The 175th Anniversary of St. Johns Lutheran Church

Since marrying into a German Lutheran family in Central Ohio, I have had a fascination for both St. Paul Lutheran Church in Chuckery and its mother church, St. Johns Lutheran Church in Neudettelsau.  Both of these church are located in small communities in Union County, Ohio.  And, both churches have greatly influenced their communities for many many years.  Last year St. Paul celebrated a 120 year anniversary.  This year St. Johns is celebrating its 175th Anniversary.  What a special history to commemorate!  I feel truly blessed that I was able to attend the St. Johns Celebration held on Pentecost Sunday.

A History of St. Johns Lutheran Church
St. Johns Lutheran Church of Neudettelsau, Union County, Ohio was formally chartered on August 20, 1843.  But, its history reaches back in to the early 1830s.  German immigrants from Hessen-Darmstadt and Bavaria came to Union County and settled in the densely wooded area south of Marysville.  Pastor Furhmann, a circuit rider from Springfield, Ohio was the first to minister to the small congregation.  Prior to 1838, worship was held in the log cabins of different members.

On Pentecost Sunday in 1838, a small log-hewn building was dedicated for use as a church for the small Lutheran congregation centered on the Plain City Marysville Road.  This log church was near the north east corner of the intersection of present-day Scottslawn Road and State Route 736.  The old Brown Burying Ground was across the road to the south.

In 1843, the small log church burned.  And, the congregation debated disbanding.  Not only was the loss of their church a cause of concern, but members could not agree on whether services should be conducted in both English and German or just in German.  Those favoring English left the congregation.  Three families are listed as leaving at that time - Brown, Seeger, and Bartholomew.

Also in 1842, a cobbler, Adam Ernst from Bavaria arrived in the United States, settling in Columbus.  He then enrolled in a ministerial course at Capital University in Columbus.  He had come to Ohio with the intent of starting a Lutheran School, but he soon learned of a struggling Lutheran congregation that needed a pastor.  He traveled out to Union County in 1843, and soon the congregation was thriving once again.

On August 20, 1843 the small congregation dedicated another log church building.  This building was located further north on the Plain City-Marysville Road so as to be more centrally located in the German Settlement.  The congregation adopted a new constitution on this day, taking the name St. Johns Evangelical Lutheran Church - Neudettelsau.  The name of the community was in deference to Reverend William Loehe, the mentor of Adam Ernst.  Reverend Loehe was from Neuendettelsau in Germany.

In 1846, the congregation split, divided over the question of a crucifix on the alter and the drinking habits of certain members of the congregation.  The more liberal sect retained claim to the church building and cemetery.  This is where the present-day Trinity Lutheran Cemetery is located.  The northern division took 24 voting members with it, and named its church St. Johns Lutheran Church.

The more conservative sect built a brick church further south on the Plain City-Marysville Road.  They soon established a cemetery that was further off the road.  This cemetery can still be seen today, marked by a large white cross and visible on the east side of State Route 736.  The conservative southern sect retained 16 voting members.  It also added another 7 voting members within a year.  In 1847, Pastor Ernst traveled to Chicago, Illinois where St. Johns became a charter member of the Missouri Synod.

In 1851, St. Johns purchased its present-day property.  And by 1853 a parsonage was built for Pastor Jacob Seidel, the second pastor of the congregation.  Work on the fourth church house was overseen by the congregations third pastor, the Reverend Friedrich Nuetzel.  This new church with a new cemetery was dedicated in July of 1860.  In 1864 the congregation built a new school house adjacent to the new church.

In 1863, the Ohio Synod affiliated St. Johns founded a church in Marysville, which was also called St. Johns.  And, in 1864, the Missouri Synod affiliated St. Johns of Neudettelsau founded a Lutheran church Marysville, which was called St. Paul's.  Both town churches were cared for by pastors from their synodical affiliate.  By 1876 there were four Lutheran congregations in the area.  In 1878, the two town churches consolidated to form Trinity Lutheran Church, a member church of the Ohio Synod.  And, the two country St. Johns Churches reunited to form St. Johns Lutheran Church of the Missouri Synod.  Trinity Lutheran Church later requested the northern property that consisted of a brick church and cemetery.  The current St. Johns Parsonage was built in 1885.  And, in 1888 St. Johns celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Plains Branch of
St. Johns Lutheran Church & School
at Chuckery

In 1892, property was purchased by St. Johns at Chuckery.  Many families had moved south into the Darby Plains, and the trip back to St. Johns for school and church was exhausting in the best of weather and prohibitive in the worst of weather.  A small church/school building was erected.  And, a call was sent to the Missouri Synod for a pastor.  When the call was returned, due to a lack of available candidates, the small congregation remained a part of St. Johns for another year.  Officially this congregation was known as the Plains Branch of St. Johns Lutheran Church.  The following year a call was sent for a pastor.  This call was accepted by ministerial candidate Heinrich Knust.  He was ordained at St. Johns Lutheran Church in September of 1893.  And, on September 17, 1893, 26 families officially requested release from St. Johns to help form the St. Paul Lutheran Church congregation at Chuckery.

Trinity Lutheran Church - Monroe Michigan
Photo Courtesy of Cass Sheet Metal

By 1899 it became obvious that the 1860 church building needed to be replaced.  A resolution to rebuild on the existing site was passed by the voters on November 19, 1899.  And, the 1860 building was torn down on November 22.  The congregation was careful to save what materials they could for use in the new building.  The plan was to build a church of similar design to Trinity Lutheran Church in Monroe, Michigan.  Costs for this building were kept to around $16,000 due largely in part to generous donations from the members of the congregation.  These donations had a value of around $3000.  The cornerstone for the new building was laid on June 10, 1900, with over 1000 people reported in attendance.  On November 18, 1900, the completed church was dedicated.

The old school house burnt in 1937.  The current school house was built over the next several months.  This school was enlarged in 1956 and 1980.  The addition of the gymnasium/multipurpose building took place in 1989.  At this time, the addition was added to the church building.

Today there are over 200 children in the school.  And, there are over 1000 members of the church.  This church continues to bless the lives of many many families in central Ohio.