Kids Save the Christmas Tree




-Christmas Tree, 2011-

  

     In 1880, our thriving German congregation was gathering in the original building, holding both Sunday school and worship services in the cramped area. In order to save space, the Church Board voted not to place a Christmas tree in the crowded Sanctuary. However, the children held fast to their heritage adamantly demanding the German tradition of their beloved "Tannenbaum!" 
    This is an excerpt of an article written in The Lima Gazette (December, 1880), submitted by our fifth pastor Rev. John H. Stepler:

    "In the only German church in our city on Wayne Street, they have a flourishing Sabbath School. Of course its exercises are almost all in the German language, as they regard both as a duty and a privilege to keep and cherish the mother tongue. By doing so they keep unbroken the link that unites parents and children. 
     On last Saturday evening they had a most beautiful Christmas tree, and this was the more surprising, as there had been a disposition on the part of the Officers to let the matter go by default...But that was vetoed by the children. They wanted a Christmas tree and got a fine one. The exercises of the evening were of a most joyous and interesting character..."  

     Thanks to the innocent vision of those children, the Christmas tradition of the Tannenbaum still shines brightly in our Sanctuary.            
      

Earliest Birth & Death Records

    These are the oldest birth & death records in our archives, following the organization of our church on September 5, 1863 during the pastorate of Rev. George Rettig: 


Namen (Name)/Geboren (Born)/Getauft (Baptized)
Allis Marie Purtscher ~ July 14, 1862 ~ September 9, 1863
Jacob Lohrer ~ August 21, 1863 ~ September 15, 1863
Maria Katherine Herold ~ August 20, 1863 ~ September 19, 1863
George Washington Ringel ~ September 6, 1855 ~ September 27, 1863
Maria Elizabeth Gebhart ~ August 24, 1863 ~ September 27, 1863
John Wm. Edward Rettig ~ August 12, 1863 ~ September 24, 1863
Anna Marie Trempert ~ June 20, 1863 ~ November 8, 1863
Louisa Zimmerman ~ November 6, 1863 ~ December 10, 1863


     The infant Rettig listed above was the son of Rev. Rettig and his wife Catherine. On another page of the register appears a list of those persons baptized before formal organization of the church, including: Matilda Maria Hoffman, Johannes Miller, and Maria Emma Rothe.
     The first funeral services on record were for John Baeker who died on September 11, 1863 at the age of 47 years, and Anna Marie Baeker who passed away on September 18, 1863 at the age of 39 years. There is also an entry for Dorotha Kremmer who died on August 28, 1863 at the age of 69, just a short time before the official formation of our church.     
        

Attitude of Gratitude

     
     One of the many traditions at our Church has been the "Harvest Home" celebration, decorating the Sanctuary during the month of November until the Thanksgiving holiday, as a show of appreciation for    God's many Blessings. Placed upon the altar, displays represent the seasonal harvest and nowadays include miscellaneous items reminiscent of simpler times such as quilts, antique tools and home furnishings.    


- 1910 -

 

- 2011 -

      Our praise for this occasion can best be summed up in the words of the following hymn:   

Come, Ye Thankful People, Come

Come, ye thankful people, come,

Raise the song of harvest home:

All is safely gathered in, 

Ere the winter storms begin;

God, our maker, doth provide

For our wants to be supplied:

Come to God's own temple, come, 

Raise the song of harvest home. 

                                                                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                   Words: Henry Alford, 1844

                                                                                                   Music: George J. Elvey, 1858

 

Historian's Dedication

 

     The history of our Church has been largely preserved by our first Historian, Lee G. Van Blargan. After serving on the 100th Anniversary booklet committee in 1963, he was officially appointed to this position which he served for just over 25 years until his death in 1989. (See obituary at left, click to enlarge)
     In addition to his professional credentials, Mr. Van Blargan held a keen interest in History as a hobby. 
     In a lengthy feature article in The Lima News ( November 8, 1987) titled 'Common man' makes uncommon mark on Lima, Lee tells his motivation for the Church Historian mission:
    
     "I found some of the archives in the church were gathering dust in the belfry. I thought it was time to look after them or they would get lost." 

     Among the many scattered papers, he found the original Church Constitution. And with great diligence continued to collect documents, artifacts, and wrote articles about our past compiled in a booklet "Down Memory Lane." His research provides one of the main sources of information for this Blog.    
     Lee was a kindly Faithful man, with humility and a sense of humor, as we read further in the aforementioned article:

     On a clear day, Van Blargan can look out his office window and see the Lima skyline... "When I lean out my window, I can see my church out there," he added with a laugh, "so I have to be good."

     There is no doubt Lee lived a life of good works. And his legacy will long be remembered in our community and Church archives.  

     

See the Church, See the Steeple...

Our second Church - 1887

     Look inside, see 300 people.       
     By 1886, the membership had grown to this number and the tiny rectangular building was no longer adequate. During the pastorate of our 4th minister, Rev. John H. Stepler, plans were made to erect a larger ediface on the site of the original building.
      In 1887, the cornerstone was laid and construction proceeded at a rapid pace. Many prominent citizens of Lima and organizations not affiliated with the Church also contributed to the cost of the project which was $14,000. 
     It was a splendid example of Gothic architecture, with a majestic steeple 135 ft. in height, including a tower with a great resounding bell. 
     The new Church was formally dedicated on January 8, 1888, with services conducted in both German and English. Our founder Rev. Peter Greding and several other visiting Pastors officiated programs and services on that day.
     For many decades the tall spire of our Church stood as a landmark in downtown Lima, OH.
     Unfortunately on August 25, 1936, a severe windstorm damaged the lofty steeple and it was removed. Thankfully, the great bell was spared and still summons Christians to service with its glorious resonance.  
     Although the structure has been transformed and renovated throughout the years, our Church people maintain the fundamental Faith in Jesus Christ our risen Savior.  

New Foundations

      In 1864, land was purchased from Hudson Watt at the cost of $400 to build a new Church on the the corner of Wayne and West Sts., located just beyond the Lima town limits. It is upon this ground our Church still stands today. 

      In March 1866, eighteen families pledged $900 to erect the sanctuary:  Heinrich Betz, John Gebhardt, Rev. W.H. Fenneman (our 2nd Pastor), Adam Zimmerman, Peter Schnug, Friedrich Schnug, William Snook, Wilhelm Schnug, Fred Herold, Johannes Weber, Friedrich Rothe, Christian Rothe, Heinrich Pfleger, C. Neubrecht, Johannes Neubrecht, John Frail, Geo. Getz, and Adam Schick.                     

     On August 26, 1866, the cornerstone was laid with impressive ceremonies as reported in The Lima Democrat newspaper:

 "On Sunday afternoon last in the presence of a large number of our citizens, the   cornerstone of the German Reformed Church of Lima was laid. The services on the occasion were of the most solemn and imposing character and very appropriate. Discourses were delivered in both the German and English languages." (August 29, 1866)             

                                                                                                                                 

 

     The Church was a plain 36 x 50ft. brick rectangular structure, seating about 200 people. The windows were not stained glass. Primitive on the inside, with a wood floor and crude benches. There was an aisle on each side of the small auditorium with a broad section of pews in the center. Very short pews were placed alongside the walls. It was customary for the men to sit on the east side of the church, and the women on the west side. Eventually the families would sit together. Two wood burning stoves provided heat, and oil lamps suspended from the ceiling provided dim lighting. There was no organ or musical instruments. Often a beautiful rosewood melodeon owned by Mrs. Anna Herold Zimmerman and Mrs. Margaret Herold Sullivan would be transported to and from church for special services and Holy Days. There were no offering plates. But instead, "Klingelbeutals" or black velvet "jingle bags" were attached to an 8ft. long stick used by the Deacons to collect the tithes, reaching across the people in the pews. Sometimes these sticks were used to gently tap the sleepyheads nodding off during service!

     The final cost of the building project was $3000. The Ladies Aid Society was organized on January 3, 1867, for the purpose of raising money to pay off the debt, which they did successfully.

     The small simple structure was dedicated on May 10, 1867. 

     And with the new building, came about 85 total Church members.  

    

Christians by our Name

     These are the legal names of our Church throughout the years as the congregation grew and transitioned:

The German Evangelical and Reformed Church of Lima, Ohio
(1863-1918)

First Reformed Church
(1918-1934)

First Evangelical and Reformed Church of Lima, Ohio
(1934-1963)

First United Church of Christ (Evangelical and Reformed) of Lima, Ohio
(1963-1974)

First United Church of Christ
(1974-1996)

First Evangelical and Reformed Church (UCC)
(1996-2002)

First Evangelical and Reformed Church
(2002-present; Conservative Congregational Christian Conference affiliation)   
    
     Though the name of our building has changed many times on paper, in our hearts and souls the Church body has always been known as Believers in Christ!

    
     

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. 

            

Our Church Founder

Rev. Peter Greding, D.D.

(1859-1863)

                                                                                                                           

     With the influx of German immigrants coming to America around the year 1850, many of these families settled in the north end of small town Lima, Ohio. The newcomers often felt isolated living among English-speaking strangers, and lost without worship since a German church had not yet been established. Bonding together they eventually began convening in homes, schoolhouses and other places opening doors to the foreigners. 
     An ambitious young man named Rev. Peter Greding stationed at Riley Creek near Bluffton, Ohio, heard about the plight of this group and diligently helped them organize a church congregation. Traveling 15 miles from Bluffton by horseback or buggy requiring roughly four hours of travel one-way depending on the weather, he conducted regular services in the German native-tongue at Sanford Hall between 1859-1863. He also organized a choir which rehearsed on Saturday evenings to prepare for singing the anthem on Sunday morning. And for about the next 20-years continued to work closely with the church, editing German lesson materials for Sunday School.   
      According to the History of Allen County, OH (1885), Peter Greding was born in Thusis Graubunden, Switzerland, February 28, 1837. After his father died in Switzerland, Peter and his sibling came to America with their widowed mother in 1858, and settled in Milwaukee, WI. Highly educated, graduated in his homeland from the Cantonal College in Chur; and studied the English language and theology at Heidelberg College and Seminary in Seneca County, OH, where he later became a Professor. Peter Greding was ordained a minister of the Reformed Chuch in 1859, the same year he came to Allen County, OH. He married Anna Matter in 1860, and they owned & operated a farm on 133 acres. Their children: Lydia, Jennings, Calvin, Emma, Bertha, Clara, Amelia, Leander, and Hulda.     
      Rev. Peter Greding died on April 28, 1910 at the age of 73. Funeral services were held at the Lima church he founded, burial in Bluffton.
          
                          

Introduction

    Welcome to the First Evangelical & Reformed Church Historian's blog. 
     A virtual journal spanning over 150 years! Providing a glimpse into our archives...records, artifacts, anecdotes, and  photos highlighting the vivid history of our congregation.              
    We appreciate your interest. Feel free to comment or ask questions.      
    Christians are a history-centered people. From the ancient times of Levite scribes we have cherished Biblical creeds, writings & testimonials as fundamental accounts of God's omnipotent power. Because religious documentation around the globe often precedes civil records by centuries, Church records are among the foremost vital proofs of our human existence...birth, baptism, catechism, marriage, death...along with study, fellowship, and benevolence. These registers are also prime sources tracing family relationships. The preservation of Church history is our spiritual lifeline, reflecting the faithful commitment of Christians throughout the generations.   
     Following in the footsteps of those who have gone before, let us recall their legacy as we walk forward with Jesus, spreading the Good News.
     Enjoy the journey! 

Faithfully yours,
Shannon Rapp
Historian                                
  
To learn more about our weekly services & current events:
http://firstchurchlima.com/