Members of this historic church helped spread Lutheranism through Lavaca and surrounding counties. For acculturated German Texans and for new arrivals, the Lutheran Church also served as the focal point of educational and social activities. The church was also a direct link back to the homeland; church services were conducted in German for many years. Rev. Wilhelm Dziewas, a native of Dopken, East Prussia, immigrated to Texas in 1892 as missionary pastor of Zion Lutheran Church of Charlottenburg (7 mi. NE). Dziewas helped to establish the Dr. Martin Luther Church in Shiner in 1896, first located at Avenue F and 4th Streets. The church was also known as Dziewas Kirche (Dziewas’ church) or the free lutheran church, signifying its lack of a synod affiliation. Pastor Dziewas also organized Lutheran congregations in the nearby towns of Breslau, Witting, Gonzales and Cost. After Dziewas and other members died in the influenza epidemic of 1919, the Dr. Martin Luther Church merged with Shiner’s St. Paul Lutheran congregation, establishing the United Dr. Martin Luther Church. The St. Paul sanctuary was moved and dedicated as Luther Hall, used for Sunday school classrooms, meetings and church socials. In 1948, the Immanuel Lutheran Church of Shiner and Zion Lutheran Church of Charlottenburg joined the congregation. In 1952, the growing church changed its name to United Evangelical Lutheran Dr. Martin Luther Church, moving two years later to a new sanctuary at this site. The church has preserved its heritage while enriching the community and the world through local and global ministries.