1 Corinthians 1:23-24 But we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
Mt. Olive was the first Lutheran Church in Metairie. Our beginning goes back to August 2, 1945 when 35 people assembled at Metairie Junior High School Auditorium to secure permission to begin Lutheran services in the area. The first service was conducted the following Sunday on August 5 in the auditorium and was led by the Rev. M. W. H. Holls.
On November 18, 1945, the Rev. Hugo Hartmann was installed as the first resident pastor. Later that same year, on December 16, the congregation was officially organized under the name of Mount Olive Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Unaltered Augsburg Confession with 48 charter members, a Sunday School, Lutheran Women's Missionary League (L.W.M.L.), Lutheran Laymen's League (L.L.L.) and Walther League (youth group).
In April 1946, the property located on Ridgelake and White Streets was purchased. In June 1947, renovation plans were accepted to convert a World War II Navy Barracks on that property into a chapel and a school room. The congregation moved from the school auditorium to its chapel on October 16, 1947. On November 20, 1949, Pastor Hartmann preached his farewell sermon.
The Rev. C. Earl Schack was installed as the second resident pastor on July 23, 1950. During the Rev. Schack's tenure, which lasted until April 29, 1956, a parsonage was constructed, a kindergarten started and plans laid for the building of a new church. Mt. Olive would be served during its search for a new minister by the Rev. Louis Nelsen of Faith Lutheran in Harahan.
On September 9, 1956, the Rev. E. G. Tippin was installed as the third resident pastor. Under the Rev. Tippin's leadership, the church at 315 Ridgelake was built in 1959, the present parsonage purchased, the remainder of the land needed for the planned Activity Center was purchased in 1964 and built in 1974 on the place where the barracks and old parsonage once stood.
On April 2, 1974, Richard L. Riggert was installed as Mt. Olive's first director of Christian education. He left in 1987.
The kindergarten was closed after graduating the class of 1976 when kindergarten became a part of the public school system. Mt. Olive then started a half day preschool for three and four year olds in September of 1977, which is still operating.
ON December 18, 1988, the Rev. Mark Elliott was installed as associate pastor preceding Pastor Tippin's planned retirement on June 25, 1989. Upon Pastor Tippin's retirement, Pastor Elliott became Mt. Olive's senior pastor. At this time Mt. Olive had over 500 communicant members.
In 1990, the Rev. William Ferguson became the associate pastor. Due to irreconcilable differences between the two, Pastor Elliott tendered his resignation and Pastor Fergusson's call was revoked. The internal strife caused the membership to drop by half.
Mt. Olive then entered a long period of healing, installing the Rev. Gene Ott as the new pastor. He accepted another call in 1998.
On December 20, 1998, the Rev. Bradley Drew was installed as Mt. Olive's current pastor.