St. Paul History: The First Church Building

The congregation that was St. John's split into its two pieces in 1873 - with Lutherans on one side and the Reformed on the other. At that moment in time, the majority membership of St. John's was Reformed. The founders of St. Paul had to experience the sorrow and the strain caused by the false practice of church unionism. Scripture opened their hearts to see for the first time that it was necessary that they be truly and honestly faithful to God's Word.

During the years of the Union the church had never adopted strong confessional ties. The Lutheran members were intent on changing that! On May 17, 1873, ten members signed a document stating their intent to join the Wisconsin Synod. The meeting was held at Roth Hall, because they were not allowed access to the church building. A temporary President (Matthias Christgau) and Secretary (Ulrich Klier) were elected. Minutes of that meeting were sent to the Wisconsin Synod. By October, anarchy and anger was the rule at St. John's. Pastor Hirtz, who had tried to occupy the ground between the two factions, resigned. In April of the following year, Pastor Opitz of Peace (Hartford) opened a meeting attended by 72 heads of families. A resolution firmly condemning the "United-Evangelical Catechism", the "United-Evangelical Order of Service,' and the "United-Evangelical Hymnal and Song Book" was signed by 45 members. The break now was clearly defined. Lutherans would no longer tolerate false teaching.

The Lutherans abandoned all attempts to retain the church property in January of 1875. It was time for a new beginning. Out of the ashes arose a congregation faithful to God's Word and faithful to the Lutheran Confessions. On January 31st the Lutherans of Schleisingerville adopted a formal resolution to organize a new congregation. The meeting authorized John Pick of West Bend to purchase the home known as the "Doctor's House" for the congregation to use as its first place of worship. (The home was purchased for $1,200 in February.) Resolutions also were adopted to provide St. John's Secretary with a list of those leaving to join the new congregation and authorizing a land search for a church cemetery.

The name of the new congregation, "Evangelical Lutheran St. Paul's Church of the Unaltered Lutheran Confession at Schleisingerville at Washington County, Wisconsin" was chosen at a meeting on April 5, 1875 and a resolution was passed that the congregation become a member of the Wisconsin Synod. St. Paul congregation was received into membership by the Synod in that same year, 1875.

A New Congregation Learns to Walk

As the history of St. Paul began to unfold, the infant congregation enjoyed a period of steady growth. Worship services were held in the "Doctor's House." The services featured the familiar voice of Pastor Opitz, who served St. Paul congregation as an extension of his ministry at Peace, Hartford, until 1880.

Pastor Probst, whose ministry at St. Paul began in 1881, served the congregation for 28 years, again as an extension of his Call to Peace, Hartford. Several historical events marked the days of his ministry in Slinger. In 1886 papers were filed in West Bend legally incorporating the members of St. Paul as a congregation. The drive to become a legally incorporated body was undoubtedly fueled by a resolution in 1885 to build a church building. 1886 found the congregation purchasing land for $200. A church building measuring 35' x 60' was designed and the contract to build was awarded to George Klippel. The contracted price for the construction of the first church building was $3,600, although an additional $300 was later authorized so that Mr. Klippel could furnish "the inner part of the church according to plans." Congregational members contributed not only the funding, but also their sweat in hauling the bricks to the construction site. The congregation joyfully dedicated the building in 1886. In 1889, the bells, which still called members to worship in 1998, were purchased.

Another landmark day for the congregation took place in 1909. Because Pastor Probst had retired, the congregation called Pastor L. Ave Lallemant to serve St. Paul. Pastor Ave Lallemant was the first full-time pastor of the congregation. A parsonage was built in Slinger. The pastorate of Ave Lallemant was very brief, as the Lord called him from this life in 1910. While the untimely death of its first resident pastor must have been hard for the congregation to absorb, it seems the Gospel ministry went forward without a hitch. Pastor C. Auerswald served from 1910-1916. The new congregation had learned to walk.

Pastor Probst	Pastor L. Ave Lallemant	Pastor C. Auerswald

A Time of Controversy

A frustrated tone due to financial difficulties began to creep into the minutes of the church's meetings. With regularity the secretary's report carried the tally of salary that had not been met in supporting the congregation's pastor. The financial stress caused the congregation in 1917 to adopt the policy of removing all rights in the congregation from members who had not paid their dues in full by the end of the year. This policy in practice meant: "No Baptism, no burial, no wedding, no confirmation and no Communion." One rightly grasps that a less than evangelical approach to problems had been embraced at St. Paul.

Difficulties between the pastor and members began to boil over in January of 1920. Although the Council seems initially to have attempted to act as mediators, the problems worsened. In a meeting in February of 1922 a vote of confidence for Pastor Bergfeld failed to pass. Although Synodical officials urged patience, on April 23, 1922 a statement signed by 35 voting members "dismissed" Pastor Bergfeld from serving St. Paul. The statement did not say Pastor Bergfeld should be removed from the ministry, but alluded to the need for a change in the ministry of St. Paul with the hope that "a new man would win back the confidence of the majority of the members." On May 14, the congregation called Pastor Adolph Werr. However, Pastor Bergfeld refused to acknowledge the action of the congregation. A protracted conflict followed and a number of members were shaken by the events. The spirit of legalism that was apparent in the "Dues Resolution" of 1917 assuredly played a role in this bitter conflict. It led to sad history for both the pastor and the congregation.

A New Day

God in his wisdom provided a two-year vacancy at St. Paul. Looking back, it must have been a time of reflection among the members. In 1924 Pastor C. Lengling began his ministry. The 1920's were a time of change in Wisconsin and in the congregation. Gradually German was being overtaken by the English language. English services were provided once a month in 1923, and twice monthly by 1928. When Pastor Scharf arrived in 1937, following Pastor Lengling's move to Milwaukee, one of his first tasks was to translate the constitution into English. In July of 1939 the records of the congregation appear in both German and English, but by 1941 the German language had disappeared in all record keeping of the congregation. This is not surprising as the congregation purchased "new English hymnals" (The Lutheran Hymnal of the Synodical Conference) in 1941.

Also worthy of note is the fact that congregational records during Pastor Scharf's ministry refer for the first time to the pastor of St. Paul (Slinger) serving also St. Paul of Cedar Lake. In 1942 Pastor Scharf served as a civilian chaplain of the Wisconsin Synod, for which the congregation granted him a leave of absence. Pastor Scharf returned in 1944 and shortly thereafter accepted a call to Rhinelander.

Pastor Fredrick Gilbert became the next Pastor, serving from 1944-57. A highlight of his time was the installation of a new church organ. A pipe organ, built by the Schaefer Organ Company of Slinger, was installed in 1945. The purchase price of the instrument was nearly $4,000.

On May 23, 1948, St. Paul congregation celebrated its 75th birthday. Pastor Herbert Kifchner of Baraboo preached in the morning service and Professor E. Reim was the preacher for the evening festival service.

Steadily Forward

The congregation experienced steady growth. The growth caused the congregation to expand its facilities by purchasing property to the south in 1957 where Sunday school classes met. Plans for expanding the existing church structure were created and a building fund drive was begun. In March of 1957 Pastor Gilbert accepted a Call to West Allis. The congregation, instead of calling from the field, looked ahead to graduation day at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. One of the young men from the graduating class of 1957 was to the next pastor at St. Paul, John Ruege.

The congregation continued to make the facility it had "work" and the building fund drive stalled well short of completion. By 1959 the treasurer noted that the congregation was debt free and had money available for expansion. Talk of creating additional space on the church site continued to occupy the congregation's attention. At the same time, the church parsonage was in need of serious repairs. In 1961, there was great disunity of opinion over whether building fund moneys should be used to make repairs to the parsonage. The disagreement seems to have quelled ideas of expanding the church facility.

1961 was a monumental year at St. Paul because of the congregation's membership in the Wisconsin Synod. In November the Wisconsin Synod's severance of fellowship with the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod was noted and discussed. The ties that had joined the two church bodies across many years of history sadly had come to an end. St. Paul remained committed to the Wisconsin Synod and agreed with the action of the Synod.

After Pastor Ruege left in November, 1961, to serve congregations in Michigan, Pastor Lester Groth became the next pastor. Early in 1963 the congregation seemed determined to carry forward the idled plan to expand the church building. The idea, however, was overturned in favor of looking toward the creation of a new church building. By 1969 a congregational committee was searching for suitable land. In September of 1971, Pastor Groth left to begin serving in Wautoma. Pastor Theodore Horneber accepted St. Paul's Call and began his service in November of 1971.

1973 found the congregation celebrating 100 years of history. Former pastors (Groth and Scharf) led the congregation in worship on May 17. The anniversary was also marked by two additional services later in the year led by Pastor Horneber and Pastor George Enderle (a son of the congregation). 1973 also found the congregation purchasing the Elsie Nehm property (our current church site) for $46,801 and the congregation began a five-year program to repay the land debt and to provide money for the erection of a new worship facility.

Pastor Horneber

Church Centennial 1973