The History of St. John's UCCA dozen families became constituted as St. John's Church in August 1862. Today there are nearly 1900 members. This growth, made possible over the past century and a third by thousands of active and dedicated church members, was inspired by five evangelical-minded men under the leadership of Rev. Kroehnke of Rock Run, IL. The fruits of their labors have far surpassed the bounds of their hopes and imagination. Known as the founders of the church, they were: J.J. Tschudy, a man of books and learning who was registrar of deeds for many years; John Kaderly and Peter Spahr, two Monroe tailors; Samuel Schneider, a harness maker; and Andreas Lanz. The five men were selected as trustees at the first organizational meeting, along with Mrs. Jacob Weber and Henry Walter.
The first church building, a little white frame structure, was dedicated on August 31, 1862. It was constructed on the present church site for a cost of $400.00. Records show the first church meeting, however, was held two years earlier in the home of Andreas Lanz (corner of 17th Ave. and 12th St.) There are no pictures of this first church, but windows were arched and the first known decorations were oak leaves. Rev. Kroehnke and several guest pastors officiated at the dedication.The first Holy Communion was held in the church on that Sunday in August, and so was the first baptism. The baptized child was Samuel Schuler, who spent his entire lifetime as an active member of the church.
Timeline1862-1867
Rev. Hageman . . . He was the first resident pastor. He helped erect the first parsonage for $400.00.
1867-1869
Rev. Meyer . . .
1870-1872
Rev. Dippel . . .
1873-1876
Rev. Angelberger . . . A second and larger church, at a cost of $2,559.00, was built and dedicated on October 12, 1873. Rev. Angelberger left in 1876 to answer a call to Buffalo, NY
1876-1880
Rev. Fotsch . . . He died in 1880 at the age of 48 while serving and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery. The site is marked with a special church monument.
1881-1885
Rev. Hirtz . . . The first Sunday School Building was added to the back of the church and 3 bells, imported from Switzerland, were installed and dedicated in 1883. The bells cost $600.00 and weighed 2,000 pounds. In August 1885, Rev. Hirtz was called to a church in Milwaukee.
1885-1889
Rev. Koch . . . He started parishes in Browntown, Wane and Jordan. All three later became self-supporting churches. Leaving Monroe, he entered the mission field in Milwaukee where he founded the Emanuel Church.
1890-1895
Rev. Tanner . . . He came to Monroe after serving in India. A fine artist, he painted the picture which still hangs above the altar. During Rev. Tanner's pastorate, a hot air furnace was installed in the church and a two-story (18x23) addition was built on the parsonage. He resigned in 1895 to accept a call to Texas where he served as district synod president for many years.
1895-1938
Rev. P.A. Schuh . . . He served the church for 43 years, until his death at the age of 70 on February 7, 1938. His story of devotion to the church and community is a legend which has gone far beyond the confines of St. John's congregation itself. A native of Strasbourg, Alsace, Germany, Rev. Schuh came to the United States in 1887 in answer to requests by immigrants to send them more ministers. He came with five other theological students after graduating from Teubingern University, Alsace-Lorraine. He first went to Elkhart Lake and then came to Monroe eight years later. Best available statistics indicated Rev. Schuh baptized more than 3,000 persons, confirmed more than 2,500, married more than 1,500 couples, and officiated at nearly 2,000 funerals. In 1896 the first Youth Fellowship was organized and this group paid for wiring the church for electricity. In 1897 the church was enlarged by the addition of a sizable wing to the west, and a hand pump organ was installed. The present Sanctuary portion of our building was completed and dedicated in 1923 for a cost of $125,000. The former building, which was in good structural condition, was moved in part to the site of the then Union Church on 10th St. and 20th Ave. Rev. Schuh also was instrumental in organizing the Immanuel Church in Darlington and for many years also held services in Arena.
1938-1956
Rev. P.C. Kehle . . . Dr. Kehle was called to become president of the South Wisconsin Synod. He came to Monroe from Ripon, where he was pastor for fourteen years. Previously, he had been pastor at Berlin for three years and at LeMars, IA for three years. During his service here, the Evangelical denomination, which originated in Germany, was merged with the Reformed Church. St. John's continued as an Evangelical and Reformed congregation until 1957 when it merged with the Congregational Christian Churches as the United Church of Christ. In 1950 both the present parsonage and the first of two Christian Education additions were erected.
1956-1964
Rev. Paul Olm . . . Rev. Olm resigned to become minister of the Northeast Association of the Wisconsin Conference of United Church of Christ. Due to a large increase in the number of pupils, it became necessary to erect a more adequate Christian Education Building in 1962.
1962-1965
Rev. Donald Stork . . . He was the first full-time assistant pastor.
1964-1968
Rev. Calvin Fischer . . . He came to St. John's after pastorates in Merrill and Belvidere, IL; and served in Northwest Wisconsin Association, and church camp. He left in 1968 to serve Wisconsin Rapids UCC. A second parsonage on 5th Street was purchased in 1966.
1966-1970
Rev. Milton Petzold . . . He was called to be Associate Pastor.
1969-1981
Rev. Wolfgang Koehler . . . During his ministry, St. John's Garden Apartments were completed. Koehler had served Ft. Atkinson and Neillsville churches before coming to St. John's. He accepted a call to Fairfield Glade, TN in 1982. In 1969, Miss Ida Derendinger, gave the church her house adjacent to the Christian Education Building.
1970-1972
Rev. William Dushek . . . He served as Associate Pastor.
1973-1977
Rev. Paul Warder . . . He became and served as the Associate Pastor.
1977-1981
Rev. Keith Hunholz . . . Pastor Hunholz was called as Associate Pastor.
1981-1983
Rev. Dean Christianson . . . St. John's called him to serve as Associate Pastor.
1982-1987
Rev. Frederick Bachman . . . He came to St. John's with prior service in Lancaster, PA, Long Island, NY, and St. Paul, MN. Pastor Bachman took up his duties as Senior Pastor on Reformation Sunday. In 1985, the Chapel was renovated, including the installation of the stained glass windows, designed and made by Susan Van Galder of Janesville, the windows a gift of the Women's Guild and Ladies Aid. In 1986, the Sanctuary organ is renovated with the Zimmerman Memorial Fund.
1983-1986
Rev. James Fishbaugh . . . He served as Associate Pastor.
1987-1991
Rev. Arthur Ellersieck . . . He had served congregations in Missouri, Illinois and Indiana. In 1987, St. John's celebrated its 125th anniversary.
1991-1992
Rev. Richard Williams . . . An interim minister specialist who served congregations in Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan as the congregations searched for a senior pastor.
1993-present
Rev. W.T. 'Mike' Heath arrived in 1993 and has ably served the congregations since that time. His wife Kay serves as director of Christian Education. Pastor 'Mike' served churches in Oconomowoc, LaGrange, IL, and Bremen, IN, before coming here. He has a doctor of ministry degree from Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis. During Mike's tenure, the church observed its 135th anniversary in 1997. Also the church retrofitted many of the sanctuary's windows. In 1999, the church began the initial construction stages of a joint effort with Monroe Clinic and New Glarus Home to provide an assisted living facility and St. John's Garden Apartments expansion at the church-owned site on Monroe's north side.
In Sept. 2002, St. John's kicked off a $1.5 million capital campaign project entitled "A Church for Tomorrow, A Faith for the Ages." This is an historic time for the congregation as we prepare to remodel a good portion of the church. Staff offices will be moved to the old parsonage and a link room will be built to connect this building to the main church building. The sanctuary and existing offices will be remodeled and updated and an elevator will be installed in the northeast corner of the main building, which is currently the Director of Christian Education office.
In November 2002, Associate Pastor Rev. Scheryl Seymour resigned her position. The Rev. Jon Schultz, and then the Rev. Ree Hale, are called to St. John's as interim pastors while the Search Committee begins the process of finding a new Associate Pastor.
In April 2004, Rev. Gretchen Sylvester is called to serve as Associate Pastor.
In May 2004, St. John's celebrated the completion of the construction phase of our capital campaign project with a public open house.