St. Paul's Church is located in Catawba
County, about two miles west from Newton. It was at first
called the "Dutch Meeting House," while Rev.
Arends
referred to it as the "South
Fork Church."
This is one
of the oldest churches in Catawba
County. The deed for
their land was made May
20, 1771; however, there is reason to believe the church was
started a few years before land was purchased, possibly about 1768. The
property was jointly owned by Lutherans and German Reformed.
The first
house of worship was a small log building, and stood where a part of the
graveyard is now. The second building, which is the present one, was built
about 1808. The walls of this building are of large hewn logs, weatherboarded on the outside and ceiled inside. Some of
the timbers of the old building were used in this one. Homemade nails were used
in its structure. This building has a gallery, which originally was used by
colored people. The building is rectangular in shape, with a door in each end
and on one side. There was, at first, a high goblet-shaped pulpit, which was
later replaced by a more modern one.
The first
services conducted here were by visiting ministers, or by one or more of their
laymen. Rev. Adolphus Nussman probably visited and
ministered to these people soon after he came to America.
However, J. G.
Arends
is generally regarded as the first pastor of this congregation. He, like Pastor Nussman,
first lived in Rowan County, but in 1785 moved to Lincoln
County, and served all the Lutheran
churches West of the Catawba River.
St. Paul's Church
originally belonged to the North Carolina Synod, and may have taken part in the
organization of that Synod in 1803. Then, after the Tennessee Synod was
organized in 1820, a part of the congregation left the North Carolina Synod and
united with the Tennessee Synod. In 1846, or possibly a little later, a part of
the congregation withdrew from the Tennessee Synod and united with the newly
organized body, called the Tennessee Synod Reorganized, under the leadership of
Rev. Adam Miller, Jr., but later united with the Joint Synod of Ohio.
It should be
noted here, that a part of the original St.
Paul's Congregation remained associated with the North
Carolina Synod, up to and beyond this time. In fact, the North Carolina Synod
held its annual convention of Synod in St.
Paul's Church in 1848. Now, when we remember that the
Reformed congregation also shared in the ownership of the church property, and
worshiped at stated times, in the same building, we need not wonder, if confusion existed.
In 1905, the
Tennessee Synod Congregation built a house of worship of its own, at Startown, some two miles away, and relocated there. The
name, St. Paul's
Church, is retained, and the congregation is a continuation of the church at
the old location, connected with the Tennessee Synod. Meanwhile, the group that
adhered to the North Carolina Synod continued in that relationship for a while,
but later on discontinued as a separate congregation, and its members united
with other Lutheran congregations in the surrounding community.
In course of
time the Reformed brethren also withdrew and built a house of worship of their
own which leaves Old St. Paul's in the hands of the American Lutheran Church,
which is the successor of the Joint Synod of Ohio in that locality.
List of Pastors
J. G. Arends, 1785-1807
Philip Henkel, 1805-1814
Daniel Moser, 1815-1820
David Henkel, 1820-1831
Adam Miller, Jr., S., 1832, 1835-46
J. R. Moser ���}
C. G. Reitzel�
} S., 1847-1848
P. C. Henkel �}
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P. C. Henkel, 1849-1869
J. M. Smith, 1870-1894
J. A. Rudisill, 1895
J. C. Moser, 1896-1897
R. L. Fritz, 1897
E. J. Sox, 1897-1899
F. K. Roof, 1900-1905
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Information is from "History of the Lutheran Church in North Carolina"
edited by Jacob L. Morgan, published by the United Evangelical Lutheran
Synod of North Carolina, 1953.
Elsewhere in these pages is a list of Hahns buried at all cemeteries in Catawba County.
Author: Derick Hartshorn ([email protected]) for Catawba County Genealogical Society.Used by permission.
This page was compiled by Linda H. Setzer,. Write to Linda Setzer lhsetzer@@embarqmail.com (remove one @ before sending). |
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Copyright 2011 Linda Hawn Setzer
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