ImmanuelLUTHERAN CHURCH · SAN JOSE
HISTORY & ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

A story worth
preserving well.

The records, photographs, and musical resources behind Immanuel’s history.

Follow the historical record.

Historical dates describe the event or publication identified in each source. Archival records do not establish current staffing, instrument condition, or program availability. Corrections and additional church records are welcome.

  1. El Camino Real Conference congregation directory: ELCA affiliation and 680 Leigh Avenue address; directory dated September 18, 2025.
  2. ELCA Sierra Pacific congregation data toolkit: establishment in 1884; historical data, not current membership counts.
  3. Christ the Good Shepherd’s congregational history: Immanuel’s Willow Glen Sunday school sponsorship and 1947-48 milestones.
  4. Organ Historical Society: Casavant Frères Opus 2841: 1965 instrument and 1971 trumpet addition. Published rank counts differ across historical sources.
  5. ELCA: Lutheran beliefs: doctrinal background.
  6. MidPen Housing: September 2021 groundbreaking: church partnership and use of land.
  7. MidPen: Immanuel-Sobrato Community: current property description, address and referral pathway.
  8. San Jose American Guild of Organists: historical church musician listing. Sunday worship at 10:30 a.m. was confirmed by Eric Barlaan on November 10, 2026.
  9. Bay Area Chapter, American Harp Society: Brian Swager’s announcement of the Sundays at Immanuel music playlist; historical music archive.
  10. Augustana College, Swenson Center church records: Immanuel microfilm S-623 and early Swedish-American records.
  11. Christian Century: A high-tech quest (2001): Swedish immigrant beginnings and senior-housing context.
  12. San Francisco Planning housing case studies: late-2023 opening of Immanuel-Sobrato, printed page 21.
  13. Church space rentals: information about space inquiries and visits.

Photographs & music.

Church photographs were provided by Eric Barlaan and taken in April 2024. Room arrangements may have changed. Historical musical recordings are credited to their performers and linked to their original publishers.

The church’s current YouTube channel is Immanuel Lutheran Church Live. Featured tour and seasonal videos are from Eric Barlaan Music; archived organ and harp recordings include Brian Swager’s Sundays at Immanuel collection.

Explore the historical archive

Share a memory or correction.

Photographs, bulletins, family stories, and congregation records can help preserve the next chapter of this history.

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