1957

April 4: Rev. Frederic J. Teichmann comes to Greece to establish mission church

June 9: First service held at the American Legion Hall, Dorsey Road

1958

Spring: Messiah Evangelical Lutheran Church buys land for parsonage and church

Sept.: Chapel built on land north of present church, on Mt. Read Blvd.

1961

Sept.: Fund drive started for first church building at corner of Mt Read/English Rd

1962

Nov.: Rev. Teichmann leaves to lead church in Long Island

Dec.: Rev. Thomas F. Mugavero called as pastor of Messiah; Ground broken for first unit of present church.

1963

Feb. 28: Rev. Mugavero installed as pastor

1966

July: Contract signed for designs of second unit

Nov.: Fund drive started for present sanctuary and building

1967

Sept.: Ground breaking for current structure

1969

Feb. 16: Dedication of new building

1979

Spring: Rev. Mugavero resigned to become pastor of Holy Trinity, Staten Island; Rev. James L. Dugan called as pastor

Sept. 16: Rev. Dugan installed

1983

Spring: Intern program (3rd yr seminary student) approved by congregation

Summer: Robert Fatzinger becomes first intern

1986

Jan.: Capital program approved to update and improve current building

Summer: Congregation approves Pastoral Assistant program

Fall: Rev. John Califano named Pastoral Assistant

1987

Spring: Capital improvements completed (enlarged narthex, more offices, accessibility)

1988

Spring: Congregation approves Assistant Pastor

Spring: Rev. Ghislaine Cotnoir becomes first Assistant Pastor of Messiah

1989

Feb.: Mortgage burning ceremony for current sanctuary

1992

Fall: Rev. Cotnoir leaves to become Chaplain at Rochester General Hospital

1993

August: Ethel Edwards becomes Parish Assistant

1998

April: Rev. Dugan leaves to become pastor at St. Paul, Savannah, GA

June: Rev. Robert Busch is called as Intentional Interim Pastor

1999

August: Rev. Dr. Richard B. Barbour is called as Senior Pastor of Messiah

2000

June: Rev. Justin Johnson is called to be the Family and Youth Pastor of Messiah

2002

August: Altar redone

2004

August: Pastor Johnson leaves to become Pastor of St, Timothy Lutheran Church, Geneseo

2005 

Dr. Willie La Favor became our new Worship and Music Director.

2006

August: Rev Katherine "Kit" Neel is called as Associate Pastor

August: Rev. Barbour leaves to join staff of Advent Lutheran Church, Boca Raton, Fla.

2007

A major renovation of the narthex and office area was completed.  With the addition of an elevator, the balcony is now the only area of the building not fully accessible from the main entrance.

September: Rev. Aileen Robbins is called as Senior Pastor.

2008

In January 2008, two of our members visited Biloxi and joined hundreds of volunteers in a week long work effort following Hurricane Katrina.

2009

In March 2009 Messiah in cooperation with 4 other churches successfully sponsored a single house in Gulfport Mississippi both financially and with a month long parade of work crews. the link below photographically depicts the experience. 

Pastor Kit resigned to become a full time parent.

 2011

May: We became a Reconciling in Christ congregation by voting on our Statement of Welcome and Inclusion.

2015

Pastor Aileen is called to also serve as Interim Pastor at Lutheran Church of Concord. 

2016

A Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) system was installed in the Sanctuary to give us heat and air conditioning, thanks to a parishioner’s charitable donation.

2017

We began a 9:00 AM service at Concord and an 11:00 AM service at Messiah.

2018

January 30: A backup of sewage causes closure of the lower level for 3 months.  Our insurance covered most of the costs.  We had an opportunity to make some important upgrades to the kitchen.  The lower level opened May 5.

September 14: Concord holds its Service of Holy Closure.  We began regular worship together on September 16.

November 1: Merger of Concord and Messiah was officially approved by the state.

December 1: Pastor Hans Irmer becomes Pastoral Assistant.

2020

We began meeting only from peoples’ homes Due to COVID-19.

Messiah Food Pantry started regular food distribution our needy neighbors.

2021

January: We began the year meeting via Zoom due to COVID-19.

2022

We during the year we transitioned from purely on-line worship, to hybrid worship under the tent, to live streaming from the sanctuary.

2023

We discontinued the COVID-19 policy when the national and public health emergency was lifted. 

Pastor Aileen's status changed from full time to 3/4 time as she became the Associate to The Bishop for Healthy Systems and Congregational Life.