rutledge on the southwest corner of Sacramento and Locust streets.

That group eventually ponied up $1,500 to construct an independent, union house of prayer.

The church was considered nondenominational, accepting all Christians to worship. All, that is, except Mormons.

Perhaps this bias was frowned upon by higher powers, but for whatever reason, the first three services to be held in the building would be the last. A candle used in the last service of the day was left lighted and the structure burned to the ground.

The Methodists were the only organized congregation in Mokelumne Station and promptly took over the lot from the other doubtless discouraged Christians. Led by Lodi’s first jeweler, George W. Hill, $700 was raised and a new church soon rose from the ashes of the old.

The new church was considerably more elaborate than its predecessor, finally costing $5,000. Its pastor was the Rev. John W. Bryant.

Called Woodbridge Church, its name was changed to Lodi in 1873. Methodists made good use of the building, holding services there until 1920 when they moved to the corner of Church and Oak streets.

Possibly encouraged by the fact that the Methodist structure didn’t burn down, Congregationalists soon followed suit in June 1872 on School Street near its intersection with Lockeford Street.

The Congregationalists were followed by the evangelical First Christian Church, with congregants meeting in Stoddard’s Hall and Joseph Shields serving as their pastor. By May 9, 1897, the group had raised enough money to build its own church at the corner of School Street and Lodi Avenue.

By 1919, the congregation had outgrown the structure and it was moved across the road to make way for a brand-new building.

Lutheran services had been held in Lodi since 1887 but it wasn’t until 1898 that the group organized St. Peter s Lutheran Church with the Rev. F.C. Streufert. The temple itself was eventually erected on the corner of Church and Locust streets in 1901.

The Salem Evangelical United Brethren Church began meeting in Victor in 1903. Known as the Evangelical Association, they built their first church in Victor in 1910. As the congregation grew, a new church was built in Lodi, the Salem United Methodist Church, at the intersection of Elm Street and Central Avenue.

A year after the Salem group began their meetings, small groups of Christian

Scientists made their appearance. By 1907, they too had a center on the corner of Elm and Lee streets.

Both the Seventh-day Adventists and the German Baptists got their own homes in 1905.

Beginning in a tent where Lawrence Park is currently, the Adventists soon had a church on the corner of Central Avenue and Tokay Street.

The German Baptists met in the American Baptist Convention Church on Elm and Stockton streets until 1911, when they built their own church at Central Avenue and Oak Street.

Mokelumne Station eventually became Lodi and St. Anne’s Catholic Church became the largest church in town, with a congregation numbering 2,744 families, church secretary Beatrice Santoyo said.

With the multitude of different faiths and denominations in Lodi, the question of unity was on the minds of local spiritual leaders as they peered into mists of the upcoming 100 years.

“One healthy thing I see among churches is that we re doing more and more together,” said Pastor Jim Harvey, leader of the Lodi Community Church and head of the Lodi Ministerial Association. “We’re moving toward a total Christian community.”

Recognizing that not every person in Lodi is Christian, Harvey feels bridges are being built to those of other faiths.

“I think we have worked hard at accepting each other across different religious lines,” he said.

The Rev. Ken Fujimoto of the Buddhist Church of Lodi isn’t as sure as Harvey that the battle against religious discrimination would be easily won.

“Right now, there’s a fork-in-the-road-type situation,” Fujimoto said. “If things go one way, there will be a situation where there will be greater religious understanding and harmony in a pluralistic sense. Or intensified.

“I see both undercurrents there right now. I see potential for either one but I hope it goes toward harmony and understanding.”