Chapter 18
-- Compiled by the Cumberland Women's Club
and Published by the Cumberland Advocate
1874-1974
(used by permission of the Cumberland Advocate)
Donated by Linda Mott
Please
Note: This page is information intense! Please be patient
while some portions are
loading -- it will be worth
your wait! Thank you.
History of St. Paul's Lutheran Church
St. Paul's Lutheran Church of Cumberland was organized in 1900, and conducted services in a house formerly owned by Mr. Leopold Warwick. The first pastor of the congregation was the Reverend Theodore Thormahlen, and the congregation numbered fifteen families. A Norwegian congregation founded in 1906, and shortly thereafter merged into fellowship with St. Paul's. The congregation struggled hard in the opening years, as Pastors H. Meyer and L. Traub both became ill and the latter died in 1908. Finally in 1911, Reverend Theodore Martens, a candidate from the Seminary, was installed as pastor and the congregation made great strides. A Sunday School was started and the first church building was dedicated in 1914, measuring 28 x 50 feet and costing close to $3,000.
In 1917 the Collingwood Church
was joined to St. Paul's as a dual parish, served by the pastor of St.
Paul's, who also served the parishes in Comstock, Pipe Lake, and McKinley.
In 1918 Pastor H. Wegner became pastor and
conducted services in German and English, alternately. Three pastors followed
in service at St. Paul's: Reverend P. Born,
P.
Schedler, and W. Going.
In 1949 Reverend
Martin Goetsch became the pastor at St. Paul's and under his ministry
the parsonage on Sixth Avenue was built, and dedicated in 1953. He retired
in 1954 and Reverend Ernest Schutz became
pastor, and, due to growth, two services were started in 1956. In 1961
the congregation voted to build a new and larger church building, and 20
acres of land was
secured from Mr.
and Mrs. John Becker on Highway 48 as the site. Also, in that year
the Reverend Christian Oesleby was installed
and under his leadership a new organ was purchased in 1963 and the present
church edifice, seating 360, was built and dedicated in 1965. Upon his
retirement in 1973, the Reverend Martin Luecke,
of West Springfield, Massachusetts, was called and installed as the pastor
of St. Paul's in December of 1973.
Through the grace of God, St.
Paul's congregation has grown to over 600 souls and carries on its mission
to the community and the world, as a member of the Lutheran Church-Missouri
Synod. That mission is to bring the truth of God's Word, and dedication
of life to that Word, to all people.
to History
of Trinity Lutheran Church
Thanks for stopping by!
[an error occurred while processing this directive]