Welcome to Saxon Lutheran Memorial
The past is our foundation.
The future is our mission.
exciting future for Saxon Lutheran Memorial
New Building Campaign
Big things are ahead at Saxon Lutheran Memorial. A new ministry and event center will soon rise on the grounds—creating a welcoming space for retreats, gatherings, and community events, all while supporting the living history mission that began here more than 180 years ago. This project is about more than replacing a building. It’s about building what’s next—a place where the story of faith, heritage, and renewal continues to grow. The capital campaign launches November 2025, and every gift will help make this vision a reality for future generations.
Join the Excitement!
A new chapter is beginning at Saxon Lutheran Memorial—and you can be part of it. This new ministry and event center will create space for retreats, community gatherings, and living history experiences that strengthen and inspire generations to come.
Your support helps turn vision into reality. By giving, praying, and sharing the story, you help build a place where faith and history meet to shape the future.
Join us in building what’s next.
Discover Saxon Lutheran Memorial
Welcome to Saxon Lutheran Memorial - a 501(c)(3) organization
Tucked into the quiet hills of East Perry County, Missouri, Saxon Lutheran Memorial is more than a historic village—it’s an active mission and ministry campus where the past inspires the work of the church today. The past is our foundation. The future is our mission. Here, the story of the 1839 Saxon immigrants isn’t just preserved—it’s lived out through hands-on experiences, ministry retreats, and community events that strengthen and encourage God’s people today.
Our Mission & Ministry (Today)
Saxon Lutheran Memorial blends living history with a living mission. Visitors walk through original log homes, barns, and workshops dating back to the early 1800s—structures built by immigrant hands that carried both faith and courage across an ocean. These historic buildings aren’t behind glass; they’re part of a working, breathing village that tells the story of faith in action. At the same time, the grounds are being developed as a place of rest, renewal, and training for today’s church workers through the Fields of Zephaniah initiative—led by Mission Directors Brian and Jennie Williamson. This ministry provides quiet space and practical support for pastors, teachers, and ministry teams experiencing fatigue on the front lines.
What We’re Doing Right Now
- Living History Experiences: Guided tours and demonstrations bring 19th-century pioneer life to life through blacksmithing, woodworking, quilting, baking, and farm work—centered around authentic log homes and barns.
- Retreat & Renewal (Pilot Programs): Small, high-care gatherings for church workers and spouses—no spotlight, no pressure—just space to breathe and be restored.
- Community Events & Festivals: Seasonal gatherings, including our beloved Fall Festival, where history and community meet in a celebration of faith, heritage, and hospitality.
- Campus Restoration & Readiness: Ongoing restoration of historic buildings and development of a future event and retreat center to expand year-round ministry.
Why It Matters
These log homes and barns are more than historical artifacts—they’re a testimony to endurance, faith, and calling. Just as the Saxon immigrants carved out a new beginning in 1839, we are building a place where today’s church workers can rest, reset, and remember why they were called.
Strong leaders build strong congregations, schools, and communities. And sometimes, that strength begins in a quiet place with a story bigger than our own.
Plan a Visit
We’re located in Frohna, Missouri—about 30 minutes from the interstate and a world away from hurry. Come walk the historic grounds, explore the cabins and barns, and discover a mission still unfolding today.
Get Involved
You can support the mission through prayer, volunteering, and giving. Sponsor a retreat participant, help restore a historic structure, or bring a group to serve. If you’re hearing about us for the first time: welcome. Come experience the past—and join in shaping the future.
welcome to the Fields of Zephaniah
Inspired by Zephaniah 3:17
The Lord your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will rejoice over you with gladness;
He will quiet you by his love;
and will rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17
The Vision of Fields of Zephaniah
In the rolling fields of East Perry County, on the grounds of the historic Saxon Lutheran
Memorial, we are building something new: Fields of Zephaniah.
This ministry exists to meet one of the most urgent needs of our time, what we call soul
fatigue. Pastors, teachers, families, and everyday believers are carrying burdens that no
weekend away or quick rest can repair. They need a deeper peace — the peace
promised in Philippians 4:7, the peace that transcends all understanding.
That’s the vision for Fields of Zephaniah: a Christ-centered refuge where weary people
come to be restored. Rooted in Zephaniah 3, it is a place where God is in our midst,
where He quiets us with His love, and where He rejoices over His people with singing.
And here, you don’t just find quiet or scenery — you experience Gemütlichkeit, that
deep sense of belonging and warmth woven into the heritage of this community since
the first Saxon immigrants settled here. Guests are welcomed like family, filled at the table
of Christ, and sent back into their lives renewed and strengthened for their calling.
Our vision is clear: Fields of Zephaniah will be a ministry retreat center that restores the
weary, fills the soul, and sends people home marked by God’s peace.
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