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The Middle Years at St. Paul Church |
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A Short History of St. Paul Church
The Middle Years
 The third St. Paul Church Building |
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The Rev. Otto Pessel 1905 to 1935
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The Rev. Benjamin Koehler 1935 to 1958
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The church council conducted an intensive search for a new pastor and on September 17, 1905 hired the man with the best credentials, the Rev. Otto F. Pessel. He had received his college education at the Evangelical St. John's Seminary in Berlin and his theological training at Eden Seminary. On September 23, 1905 Rev. Pessel began a fruitful thirty-year ministry at St. Paul's, very ably assisted by his wife, Mrs. Clara Pessel. During the Pessels' years of dedicated and loyal service to God and church, the congregation grew to be the largest Protestant church in Belleville.
During Rev. Pessel's tenure there were many significant changes in the life of St. Paul church. On May 5, 1919 the congregation voted to affiliate with the Evangelical Synod of North America and the name was changed to St. Paul Evangelical Church. This vote ended St. Paul's 120 year role as a free protestant church. With the national merger of the Evangelical and the Reformed Churches in 1934, St. Paul's became St. Paul Evangelical and Reformed Church.
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The Rev. Benjamin J. Koehler was called to carry on the work of St. Paul's. He arrived in Belleville on August 5, 1935 and began another great period of growth in the life and activities of St. Paul's and the community. During this time St. Paul's was recognized as the leading church in the area, thanks to the leadership of Rev. Koehler and a faithful congregation. As under Rev. Pessel, St. Paul's continued to be the church home to non-members as well as members. Thanks to the vision of Rev. Pessel and Rev. Koehler, St. Paul's gave birth to Memorial Hospital at a time when Belleville had great need of a second hospital.
In 1951 Rev. Koehler was stricken with a stroke while in the pulpit at a Lenten service. Even during his illness and years of recovery Rev. Koehler continued to inspire and lead the congregation. In 1954 Eden Seminary awarded him a Doctor of Divinity degree. In 1958 he became Pastor Emeritus. He died in 1962 and is buried in Lake View Memorial Gardens.
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What's New - Other Things
The January 2009 OSP is online. It is large, over 2 Mega Bytes.
The Bulletins and News and Notes for January 4th are available.
Check out the new link "Testimonials" where St. Paul members say why St. Paul is their church.
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