Saturday, March 7, 2026 | 3:30 p.m.
Faith Lutheran Church | 801 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix
Free Admission | Donations Welcome
Faith Lutheran Church in Phoenix invites the wider community to a special homecoming benefit concert on Saturday, March 7 at 3:30 p.m., as three former organists—Gary Rutherford, Jim Sage, and Craig Westendorf—return to unite their talents in support of the restoration of Faith’s historic pipe organ.
The afternoon will feature organ solos, duets, trios, collaborative works, piano performances, guest musicians, and a demonstration highlighting the instrument’s restoration needs. Current music director and organist Paul Lee will emcee and perform, joined by percussionist Sonja Branch. A reception will follow the concert.
Admission is free, and donations will support an ongoing capital campaign focused on restoring the organ’s aging windchests. These intricate components contain thousands of leather pouches and valves that regulate airflow to each pipe. As the leather deteriorates over time, the instrument becomes unreliable. The releathering process—completed by hand with precision-cut materials—is essential to sustaining the organ’s voice for generations to come.
Faith’s 57-rank pipe organ was built in 1962 by the M. P. Möller Company and originally installed at Ohio University. Acquired by the Phoenix congregation in 1999, it was relocated and reassembled in Faith’s Camelback Road sanctuary in 2005 after thousands of volunteer hours. It remains a well-preserved example of the “American Classic” style, designed to support congregational singing and a broad sacred repertoire.
For Lutherans, music is not ornament—it is proclamation. Congregational song carries Word and Sacrament into the hearts of worshipers. Our organs support lament and thanksgiving, confession and praise. Restoring a historic pipe organ is not simply about maintaining wood, leather, and metal; it is about sustaining the living voice of the church.
This concert offers rostered leaders, church musicians, and lay members across the Grand Canyon Synod an opportunity to celebrate excellence in sacred music while supporting worship ministry in our shared region.
We give thanks for congregations that steward beauty, tradition, and proclamation with care—and we invite you to join in this joyful afternoon of music and mission.
For more information about the concert and restoration campaign, visit:
