St. Paul’s United Church of Christ History

Welcome to St. Paul’s. Our church was organized on October 1, 1875, by 23 people, as the Evangelical St. Paul’s German Society. On October 31, 1875, a Sunday afternoon, the Cornerstone was laid for a house of worship .

On July 23, 1876, the <A HREF= "church1876.gif"</A> church</A> was completed and dedicated. It faced Center street. Rev. R. Katerndahl was called to server St. Paul’s first pastor.

By January, 1905 it was evident that St. Paul’s had out grown the thirty-year old building, and it was raised to make room for the present building. The new church would face Division Street. On August 13, 1905 the cornerstone of the new church was laid. On March 25, 1906, a festive dedication of the completed building was held.

With the merging of the Evangelical Church and the Reformed Church in 1934 we became St. Paul’s Evangelical and Reformed Church and remained with that name until 1954 when the Evangelical and Reformed Church merged with the Congregational Christian Church. After that and until the present we are known as St. Paul’s United Church of Christ.

Recalling the past is always of interest, but it is in the future where our hearts must dwell. We have had an inspiring heritage left to us by our forefathers. We work together to keep our church great so that the coming generations may say ‘that we have left much for them to preserve and to continue building upon.

Pastors Who Have Served

                        R. Katherndahl                                   1875-1877

                        Gustav Koch                                      1877-1882

                        Carl Kurz                                           1882-1889

                        Wilhelm T. Jungk                                1890-1893

                        Robert H. Witte                                  1893-1894

                        F.E.C. Haas                                        1894-1897

                        Hans Jacoby                                        1897-1921

                        Theodore Biebaum                               1921-1934

                        William Rest. DD                                1934-1944

                        Clarence F. Hammen                           1944-1950

                        Edwin J. Hoefer, DD                           1950-1967

                        Charles C. Austin, DD                         1968-1983

                        Robert R. Ruse                                    1983-1990

                        Robert E. Kasper                                1991-1992

                        Thomas W. O’Connor                         1992-2004

                        Denise Tracy(Interim Pastor)                2004-2007

                        Rev. David Ezekiel(Interim Pastor)                2007 -