Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church of Columbia City, Indiana, is the daughter church of St. Paul's Lutheran Church of Fort Wayne, IN. Pastor Freidrich Wyneken first visited Columbia City in 1840 as he was preaching, baptizing, and marrying in the community. He would visit Whitley County every four weeks. Pastor Wyneken was assisted by 2 young Lutherans sent from Germany under the training of Rev. W. Loehe of Neuendettelsau, Bavaria; thus, creating the beginning of Concordia Seminary of Fort Wayne. Zion was originally considered a Preaching Station, rather than an organized congregation. The Civil War brought the moving of the seminary to St. Louis, MO, because of the drafting of students in the area.

Zion built a church on Ellsworth Street in Columbia City in 1866. The church bell was dedicated in 1891 and left behind when the building was sold to the Eel River Baptist Church after the present building on North and Main Streets was constructed in 1960. The church was enlarged in 1986 with an addition of a fellowship hall/gym and a ground-level kitchen, restrooms, and narthex.

On February 12, 1995, the church bell was rededicated to the Lord's work in memory of Rev. O. Stamm and Dr. O. Lehmberg (a local physician and deceased member). Pastor Stamm's youngest son was able to procure the church bell that had been left behind when the church on Ellsworth Street was sold. After many years of non-use, the bell is once again calling worshippers to serve the Lord. During these 134 years of Resident Pastors, the congregation has been served by only 13 Pastors.