There quite possibly is no structure in North America that is so readily recognizable to so many people as a church. When one approaches a town, the most prominent features on the landscape are usually church spires soaring above all else except modern high-rises, grain elevators, and transmission towers. Religious buildings exist in every town and in every rural area, and they play a significant role in many people’s lives at one time or another. Even buildings wrapped in new styles that seem to have strayed from the traditional, Eurocentric types are readily recognizable as places of worship.

In a...

Zion Lutheran may well be LeRoy Gaarder’s most successful church. It combines Gothic and Tudor elements in a picturesque blend. Above the entrance rises an abbreviated open bell tower capped by a small copper spire. A stone carving of a ship in an oval frame is set into the base of the tower. The church is constructed of variegated Wisconsin limestone, Gaarder’s favorite building material. Half-timbering is set against the stone rather than stucco, which is a resourceful variation on the customary Tudor style.

The congregation was formed in 1945, and the first permanent pastor, Herbert Bussman, arrived early in...