Covenant Lutheran Church had its beginning on April 18, 1948. On this day services and Sunday School were held in a garage at 7487 West Appleton Avenue. Four pupils were present at the Sunday School session and sixteen people attended the worship service. The bank deposit was $8.35, the total offering for the initial Sunday. Services and Sunday School were continued in the garage until September 12th of 1948 when the 100 seat chapel at 3924 North 76th Street was dedicated. It was noted in the history of 1948 that no Sunday School was held from August 15th through September 19th because of the polio epidemic.

Missionary-at-large Louis A. Neuberger served Covenant form its inception until January of 1949. On Sunday, March 6, 1949 the Reverend Harold A. Neuberger, who had been serving a church in Madison Wisconsin, was installed and became the pastor of mission congregation. The formal organization of the mission took place on May 3, 1949. On this day six families met with the pastor and the new congregation was organized and incorporated as “Covenant Evangelical Lutheran Church of Milwaukee, Wisconsin”. Charter membership was continued through September 25th, on which date the congregation numbered 30 communicant and 56 baptized members.

From its inception Covenant was concerned with the Christian education of its children. In addition to developing and expanding its Sunday School, the church played a leading role in the formation of the Wauwatosa Lutheran School Association in 1950 and the Northwest Lutheran School Association in 1956. On November 3, 1957, Covenant transferred its worship services and Sunday School to the new and larger facilities of Northwest Lutheran School and Auditorium. Church services were held in the auditorium, currently the resource center.

With the opening of Milwaukee Lutheran High School in 1955, Our Northwest Lutheran School two years later, and the development of the community, Covenant experienced a rapid growth in membership. On April 13, 1959, the congregation authorized the formation of a building committee and entrusted it with the planning and construction of a new church plant. The property at North 81st Street and West Hope Avenue was purchased from the South Wisconsin District. On Sunday, June 18, 1961, ground was broken for the new church building. Three months later, on September 24th, the cornerstone was laid, located on the southeast corner of the building. On Sunday, May 6, 1962, the church with all its appointments, educational unit and fellowship hall were dedicated.