Pipe Organ at Pinellas County church
In May 2020, the members at Faith Lutheran Church, Dunedin, FL, committed to creating a distinctly Lutheran music program featuring Lutheran chorales, traditional liturgy, and sacred chants. Ideally, this was to be supported by a pipe organ.
Within a year, a suitable manual tracker pipe organ was found for sale in New Jersey on Organ Clearing House. After having examined it and agreeing to the purchase, members traveled north to assist with its disassembly and shipping. The organ arrived in Florida in September 2021 and was stored in an unused room at the church.
“The organ was originally a small instrument to assist the congregation in singing certain parts of the church services. Later it developed into a large instrument and it came to be used for the playing of independent parts, such as preludes, interludes, and postludes. The primary function of an organ, however, still is to assist the congregation in singing. If this is kept in mind, as well as the principle of genuineness in all matters of worship, it should not be difficult to provide the right kind of pipe organ for the church.
The question of location for the pipe organ and the congregational choir is a liturgical and theological problem. The church is not a concert hall in which the congregation is the audience and the ministers and the musicians are performers on a stage. The organ and choir belong to and with the congregation in the nave. They lead and guide the singing of the congregation and in the name of the congregation perform some of the more difficult musical parts of the services. It is becoming, therefore, that they should be located with the congregation and face the altar like the rest of the congregation.“
Paul H.D. Lang, Ceremony and Celebration
About the Organ Builder
Hans-Detlef Kleuker (1922-1988) learned organ building from Emanuel Kemper, in whose company he worked from 1947 to 1954. He passed his Master Organ Builder examination in 1955 and set up his own business in Brackwede in northern Germany, not far from Düsseldorf. He established one of the leading organ building workshops in the region, building 350 organs over the next three decades, which included instruments exported to 20 countries. He also renovated many existing organs. His organs leaned toward the Baroque aesthetic in their sound and disposition.
The Kleuker organ acquired by Faith Lutheran was originally built in 1964. It was conceived by Kleuker as a representative promotional instrument and was imported to the U.S., displayed, and demonstrated at a national organ convention in 1965. A visitor at the convention who was associated with Concordia Lutheran Seminary in St. Louis, MO, was impressed with the Kleuker instrument. He purchased it and gifted it to the Seminary. It was installed in Koburg Hall in 1965. The multi-purpose hall was used for dining, lectures, concerts, worship services, and wedding receptions.
Rev. Dr. Daniel Reuning, who today is Kantor at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne, IN, recalls playing the instrument in its original location. “I remember so well playing the instrument in Koburg Hall in the early 60’s, when I returned to the seminary for summer music institutes,” said Rev. Reuning. “It was the third tracker organ that I had ever played. I was delighted with the responsiveness of the action and the clear sound. You are so fortunate to have it.”
After many years of faithful service, the organ needed extensive maintenance. Having recently constructed a new chapel with its own pipe organ, the seminary decided not to expend the funds for repairs on this instrument. It was listed for sale in February 2002.
The organ would be purchased by John and Margaret Schroeder and brought to California where it underwent a complete restoration from 2002 to 2004. It was then moved into their family home in Midpines, CA where it remained for sixteen years until sold to Carl Fischer, an engineer and organist in New Jersey. Personal circumstances led to the sale of the organ in early 2021, which is when it was acquired by Faith.
While the organ was in storage, members of the congregation set about determining the ideal location for it to be placed given the significant constraints of the existing building. Low ceiling height at the back of the nave posed a significant challenge. Although other options for placement were briefly considered, ultimately it was decided that the rear of the nave was the proper place both liturgically and acoustically.
Edward Hoffman, a local architect, was engaged in May 2021 to provide ideas. He was intrigued by the challenge and drew on his experience and creativity to come up with an innovative plan to raise the roof above what was at the time the narthex. This involved excavating under existing walls to add the necessary materials to make them load bearing. Such an approach, however, was not without cost.
Initial estimates from building contractors significantly exceeded the congregation’s available funds, and the project was put on hold to allow for additional fundraising.
By the fall of 2023, through generous donations and bequests, the congregation was ready to resume the project, select a general contractor, and begin construction. Bill Laursen and his team began construction in April 2024. In addition to raising the roof and refinishing the entire area at the back of the church, all carpets were removed from the nave and chancel. The existing terrazzo floor was refinished. A new chancel area was built and finished with marble tile. These changes resulted in an acoustic that is ideal for choral and organ music as well as for congregational singing.
The organ was assembled and voiced at Faith Lutheran in March 2025 by Daniel Angerstein of Angerstein Organ Works, Ltd, supported by J. Anthony Nichols. Many volunteers from the church also assisted with part transportation from storage to the nave, case assembly, and pipe unpacking.
In addition to new flooring, most of the chancel area was also redesigned in the final phases of the project. The new design included angled walls to reflect the natural light from behind the cross and to improve acoustics. A stone fascia was added behind the cross. The communion rail was reshaped to be a semicircle signifying that the Church on earth celebrates the Sacrament of the Altar with the Church in heaven. The pulpit and lectern were replaced with traditional designs, and the altar was refinished to match the wood tones. Finally, a new baptismal font crafted from wood repurposed from old pews will be dedicated in the near future.
The organ was rededicated to the Lord’s service and first used in the Divine Service at Faith Lutheran Church on Palm Sunday, April 13, 2025.
There were certainly many human hearts and hands at work to make this vision a reality, but the truth is it would never have happened had not the Lord’s hand been at work. Not only did He bless us with the funds, but He directed us to working with many outside professionals and contractors who in turn blessed us with exceptional work, in some cases going above and beyond what they were paid to do knowing that such work served to glorify the Lord!
Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.
Psalm 100:1-5
Serve the Lord with gladness:
Come before his presence with singing.
Know ye that the Lord he is God:
It is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves;
We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,
And into his courts with praise:
Be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting;
And his truth endureth to all generations.
Soli Deo Gloria