History of Nativity Lutheran Church
The Beginnings
 
The vision that was to become Nativity Lutheran Church had its beginning in 1975, when the Lutheran Church in America purchased 10 acres of pine-covered land in Weeki  Wachee, Florida to be used for a future church.  It wasn’t until 1985, however, that Pastor Paul Winemiller was called as a Mission Development Pastor and assigned the task of creating a congregation and building a church on the newly acquired land.
 
Pastor Winemiller began his ministry by knocking on doors throughout Spring Hill and Weeki Wachee, introducing himself and inviting those whom he met to become a part of his mission church.  Over the next several months he visited 4000 homes and wore out four pairs of shoes, as he compiled a list of about 325 people who had expressed an interest in the new congregation.
 
The first church service was held on Nov 10, 1985 at West Hernando Middle School (now Fox Chapel Middle School) on Deltona Blvd.  One year later, on Nov 9, 1986, one hundred people came together to sign the charter for the new congregation, and Nativity Lutheran Church officially began its ministry.  The Bishop of Florida, the Rev. Dr. Royal Yount was present at the  Service of Organization.
 
On January 1, 1988 the Lutheran Church in America merged with the American Lutheran Church and the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches to form the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and Nativity became a part of this new church. Nativity is part of the Florida-Bahamas Synod within the ELCA.
 
The Early Years
 
Shortly after the charter was signed, the congregation purchased five acres of land from the synod, appointed a building committee, and began the task of planning for the construction of a church home.  A groundbreaking was held on June 19, 1988, and nine months later, the church building was ready for occupancy.  The new structure was 8000 square feet in size and cost $580,000 to build.  The sanctuary had seating for 200 in the nave and 25 in the choir section.  Glass doors at the rear of the sanctuary could be opened to allow overflow into the narthex (now the youth room) and the conference room (now the library).  Also included in the new building were a pastor’s office, a small secretary’s office, a nursery, and a fellowship hall.
 
The first worship service in the new sanctuary was held on March 5, 1989 with 135 people in attendance.  The Dedication Service was held on April 16, 1989 with Bishop Laverne Franzen delivering the sermon.
 
The new church grew quickly, and parking soon became a problem, prompting the congregation to purchase an additional five acres of land from the synod.  An additional 1.35 acres was added later, expanding the church campus to just over 11 acres.
 
Pastor Winemiler announced his retirement in March 1992, and he was succeeded by Pastor Vicki Johanson, who remained until the summer of 1994, when she left to become a college chaplain.
 
In July 1996, Nativity installed its third Pastor, the Rev. Dr. William Roen.
 
Into the 21st Century
 
The young congregation continued to grow into the later part of the decade, and by 1999 it was apparent that a larger sanctuary was needed.  Another Building Committee was appointed and construction planning began once again.  Groundbreaking for the new building was held on April 16, 2000, and the cornerstone was laid one year later, in April of 2001.  The Building Committee secured $500,000 in pledges towards the $1.2M construction project, and fundraisers held by the choir generated $62,000 for the purchase of a new organ.
 
The new 6400 sq ft sanctuary provides seating for 350.  The stained glass windows in the new sanctuary were reinstalled from the old sanctuary, and the pews in the rear section of the new sanctuary also come from the original building.
 
A time capsule sealed behind the cornerstone of the new sanctuary awaits opening at an unspecified later date.
 
The new building was completed just one hour before the Dedication Service was held, on December 16, 2001.  More than 550 people attended the dedication.  Pastor Rita Gardner-Tweed, Assistant to the Bishop, represented the synod at the service.
 
The original sanctuary was redesignated for use as a Fellowship Hall, and was named Winemiller Hall, in honor of Nativity’s first pastor.  The old Fellowship Hall was named Al Lien Hall, in memory of Al Lien, a key member of the building committee for the original church.
 
Pastor Roen left Nativity in May 2003 to accept a call at the Lutheran Church of the Ascension in Savannah, GA, and the congregation once again began the search for a new pastor.  Pastor Kristin Wee became Nativity’s fourth pastor on February 1, 2005.
 
Nativity celebrated its 25th Anniversary throughout the year 2011, culminated with an Anniversary Service on November 13th in which Bishop Edward Benoway of the Florida-Bahamas Synod was the guest preacher.
 
Pastor Wee retired in August 2013 and Pastor Giuseppe Mattei began his call as Nativity’s fifth pastor on March 1, 2015.