20-student Martin Luther High School buys former church for $2.1 million

LANSING TWP. - A small Lutheran high school finally has a building all its own, with plenty of room to grow.

Martin Luther High School, which has held classes in local churches since its inception five years ago, bought the Plymouth Congregational Church building in Lansing Township for $2.1 million earlier this month. 

"I’m thrilled to be able to say we have our own building," said Traci Backus, Martin Luther's superintendent.

And one that will accommodate far more than the approximately 20 students who attend Martin Luther High School now. 

"Our goal is to be able to serve roughly 150 to 200 students," Backus said, and there is no way to draw those kinds of numbers at the space they're now using, New Covenant Christian School on St. Joseph Highway.

"We know we have very clearly stepped into the unknown, and we are praying to get support," she added. 

She expects the location, which is central to the six churches associated with the school, to help it draw in new families.

Heather Lewis expects she'll have to drive an extra 10 minutes to drop her stepson Wyatt off at the new school. She said she'd go all the way to East Lansing from Eaton Rapids if it meant Wyatt could attend Martin Luther.

"I can’t say enough about the school and staff," Lewis said. "We were looking for a school with people who could take the time with kids who were a little bit behind."

Wyatt, 16, was homeschooled much of his life and came into Martin Luther as a freshman lagging in math and reading, Lewis said. 

"In three months he learned algebra, and, within six months, he was reading at grade level," she said, and the school's small enrollment also made for a smooth social transition from homeschooling.

With its steeple and abundance of stained glass windows, the former church, located on Grand River Avenue just east of Groesbeck Golf Course, doesn't look like a traditional school building.

"It's not industrial looking by any means," Backus said. "It's bright, open, and feels collegiate. It’s not your everyday high school."

Backus learned the building was for sale when she stumbled upon a listing on Craigslist last February.

Renovating the new space is expected to cost around $750,000, with a projected first day of school on Jan. 28, 2019.  Plans call for adding a sprinkler system and sidewalks in addition to outfitting rooms with new technology. 

Plymouth Congregational Church's roots extend back more than 150 years. The church was first formed in 1864, and a Gothic-style building was erected in downtown Lansing in 1877. That building burned to the ground in 1971, and the congregation moved to its Lansing Township location in 1975, according to its website.

Its existing congregation now shares space with Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ, at 125 S. Pennsylvania Ave. The last service at the Grand River Avenue church was held in November of 2017, according to Pastor Bob Higle.

Contact RJ Wolcott at (517) 377-1026 or rwolcott@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @wolcottr.