Original Location

DIE DEUTSCHE EVANGELISCHE REFORMIERTE GEMEINDE
ZU LIMA, OHIO
(The German Evangelical Reformed Congregation
of Lima, Ohio)

     On September 5, 1863, as dusk descended upon the growing Lima community of about three thousand people, the shrill whistle of a train on the Pittsburgh, Ft. Wayne, & Chicago Railroad could be heard in the the distance. These were the dark days of the Civil War. The Battle of Gettysburg had been fought two months before, in the shadow of the beautiful mountains of Pennsylvania. There would be the dedication of a National Cemetery on that hallowed ground in a few weeks, where President Abraham Lincoln gave his now infamous Gettysburg Address.  

     The Lutheran Meeting House, located on the west side of North Union Street and about 125 feet north of East High Street, was seeing a spurt of activity lately. This little building surrounded by a picket fence, formerly used as a schoolhouse, had become the regular worship place for a congregation of German speaking immigrants. 
     As the group gathered on this evening, the sound of a gavel brought the assembly to attention. Rev. George Rettig, recently from Bucyrus, Ohio acted as clerk and Mr. Karl Lang presided. In a bold step forward, the group officially organized themselves under the chosen name: "The German Evangelical Reformed Congregation of Lima, Ohio." 
     The members of the first Consistory were elected:
Elders- Carl Amelung and J.J. Hautzer
Deacons- Christian Rothe and August Gebhardt
Trustees- H. Betz, William Schnug, and M. Herold
     A Constitution consisting of four articles was also adopted.
     The original document of organization, written in both German and English by the first pastor Rev. George Rettig, still exists in our archives.