St. John's Lutheran Church - near Cole Camp, MO - Lutheran Churches on Waymarking.com

County of church: Benton County
Location of church: Cheese Creek Rd. & Morarity Ave., about 1 mile W of US-65, 6 miles N of Cole Camp
Phone: 605-695-8043
Pastor: Tyler P. Poppen

"On Sunday, September 11, 1871, Henry Hashagen, John Junge, John Brunjes, Henry Peters, Henry Meier, and Dietrich Harms, who had received their release from the mother church south of Cole Camp, met or the purpose of organizing a congregation. The ground work was laid in this meeting and on October 21, 1871, the organization was perfected. At this meeting the name "St. John's Lutheran Church", was adopted. A constitution was read and adopted which was signed by eighteen members. It was resolved to ask pastor Sieving, pastor of the Lutheran Church at Lincoln, to serve the newly organized congregation until a pastor could be secured. Pastor Sieving served until the year 1878. Divine services were conducted in various school houses in the immediate vicinity. However, in the very first meeting it was resolved to build a house of worship. This was realized in a few years when a small building was erected and was dedicated as a church and school. Thus from the very beginning much stress was laid on Christian Education. After the first building was completed a Mr. Jost Meier was engaged to conduct a Christian Day School. In the course of time, Pastor Sieving succeeded in securing a student, a Mr. Lauterbach to conduct the school. For his service, as teacher, the congregation promised to pay Mr. Lauterbach ten dollars a month.

"After a short vacancy the Lord of the Church provided another shepherd for the flock in the person of the Rev. John Roschke, who was installed in the fall of 1917. Pastor Roschke established the enviable record of having served the congregation faithfully, conscientiously, and with abundant blessings of God, for twenty-nine years - 1917 - 1946. Pastor Roschke presented his resignation to the congregation, which was regretfully accepted, in the fall of 1947, to live in retirement. It was during the ministry of pastor Roschke that the present church was erected in the year 1921 and dedicated in early 1922.

"In the summer of 1947 the congregation called pastor A. J. Schauer, from Pasadena, Texas. He was installed in October 1947. It was in this year, 1947, that the erection of a new modern parsonage was begun, completed in the winter of 1948. Approximately seventy percent of the communicant membership is in Bible class every Sunday. It was also during the pastorate of pastor Schauer that the young people become affiliated with the International Walther League. An active men's club was also organized by pastor Schauer which today is very active and a member of the International Luther Laymen's League. The Christian Day School was also reopened in the year 1949. Pastor Schauer accepted a call to Antonia, Missouri, in 1954." ~ St. John's Church