St. John’s Lutheran Church, 3517 Jeffco Blvd., has more room to grow.
The church purchased 4.12 acres from the Keller Family Trust on
May 16 for $1.3 million, St. John’s pastor, the Rev. Jeremy Schultz said. The land, which includes the family home, had been farmed by the Keller family since 1921. It is at 3590 St. John’s Church Road and is adjacent to the church and school on their south side.
The church also purchased 1.24 acres from Dan Jones for $350,000, Schultz said. That piece also is next to the St. John’s property.
“It is a pretty exciting time,” Schultz said. “With it being adjacent property, it has been a long-held dream of the congregation that one day we would be able to purchase it. You never know if that is in God’s plan, or the family’s plan. When it became clear that they were going to list the property and put it up for sale last October, we got right on it.”
Marvin Keller, 91, grew produce on the farm up until last year when medical reasons made it too difficult to continue farming, his daughter, Eunice Glover, said.
“It is really hard on dad,” said Eunice Glover, 61, who is a registered nurse who lives in Kirkwood. “He is one of those farmers who thought he would farm up until the day he died. My brother (Melvin Keller, 65), since he lives out of state (Rock Hill, S.C.), was ready to sell it. I work full-time, and I’m unable to do it.
“I’m going to miss going out to the farm. There are a lot of memories there. In the end, I’m glad that St. John’s was able to purchase it.”
Schultz said there are no current plans for the new acreage. He said the church is putting together a two-year strategic plan and the land will be incorporated into that plan.
St. John’s has discussed possibly building a new school there or expanding its community ministry, as it did when the church purchased a four-store-front strip mall off Jeffco Boulevard to house its Care Connections offices, according to congregational president Jason Christ.
“There have been discussions about potentially using it for some sort of athletic field, even if it is for a short term,” Christ said. “Recently, there have been discussions about using it for an adult ministry, whether that has to do with senior housing or something else, we don’t know. We are trying to let God lead us in the right direction. Those are all ideas the congregation has brought forward and things we will look into.”
Glover said she is happy the land went to the church.
She said her great-grandfather, Casper Noll, had given or sold the church five acres when he started farming the land. That land was used for a picnic area and cemetery.
“We have a tradition in our family to support St. John’s Lutheran Church,” Glover said. “My mother’s family grew up in that church.”
Marvin Keller’s wife, Esther, died in October 2014, but when the city of Arnold incorporated, Esther made sure the family’s farm was designated as commercial property for when it came time to sell the land, Glover said.
“It is really bittersweet, but it was time,” Glover said. “It is past time. We are ready. Mom always hoped the church would be able to come up with the money for the land. The church did, so it worked out well.”
Schultz said the church, which has about 2,000 members and has been in Arnold for more than 170 years, also is happy it worked out.
He said members of the congregation donated to raise the funds to buy the land.
“The opportunity was there for us to purchase it,” Schultz said. “We made sure the opportunity didn’t pass us by. They don’t make new land, especially adjacent to you. Everybody was in on, ‘We have to do this.’”
St. John’s celebrated purchasing the farm and smaller tract on May 19 during its Sunday service. Members of the congregation walked the new property after the service, and a dedication and confetti release were held to symbolically offer the land to God to use for his glory, St. John’s communications director Robyn Hogan said.