Church will celebrate with birthday party March 25
MONROE - On a warm August day in 1862, a dozen Monroe families gathered in a small church in hopes of worshipping in the same way they had years earlier in their native Switzerland and Germany.
Now the 1,500-member congregation of St. John's United Church of Christ will celebrate the church's 150th birthday. A series of events are being planned beginning with a birthday party following the 9 a.m. service on Sunday, March 25, in the church's Fellowship Hall. Cake and refreshments will be served and a short program highlighting the church's history will follow.
The anniversary year will conclude with an all-church picnic slated for late August.
"St. John's exists today because 150 years ago the people and the minister, Rev. Dietrich Kroehnke, of the church in Rock Run, Ill., reached out to the people of Monroe," said Rev. Mike Heath, senior pastor of the church for nearly 20 years. "In that spirit, the people of St. John's have been reaching out to others for 150 years."
That reaching out is seen throughout the church's history, most visibly in the pastorship of St. John's longest-serving minister, the Rev. P.A. Schuh, who served the church for 43 years. A native of Strassburg, Alsace, Germany, Schuh came to the United States in 1887 and to Monroe in 1895. He served as pastor until his death in 1938 and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery.
Schuh is remembered as following a policy of devoting himself to his congregation and the people of Monroe. It is estimated he baptized more than 3,000 people, confirmed more than 2,500, married more than 1,500 couples and officiated at approximately 2,000 funerals during his tenure.
But Schuh's influence went beyond St. John's doors. During the anti-Kaiser period following World War I, all German books at Monroe High School were burned in Spring Square. The German books at St. John's were spared due to the respect Schuh commanded in the community.
It was during Schuh's pastorate that the current St. John's building was constructed in 1922 with various additions added throughout the years. The three church bells, used to this day, were imported from Germany and a specially made organ purchased for $8,000 from the Wangerin-Weickhardt Co. of Milwaukee was installed.
But Heath and Sharon Streiff, president of the church council, said it is the church members themselves who are responsible for the growth of the church since its inception and keeping it vibrant as it looks to the next 150 years.
The church has an active Sunday school program, a growing senior high school youth program that will travel to Colorado on a summer work trip, and numerous programs for men and women, they said. The church is also an active participant in the Family Promise of Green County program.
"I see so many exciting things happening," Heath Streiff told a church committee last month. "The members are excited about what is going on and when that happens we can only grow."
He added St. John's always welcomes new members.
Members of the 150th Anniversary committee are Mary Ann Krebs, Chris and Julie Sachs, Cindy Zimmerman, David Deininger, Gloria Rieder, Christie Strait and Ed and Athleen Schenk.
MONROE - On a warm August day in 1862, a dozen Monroe families gathered in a small church in hopes of worshipping in the same way they had years earlier in their native Switzerland and Germany.
Now the 1,500-member congregation of St. John's United Church of Christ will celebrate the church's 150th birthday. A series of events are being planned beginning with a birthday party following the 9 a.m. service on Sunday, March 25, in the church's Fellowship Hall. Cake and refreshments will be served and a short program highlighting the church's history will follow.
The anniversary year will conclude with an all-church picnic slated for late August.
"St. John's exists today because 150 years ago the people and the minister, Rev. Dietrich Kroehnke, of the church in Rock Run, Ill., reached out to the people of Monroe," said Rev. Mike Heath, senior pastor of the church for nearly 20 years. "In that spirit, the people of St. John's have been reaching out to others for 150 years."
That reaching out is seen throughout the church's history, most visibly in the pastorship of St. John's longest-serving minister, the Rev. P.A. Schuh, who served the church for 43 years. A native of Strassburg, Alsace, Germany, Schuh came to the United States in 1887 and to Monroe in 1895. He served as pastor until his death in 1938 and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery.
Schuh is remembered as following a policy of devoting himself to his congregation and the people of Monroe. It is estimated he baptized more than 3,000 people, confirmed more than 2,500, married more than 1,500 couples and officiated at approximately 2,000 funerals during his tenure.
But Schuh's influence went beyond St. John's doors. During the anti-Kaiser period following World War I, all German books at Monroe High School were burned in Spring Square. The German books at St. John's were spared due to the respect Schuh commanded in the community.
It was during Schuh's pastorate that the current St. John's building was constructed in 1922 with various additions added throughout the years. The three church bells, used to this day, were imported from Germany and a specially made organ purchased for $8,000 from the Wangerin-Weickhardt Co. of Milwaukee was installed.
But Heath and Sharon Streiff, president of the church council, said it is the church members themselves who are responsible for the growth of the church since its inception and keeping it vibrant as it looks to the next 150 years.
The church has an active Sunday school program, a growing senior high school youth program that will travel to Colorado on a summer work trip, and numerous programs for men and women, they said. The church is also an active participant in the Family Promise of Green County program.
"I see so many exciting things happening," Heath Streiff told a church committee last month. "The members are excited about what is going on and when that happens we can only grow."
He added St. John's always welcomes new members.
Members of the 150th Anniversary committee are Mary Ann Krebs, Chris and Julie Sachs, Cindy Zimmerman, David Deininger, Gloria Rieder, Christie Strait and Ed and Athleen Schenk.