St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church History

Although St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church's first services took place in 1840, making it the second oldest Lutheran Church in the State of Wisconsin, and its formal organization took place in October of 1843, the history of this Church and its members goes back to an earlier date. St. John's was not begun by a number of emigrants from a single community in Germany, as was the case with the subsequent establishment of many other Lutheran churches in Wisconsin. Rather, the original members of St. John's were settlers who had come from various areas of Germany.

In 1817, Frederick William III ruler of Prussia issued a decree that the Lutherans and Reformed would be united into one evangelical congregation. The forced Prussian Union caused many confessional Lutherans to emigrate to America, seeking the freedom to worship according to the dictates of one's own conscience.

With the building of the Erie Canal in 1825, greater accessibility to the interior of this country was made available to these German immigrants, and they made their way, on schooners and side-wheel steamships, through the Great Lakes to Wisconsin, and to Milwaukee in particular, because it boasted the widest bay and deepest river.

With the declaration of Wisconsin as a territory in 1836 and the subsequent land development and public land sale (that same year) by Milwaukeean, Bryon Kilbourne, many of these immigrants were attracted to this area.

It was in the year 1836, that the first settlers (of German origin) arrived in the area that would come to be known as the Oakwood community. In the midst of Indians and virgin forests, they purchased land (at $1.25 an acre!) and built homes on the Kilbourne Road (now 27th Street), twelve miles south of Milwaukee. Early settlers included the Goelzer (1839), Hahn (1840), Seebach (1845), Beck (1846), and Ziese families. For a few years this group was without a spiritual leader.

In 1840, a Missionary/ Pastor John Lutz, a Reiseprediger' (circuit-riding preacher of the later known Ohio Synod), arrived on horseback to the log cabin home of Daniel Goelzer and made it known that he would preach God's Word to them, if they wished to hear it. They received him with joy and opened their home for the first Christian services in Oakwood.

Sometime after this, Pastor Friedrich Schmid(t) (of Daldorf, Wuerttemberg, Germany), temporarily took leave from his pastorates in Michigan to be a circuit-riding preacher in Wisconsin. Pastor Schmidt was trained at and was the first missionary sent to America from the Basel Mission Society of Stuttgart, Switzerland and he was ordained in Loerrach, Baden on April 8, 1833. He was sent out by the Langenberg Society of Wuerttemberg to America on June 8th to christianize the Indians in the Saginaw Valley of Michigan. He has the distinction of being the first Lutheran pastor in Michigan and founding the first Lutheran church, Salem, in Scio Township (Ann Arbor) on August 26, 1833.

Pastor Schmidt arrived in Oakwood from Michigan and conducted services, at intervals of several months, in the Goelzer log cabin. Here he also instructed and confirmed the first children of the Oakwood community.

Under Pastor Schmidt's direction, the congregation was formally organized in the fall of 1843, on October second. The Congregation consisted of twenty-four voting members and their families. Members included: D. Goelzer, J. Hohnadel, (G. Hahn), J. Stampp, K. Seyfurth, J. Sauer, F. Zeise, J. Hess, E. Seebach, L. George, G. Werner, G. Schattner, H. Lieber, K. Rothe, J. Rodenbeck, G. Ferber, M. Schober, G. Strasser, B. Bollengraber, P. Mueller, J. Zimdars, J. Salchow, J. Uhlenbrock, J. Kufall, and C. Schlitt.

After its organization, the congregation erected the first church building, constructed of logs, and dedicated it to the service of the Triune God by Pastor Schmidt. Not long after this, in 1844, Pastor Schmidt left the Oakwood community and returned to preach the Gospel to fellow Christians in Michigan. In his more than forty years of work for the Lord (from 1833 to 1879), he established over 20 Michigan congregations, one Indian Mission, and at least two known congregations in Wisconsin (Oakwood- home of Daniel Goelzer and New Berlin- home of Christian Damm). He also founded the Michigan Synod.

Once again, the young Oakwood Congregation was left with no formal spiritual leader. During this interim, a serious-minded layman, Ehrenfried Seebach, conducted reading services in the Word of God. In 1846, Seebach sent an appeal for a new pastor to the Barmen Mission House in Wesel, Germany. The letter read in part: "There is a great field here for Christian missions, and splendid congregations might soon, under a good shepherd, prosper and become mission centers for other localities; for there is a desire among a great many for the Word of God. But how shall they believe if it isn't preached to them?" The Barmen Mission House delegated Pastor Heinrich Ludwig Dulitz (of Magdeburg, Prussia) to serve the congregation. But while Seebach's letter was enroute to Germany, St. Johns' former leader, Pastor Schmidt, now living in West Leyden, New York was still keenly aware of the vacancy of the church on Kilbourne Road, and contacted a Lutheran committee, the Evangelical Lutheran Ministerium in New York City, concerning the matter.

To learn more about the various European Mission Societies that sent missionaries to North America at this time, view the document: "Origins Of The Pilgermission in America".

A call was extended from New York to Candidate Johannes (John) Weinmann (of Bernhagen, Wuerttemberg) who recently arrived in 1846, in Baltimore, with two of his Langenberg Society colleagues: Pastor Augustus Rauschenbusch (studied at the universities of Berlin and Bonn; a Tuebingen graduate) and Candidate Wilhelm (William) Wrede (of Kreis Magdeburg, Prussia). Weinmann traveled on to New York where he met Pastor Johannes (John) Mühlhäuser (Muehlhaeuser). Muehlhaeuser was from Notzingen, Wuerttemburg and was one of the founding missionaries from both the Basil and Barmen Missions. He had arrived in America nine years earlier as the first missionary to America from the Langenberg Society.

Candidate Weinmann accompanied Pastor Muehlhaeuser to his parish in Rochester. A year later, in 1847, Pastor Schmidt escorted Weinmann to Schmidt's parish in Scio Township of Michigan, to be ordained; and then immediately went on to Oakwood, Wisconsin where Weinmann was installed. Pastor Weinmann was the Oakwood Congregation's first settled clergyman. By now the Congregation's membership was 300 strong.

That same year, Pastor Dulitz arrived in Oakwood from Germany and, upon finding his position already filled, he traveled on to the Salem Congregation in Granville where he was a 'Circuit-Rider' for six months before becoming the pastor of Trinity (renamed St. John's Lutheran Church) on 8th and Vliet Street in Milwaukee.

During his pastorate in Oakwood, Pastor Weinmann lived in the Goelzer log cabin where he occupied a small room. He was an energetic missionary and untiringly did mission work with the German settlers in the surrounding territory. Soon a number of small sister congregations were formed: Greenfield (starting in 1847), Caledonia (starting in 1848) and the New Berlin Congregation (formally organized by Weinmann in 1848 and later known as 'The German Evangelical and Reformed Church'. The Reformed Church was formerly on the west side of Racine Ave., between Observatory Rd. and Swartz Rd. but with the merger with the Evangelicals, it moved to the east side between Swartz Rd. and Coffee Rd.)

In June of 1848, at the urging of Pastor Weinmann, Pastor Muehlhaeuser resigned his pastorate in Rochester, New York and came to Milwaukee. Pastor Weinmann and two fellow pastors got together and in a quote from "Continuing In His Word" (pg. 14): "These three emissaries from the Langenberg Society realized the necessity of joining their forces, and so on the 8th of December, 1849, they met at Grace Church in Milwaukee and decided to form 'The German Evangelical Ministerium of Wisconsin'. John Muehlhaeuser (of Grace Church, Milwaukee) was elected president, Johann Weinmann (of St. John's Church, Oakwood), Secretary, and Wilhelm Wrede (of Salem Church, Granville), Treasurer. The first scheduled meeting was for the 27th of May, 1850 in Salem Church, at Granville, at which time the President was to present a constitution which should give expression to their confessional stand." St. John's Church in Oakwood became the oldest congregation of that body of which came to be called 'The First German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Wisconsin'

Pastor Weinmann was also instrumental in starting the Racine Congregation. After two and a half years in Oakwood, he received a call from this sister congregation. St. John's reluctantly granted him his release to Racine where he labored with great success. (The Racine Congregation was formally organized in 1859 and later known as 'The First [German] Evangelical Lutheran Church', 728 Villa St.)

Weinmann journeyed to Baltimore to collect funds from his fellow countrymen to build the Racine Church and was soon recalled there. It was during his incumbency there, that he visited his mother in Bernhagen in the kingdom of Wuerttemberg, Germany. On his return trip, he took passage on the ill-fated ship, "Austria", which, when it was two days' journey from New York City, was destroyed by fire on September 13, 1859 and all on board perished.

In 1849, a call for a new pastor was addressed to Pastor Muehlhaeueser, President of the newly established Wisconsin Synod. Pastor Carl Gustav Rausch was delegated to serve the Oakwood congregation and was installed on October 3, 1849. It was soon evident that Pastor Rausch had Rationalistic leanings. After two years, a split on doctrinal matters ensued. In the year 1851, Pastor Rausch and his followers (about half the congregation) left St. John's and founded and built the chapel known as 'The First Christian Free Church of the Towns of Franklin and Oak Creek'. Pastor Rausch's stay at The First Free Church was short-lived; the congregation there soon dismissed him and he went to Iowa as a Methodist minister. By 1910, the organization and the 'Free-Thinker' Movement faded from existence, fulfilling God's Word which states: "Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain" (Psalm 127:1). In 1942, the building was dedicated as a historical site and renamed "the Painesville Memorial Chapel'.

View the document:, Freethinkers in Wisconsin, by the Wisconsin's Cultural Resources Study Units, Wisconsin Historical Society, for more information on this ill-fated movement.

At this time, the Congregation continued to worship in the log church building on the Goelzer farm. Looking to future expansion, in winter, on the twenty-second of January, 1849, the Congregation purchased approximately one acre of land on the southeast corner of Oakwood and Kilbourne Roads. It was sold by Michael Hahn for twenty-five dollars to the Trustees of St. John's Congregation, which included: George Hahn, Daniel Goelzer, Jacob Beck, John Stampf, and Peter Stephan.

On June 8, 1852, Pastor Conrad Koester (from Buchholz District of Stolzenau, in Hanover, a student of Barmen, and a Langenberg associate) was ordained by Pastor Muehlhaeueser. The following month he undertook to serve the St. John's Congregation, now consisting of only 16 members and their families. But God be praised, the following year saw an influx of settlers, particularly from the provinces of Saxony, Hesse, Mecklenburg, Pomerania, Barvaria, and Alsace-Lorraine. These joined the church and Pastor Koester soon had a flourishing congregation.

Like Pastor Weinmann, Pastor Koester was an energetic missionary, and did much work at the 'Oakwood Congregation' (St. John's), the 'Caledonia Congregation', (formally organized in 1855, and later known as 'Trinity', 7900 Nicholson Rd., Caledonia), and the 'Tess Corners Congregation', (formally organized in 1857, and later known as 'St. Paul's', they originally met on the Jacob Schmidt farm, but later on land donated by Jacob Tess at S66W14325 Janesville Rd., Muskego). He also started the fledgling 'Smith Road' and 'Raymond' Congregations. But Pastor Koester is best known for formally organizing the 'Root Creek Congregation', (in 1852, and later known as 'St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church of Root Creek' [Greenfield], 4001 S. 68th St. at Forest Home Ave.- the old Muskego Rd.) and for introducing the use of Martin Luther's Small Catechism in his confirmation instruction. He was also an active and tireless worker for the still young Synod.

The Wisconsin synod met on the fifth of June, 1857, and the St. John's Lutheran Congregation was dedicated and accepted into synod membership. That same year, the Congregation found it necessary to build a larger edifice, and a new frame church was built. It was dedicated on Pentecost Sunday by Pastor Johannes Bading, (of the Hermannsburg Mission and Langenburg Society) second President of the Wisconsin Synod. At that time, the Synod convened at Oakwood for its 8th gathering since its founding. Pastor Koester faithfully served the St. John's Congregation for twelve years until his death on January 30, 1864, and lies buried in the church cemetery. His grave is identified by a marker erected to his memory by his confirmands.

View the document: Land Plat of the Town of Oakwood, to see the locations of the new Church building, the Goelzer property where the first church was located and the town of Oakwood.

At this time in our nation, on the first three days of July, 1863, 50,000 men in our country died on the grounds of the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

In 1864, Pastor Phillip Brenner of Kenosha, Wisconsin accepted the call from St. John's Congregation and was installed by Pastor Johannes Bading. It was soon apparent that Pastor Brenner was a faithful shepherd. In 1866, the first Christian Day School was organized, with Messrs. Pieper and Engelart as the first teachers. Eighty children were enrolled in the school. The congregation now numbered 170 members and it became evident that a new and larger church was necessary. Soon two groups of members left the congregation to join the congregations of 'Smith Road' (formally organized in 1865, and later known as 'St. Paul's', at 6881 51st. St., Franklin) and 'Raymond' (formally organized in 1869 and later known as 'Evangelical Lutheran Trinity Congregation', 51st St., south of 3 Mile Rd., Raymond). In the year 1870, after six years of faithful service, Pastor Brenner received a call to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, which he accepted.

Candidate Gustav F. Denninger, from Watertown, was called. In the summer of 1870, he was installed as pastor by his father, Pastor Frederick W. A. Denninger, of the Berlin Mission and Pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Farmington (now Johnson's Creek). Conditions made it necessary for Pastor Denninger to also teach school. Later, because of Mrs. Denninger's illness, school was discontinued for a time and only confirmation instruction was given. Pastor Denninger served the Congregation for ten years, and in 1880, accepted a call to Neenah, Wisconsin.

The Congregation then called Pastor Carl Gausewitz, who was serving as pastorate at the Maple Grove and West Bend Churches. Gausewitz was trained by the Barmen Mission Institute and sent out, in 1860, by the Langenberg Society. He was ordained that same year by Pastor Phillip Koehler (from Rixdorf, near Berlin and a Hermannsberg/ Langenberger) and Pastor Phillip Sprengling (from Weinnsheim, Hessen and a Barmen/ Langenberger) He was installed at St. John's Lutheran on April 29, 1880. He is remembered as an excellent school teacher, for under his direction there again was a flourishing Christian Day School. Because he possessed no singing voice to lead the Congregation in worship, the first organ was acquired in 1883. In 1893, after thirteen years of faithful service, Pastor Gausewitz received and accepted a call to Woodbury, (and eventually Iron Mountain), Minnesota.

For a time, Pastor Herman H. Ebert of St. Paul's Lutheran on Smith Road, served as vacancy pastor, conducting services every fourteen days. During this vacancy, a new church building was started. Because there was no pastor in 1893, the Fiftieth Anniversary was not observed.

In the spring of 1894, a call was extended to Candidate William Urich, who declined due to a physical condition to physical condition which failed to respond to medical treatment.

Another call was sent to Candidate John Balthasar (J.B.) Bernthal, who accepted on the condition that he was granted several weeks time to recuperate from a recent illness. He was ordained and installed on July 1, 1894 by Pastor Ebert.

The new church building was finished and on November 25, 1894, it was dedicated to the service of the Triune God by Pastor Bernthal, with Pastor P. Brenner and Professor J. Gamm officiating.

In 1896, a new school house was erected from the lumber left from the old church. Pastor Bernthal maintained a Christian day school, and in the summer months, a Saturday School. From the time of his installation until 1897, he also served the Congregation in Raymond. In 1898, it was decided that the Fifty-fifth Anniversary was to be observed in place of the fiftieth. Pastor C. Gausewitz and Professor A. Notz were guest preachers for the occasion.

A new parsonage was constructed in 1900, at the cost of $1,200.00. In February of 1911, Pastor Bernthal received a call to Ixonia, Wisconsin and, after seventeen years of faithful service, left St. John's on May 1.

Calls were extended to three pastors: William Henkel, Adolf Sauer, and Martin F. Plass. Pastor Plass of Mauston, Wisconsin accepted and was installed on May 20, 1911.

A new pipe organ was purchased and dedicated in 1913; and in 1915, the first English services were begun with one evening service a month.

A Ladies Aid was organized on June 23, 1917, for Christian fellowship and to provide financial assistance for improvements to the church, school and parsonage. A long buggy shed was built to protect horse and buggies on Sundays. This building was useful for the bazaar and refreshment stands for annual picnics and the fall Mission Festival. At the annual picnic, after a scrumptious meal, visitors could attend the bazaar where many homemade items were sold. Many visitors from Milwaukee and the surrounding area attended the Fall Mission festival, coming to one of three worship services and getting a meal for only 25¢.

In October, 1918, the Congregation observed its Seventy-fifth Anniversary with three services and the following year, 1919, the Christian Day School was reorganized and maintained uninterruptedly until 1932. Jacob Schattner, Otto Paap, and Gustav Meissner were the first School Board members.

In 1931, it became necessary to move the church to its present site due to the widening of Highway 41. A considerable number of members favored the building of a new church, but after much discussion it was determined to remodel the old, which was rededicated in February of 1932. In the same year, the choir was organized and has presented numerous sacred concerts and has, on many occasions, lent beauty to the services with their song. In the spring of 1943, the Congregation decided to start renovation of both the church and parsonage, with the Ladies Aid being responsible for many of the improvements. They also decided to make a concerted drive to liquidate its outstanding debt by the time it observed its One Hundredth Anniversary.

In October of 1943, St. John's Lutheran church embarked on its second century as a Christian Congregation. By this time, World War II was in progress and many of St. John's sons were called to serve in the Armed Forces. One of her sons, Marvin Keske, gave the supreme sacrifice for his country. During the war years and for many years after, the congregation helped several destitute families in war-torn Germany by sending clothes and CARE packages monthly.

In 1949, St. John's joined in celebrating with Pastor Plass his fiftieth year in the ministry and two years later, in 1951, observed another special service noting his fortieth year at St. John's along with his Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary. Rev. Martin Plass retired from the ministry and St. John's pulpit in October of 1955 after serving the Congregation faithfully for forty-four years. The Lord called him to his eternal rest in the fall of 1962.

Pastor Karl Molkentin of Valentine, Nebraska accepted St. John's call and was installed on October 9, 1955. It was during this period of service to the Lord that the growing community changed from being predominately rural to one that was more suburban.

In January of 1956, a resolution was passed to discontinue German services for the first time in the one hundred and thirteenth year history of St. John's of Oakwood.

In 1957, a new Verlinden pipe organ was purchased for $6,555.00 and installed in the church.

Looking to future expansion and the reestablishment of a Christian Day School, the Congregation purchased approximately six and a half acres of land to the south of the church.

The appearance of the church was altered significantly when, in 1960, a new entrance was built onto the church, which added a larger narthex, an additional room in the basement for the growing Sunday school and a study for the pastor.

In 1963, to the glory of God, a decision was made to reestablish a Christian Day School through cooperative arrangements with Trinity Lutheran Church in Caledonia. The first teacher was Mrs. Karl Molkentin.

The following year, Roger Hinz of Wood Lake, Minnesota accepted a call to be church organist and principal of the school.

In 1966, the Ladies Aid Society revised their constitution and changed their name to the Mary and Martha Society.

The following year, in 1967, they observed their Fiftieth Anniversary. That same year, a new parsonage was built at a cost of $24,500.00 as a memorial to the One Hundred and Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of St. John's Church, with the old parsonage to be used a teacherage.

During that same year, too, the Congregation had also purchased the three-room Lafayette Public School, on County Line Road, for its Christian Day School. That summer, Principal Hinz transferred to LaCrosse and in August, Arthur Hackbarth of Niles, Illinois became the principal. In 1972, Robert Snell accepted the call to be principal of the school.

In October of 1974, Pastor Molkentin moved to Florida after accepting a call to Mt. Calvary Lutheran in Tampa. He faithfully served St. John's Congregation for nineteen years.

Pastor Gerald Meyer from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin accepted St. John's call and was installed on June 22, 1975. In 1976, Robert Weigmann accepted the call to be principal.

In 1977, a special fund was set up for the building of a new school; and in the same year, the Congregation joined the Shoreland High School Federation to give our congregation's children an opportunity to attend a Lutheran high school. Also, with continued growth, it became necessary to incorporate two worship services on Sunday.

In 1985, the new Christian Day School was built at a cost of $120,000.00 and opened its doors in September. In August of 1986, James Hahn of LaCrosse, Wisconsin was installed as Principal of St. John's School. In 1989, the school's first computer was purchased. St. John's Lutheran Church celebrated its One Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary with a special service on October 4, 1992.

Pastor Gerald Meyer transferred to St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Muskego after faithfully serving St. John's Congregation for twenty years on January 31, 1999.

Pastor Dale Reckzin from Sun Prairie, Wisconsin accepted St. John's call and was installed on the eleventh day of June, 2000. In that same year he initiated regular Thursday night services. In 2001, Holy Communion was offered in every worship service.

Starting in the year of 2002, many repairs and improvements were made to the church building and grounds including: basement remodel, air-conditioning, new storage garage and a larger asphalt parking lot. Three years later, the congregation made a concerted drive to address its outstanding debt by acknowledging the goodness of God through the 'Love So Amazing' bible studies. To God's Glory, a tremendous outpouring of gifts were given.

On May 9, 2006, a new Ahlborn-Galanti electronic organ was purchased and installed for $29,543.80.

In 2007, in order to stimulate new interest in Christian service and fellowship, the 'Mary and Martha Society' changed its name to 'Ladies Serving Together' and was restructured with a new look, a new logo and new committees!

But due to financial constraints, and to the regret of a great many members, it was decided that our Christian Day School close this same year.