In the early 1960’s, the Southeastern District of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod had a vision of establishing a congregation in the Owings Mills/Reisterstown area. In 1965 a commitment to this vision was made as Pastor Harold Kitzman was commissioned as Missionary at Large for the Owings Mills area. On February 6,1966 Christ The King held it’s first service at St. Michael’s Chapel at Hannah Moore Academy. In December of that same year property was purchased along Academy Ave. for the purpose of building a sanctuary.
In June of 1970 ground was broken and construction began on the new building. On March 14, 1971 the church building was dedicated with Pastor Charles J. Muller, president of the Southeastern District, giving the sermon. On June 10, 1973, after leading Christ The King during its infancy and first building program, Pastor Kitzman conducted his last service.
On June 30, 1974 Pastor Leo Richter accepted the call to become pastor of Christ The King and in July conducted his first service. He and his wife, Maryellen were married at Christ The King in 1975. Under Pastor Richter’s leadership ground was broken for a church addition (the fellowship hall) on January 17,1991. The fellowship hall was dedicated later in the year at the 25th anniversary service on September 29. In 1993 Pastor Richter announces his retirement. He conducts his last service in 1994 after faithfully serving Christ The King for twenty years.
On October 6, 1994 Pastor Harry M. Krolus was installed as the new pastor of Christ The King. In 1998 the congregation took part in a study to determine the feasibility of starting a school. Our school, Christ The King Academy, opened in the fall of 2006 with Ms. Betty Dorsey as Director. Our school was a definite blessing to those it served, but with declining enrollment, it closed after five years in 2011. This was not the end of our educational outreach as the fall of 2011 witnessed the opening of Christ The King Academy After Care Club. This ministry flourished until the pandemic. Unfortunately, after the pandemic, this ministry was no longer sustainable and closed its doors in the fall of 2022.
For the future, as well as the present, it is God’s will that we seek and not our own. We simply pray that we would be faithful instruments of his will and word as we continue to step forth in ministry.
