Of the
previously mentioned congregations and preaching points, the four that remain
as active Lutheran Congregations are St. John’s, Mt. Moriah of Anna, Salem of
Jonesboro, and First Lutheran of Dongola. Union Church was absent from the
Lutheran rolls in 1886. It seems that this congregation moved to town as the
Rev. Groseclose held services for Union Church at Anna on the first Sabbath of
the month in 1873. A non-Lutheran congregation continues at Casper Church north
of town. Mt. Pisgah ceased to exist as a congregation in 1963 but the building
still stands and is maintained by the Cemetery Committee. Several factors led
to the erosion of membership from this once large congregation. At the turn of
the century there was a Lutheran, a Catholic, and a Reformed Church in the
Wetaug area. Today there is only one church, the Wetaug Church of Christ. Like
most of the other country churches, Mt. Pisgah suffered when people moved into
towns; and when roads and transportation improved, people could drive the few
miles to Dongola or Ullin to attend church. Mt. Pisgah continues to be a
special place for many Lutherans and non-Lutherans. The congregations at
Luther’s Chapel in Johnson County and Cache Chapel in Pulaski County have gone
into the Methodist folds and continue to serve a need. What happened to the
Lutherans at the Meisenheimer School that were mentioned in the 1861 records of
Rev. Albright is not clear. They may be, in part, the people who later formed
Mt. Zion Lutheran Church, or the Baptists at Meisenheimer School, where
Friendships Baptist had been organized in 1858, may have swayed them. Mt. Zion
was organized as the Lutheran congregation in 1889 but dissolved i Lutheran affiliation in 1909 and
became the Cumberland Presbyterian Congregation. One can readily see from the
records and cemeteries of Mt. Zion and Mt. Pisgah that the organizers of Mt.
Zion were primarily from Mt. Pisgah. Mill Creek was the last of these Lutheran
Churches to be dissolved. In the 1880’s it seems that Union County was
prosperous and growing as several new churches were built and remodeled. The
village of Mill Creek was an old village but seemed to be on the rise as the
St. Louis - Cairo Railroads came through in 1875. At this time Mill Creek
boasted over 400 residents. As with other small towns, Mill Creek declined in
this century and today there are no stores or schools left and only one church,
Baptist, when at one point there had been at least three thriving
congregations. The church was closed in 1967, and many members did not join
other Lutheran congregations because of hard feelings toward the Synod and
other congregations. The people of Mill Creek and Mt. Pisgah are still of
concern to the Dongola pastorate; and those that have joined St. John’s of
Dongola, First Church of Dongola, or Salem of Jonesboro are valued members.
Because
of the size and proximity of the Lutheran Churches in Union County, all of the
churches belonged to different pastorates or charges for some part of their
existence. For example, in 1868 there were two charges, Jonesboro and Dongola.
The Jonesboro Charge consisted of St. John’s, Jonesboro, and Union. The Dongola
Charge was made up of the Dongola and Mt. Pisgah Churches and other preaching
points, probably the Meisenheimer School, Luther’s Chapel, and Cache Chapel.
These pastorates had been in constant flux since the 1850’s and were dependent
on the pastors serving and the financial situations of the various
congregations. At present, Salem and Mt. Moriah are independent congregations
while St. John’s and First Church of Dongola are in a joint parish
relationship. The latter two churches have been in union since 1928. Mt. Pisgah
was also a part of this Charge until its dissolution in 1963. The era of
changing pastorates and shared pastors could not have been easy for the
churches, but it was necessary for the Lutherans to minister to the area. It is
truly a shame that so many Lutherans could not continue in their congregations
because of the lack of Lutheran pastors and the loss of membership, which
accompanied the general decline in rural population. It is another testimony of
the faith of the old German Pioneers that they instilled such a strong
tradition in their descendents that the Lutheran Church exists to the degree
that it does today. When the various churches ceased to exist as Lutheran, they
did not as a rule pass out of existence. As noted earlier, some became
Methodists while others went with their Reformed brothers and are Presbyterian.
Still others in the need of opportunity to worship joined other congregations
and helped to build those ministries. When one considers all the difficulties
that the Lutherans had to pass through in Germany, Pennsylvania, North
Carolina, and Illinois, they left a proud heritage and witness to the Gospel.
St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
St.
John’s, organized in 1816, is Illinois’ oldest Lutheran congregation. Since its
organization several histories have been written concerning the congregation.
These various histories differ on several points, including the date of organization,
which ranges from 1816 to 1819. Any date within this range allows St. John’s to
hold the title of the oldest Lutheran Church in Illinois. North Carolina Synod
records show that the Rev. John Market organized this congregation in 1816.
There are no documents in Illinois to support this, but on the above basis and
subsequent entries in North Carolina Synod records the 1816 date is recognized
by the Lutheran Church of America, St. John’s parent body. The Rev. John Market
had been commissioned in 1813 to minister to Lutherans and others in the Ohio
River area by the North Carolina Synod. Another difference between the various
histories has been who were the first members of St. John’s. In 1816, today’s
Union County was part of Johnson County and the Illinois Territory. Formal
church records have not survived, and legal records are scarce. The German
migration from North Carolina to Union County, Illinois, was continuous from
the 1810’s to the 1850’s. Although it is impossible to tell exactly who was here
in 1816, it seems that from land records and other information that the
families of Brown, Miller, Eddlernan, Rendleman, Hess, Rhinehart, Meisenheimer,
and Sowers were here. It should also be noted that these early families might
have been Reformed as well as Lutheran. Other families followed quickly such as
the Dillows in 1818, and additional members of the earlier families joined
their relatives. There were, without doubt, other families represented at
earlier dates; but there is no reliable way to determine who they were.
Immigrants from the North Carolina churches of Zion (Organ), St. John’s
(Concord), and their daughter congregations in North Carolina, whether the
first to Illinois or not, all played significant roles in establishing the
Lutheran presence in Union County, Illinois, and in the development of the
area.
For the
first 25 years of the life of St. John’s congregation, pastoral care was
limited and sporadic. The list of pastors to serve the congregation includes
missionaries and circuit riding pastors. The German Lutheran and Reformed
congregations were served not only by Lutherans but also by Reformed preachers
and other men of the cloth who might have passed through. For the congregation
to have stayed together there was also good lay leadership, as it was the
custom for lay people to read sermons when there was no preacher for the
pulpit. The first pastor called to serve St. John’s was the Rev. Daniel
Scherer, who resided at Hillsboro and came through once every three months.
Rev. Scherer, who served both St. John’s (Concord) and Zion (Organ) in North
Carolina, was commissioned as a missionary by the North Carolina Synod in 1830,
and came to Illinois in 1831. He served St. John’s until 1835 but continued to
organize and serve Lutheran congregations in Illinois until his death in 1862.
Beginning in 1837 the Rev. Edward B. Olmstead preached at St. John’s once a
month for eight years. The Rev. Olmstead was from Pulaski County, where the
town of Olmstead was named for him. In 1847, he left the Lutheran Church and
affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. Beginning with Rev. Olmstead, pastors
became more regular to St. John’s, although they served other congregations in
this area they served St. John’s one or two Sundays per month. In St. John’s long
history, only from 1913 until 1927 did St. John’s have a pastor with St. John’s
as the sole call. Even during this period the pastor was allowed to preach at
Mill Creek on Sunday evenings. By the end of this period, St. John’s appeared
unable to support a pastor by herself, and in December of 1927 voted to join
First Lutheran of Dongola and Mt. Pisgah as a single charge. St. John’s
continues as a partner in the Dongola Parish.
After a
congregation is formed, it needs a place to worship. We can be certain that in
the beginning St. John’s congregation worshiped in the homes and barns of the
members. Tradition has it that they worshiped in the barn of John Miller who
owned the land where the first church was later built and also on the farm of
John and Peter Eddleman, which is now owned by Pauline Eddleman Dillow. It is
also likely that they worshiped and held prayer meetings in the homes of other
members. By 1823 the Lutherans and German Reformed had built a small building
on ground that is now in the St. John’s Cemetery. It was described as 18 feet
by 24 feet and tall enough for a balcony, which was never put in. It would
definitely have been simple and rustic. On February 16, 1824, John Miller
deeded to the Elders and Deacons of the German Lutheran and Reformed Churches
about 1 1/2 acres to be used by both congregations for the purpose of building
a meetinghouse. Additional land was deeded to both congregations in 1827 by
Jacob Hileman, Sr. In 1839 the St. John’s congregations were deeded 2 acres by
Jacob and Margaret Miller, and on this land a second house of worship was built
jointly by the Lutherans and Reformed in 1855-56. Formal dedication was on
November 9, 1856. This building was extensively remodeled in the late 1880’s
and to all appearances seemed like a new building. From the 1856 structure the
frame, the weatherboarding, and other parts were used for the “new” building.
The remodeling probably began in 1887 as attested by the sandstone step at the
entrance of St. John’s. The Lutheran and the Reformed congregations shared the
cost of the work equally. The church’s 300-person capacity was not enough for
the dedication service in November of 1888. Five hundred attended this service,
conducted by Rev. Turner Earnhart (Lutheran) and Rev. W. M. Andrews (Reformed).
At its September 1917 meeting the Council of St. John’s approved the building
of an altar, the refurnishing of the church, and the appointing of a committee
to make preparations to “build floor at church house.” The March 20, 1921,
council minutes read in part “On the above date a new altar was dedicated and
set aside as church property and to be used in worship of God, the gift of Mrs.
Minnie Poole.” There is no mention of the other new furnishings or the new
floor, but they, too, were probably in place. Other changes and improvements in
this church building include the 1916 addition of a carbide light plant for
S100 installed. At that time coal was still the fuel for heating, but gas heat
and electricity have been added in recent times. In 1976, to commemorate the
nation’s Bicentennial and St. John’s 160th anniversary, major
renovation was carried out. A few years ago the bell from Mill Creek Lutheran
Church was placed in the always-vacant bell tower. In 1980, in order to prevent
deterioration of the building, the old stone foundation was removed and new
footings and blocks were installed. This old country church stands firmly on
God’s earth. Although the church is simple in its beauty, it is a testimony to
the Glory of God.
St.
John’s began back in 1816 as a small mission of the North Carolina Synod.
Although it was of good size at various times, it is today a small country
church, small in size but large in spirit. The exact size of St. John’s at its
beginning will never be known; but in 1825, 43 persons from Union County,
Illinois, petitioned the North Carolina Synod for pastoral leadership. It
should be noted that the St. John’s Lutheran Church and the St. John’s German
Reformed Church shared the building and relied on the pastors of both denominations
for leadership. The membership, both congregations, may therefore be a bit
deceitful. Without doubt, the Lutherans attended Reformed services and vice
versa. The Rev. E. B. Olmstead reported to the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of
the West a membership of 130 communing members in 1841 and 143 in 1843.
Membership was probably high from this point until 1855 when a new building was
started. A decline in membership and in religious interest set in at some point
until in 1875 when three men decided to call a pastor on their own and pay for
his services themselves if the congregation would not support him. From this
low point the congregation again began to grow and by 1888 there were 260
members, probably Lutheran and Reformed combined. The 1880’s seemed to be a
high point of church membership throughout the area as many new churches were
formed and new buildings built in this decade. A good membership must have also
been in existence when St. John’s supported its sole pastor from 1913 to 1927,
at which time there were about 75 communing members. In 1928 membership began
to fall and in 1935 there were only 23 communing members. There was some growth
in the 40’s and 50’s to a leveling off of about 45to 50 members, which is still
the case. One wonders what happened to the large membership of the 1840’s and
1880’s. The 1840’s number was for one of two Lutheran congregations in Union
County. In the 1850’s and 1860’s we see the organization of Mt. Pisgah, First
Church of Dongola, and Mt. Moriah in Anna. The legacy of these congregations
from St. John’s included not only the faith and spirit but also part of the
membership. As population increased the membership again began to increase to
the point that in the 1880’s and 1890’s additional daughter congregations were formed
such as Mt. Zion, Salem, and Mill Creek. Also, after the turn of the century,
rural population began to decline, and this decreased the size of the community
from which St. John’s Lutheran drew. This general shift of population, better
roads, and the automobile put more people in the city churches at the expense
of the country churches.
The First Evangelical Lutheran Church
Of Dongola
The Rev.
H. M. Brewer who was serving Mt. Plsgah and St. John’s at the time organized
First Church in 1865. Rev. D. S. Sprecher, who served all of the Lutheran
churches and preaching points in the Union County area, followed him in short
order. In 1866 the Lutherans divided into two charges, namely the Jonesboro
Charge, St. John’s, Union Church of Anna, Salem of Jonesboro and the Dongola
Charge, First Church, Mt. Pisgah, and other preaching points. A Union Church
was supposedly begun under Rev. Brewer’s leadership and was dedicated in
February 1867. This building was built where Everett Redcloud’s house now
stands and was used by the Lutheran, Methodist, and Cumberland Presbyterian
congregations. The Lutherans began their own church on Easy Street under Rev.
E. H. Kitch and were probably using it by the time the Union Church was razed
in 1886. The new house of worship was dedicated on May 15, 1887. A deed was
executed from Frank and Mary Neibauer to the Trustees of the Lutheran Church of
Dongola for lots 47 and 68 in the Leavenworth Addition on April 9, 1887. This
property was given to the church for the purposes of the Evangelical Church
only. If the property was not kept in repair, not used for Church purposes, or
was offered for sale, then “the property shall revert to the Grantor or his
legal heirs.” Also during Rev. Kitch’s ministry a Dongola Charge parsonage was
built. The parsonage was used until 1949 at which time it was torn down and
part of the land sold to Ellis and Irene Dillow. A new parsonage was built
1951-53 on the remaining portion of the same tract. That parsonage served until
1982 when it was sold and the parish began to provide a housing allowance for
its pastor rather than supply a parsonage. In 1912, thanks to the efforts of
the Ladies Aid, a basement was built under the church. This basement was
important to the church as it provided room for a large Sunday School Program
and for social functions of First Church and the Parish. In 1964 construction
began on a large addition to the church. This addition included classrooms,
offices, restrooms, a kitchen, and a large room for Church meetings and celebrations.
It was dedicated on February 28, 1965, by Rev. I. E. Kalnins and the Rev. Dr.
Robert J. Marshall’ then President of the Illinois Synod.
The first officers of First Church were E.
Cuhn, N.
G. Miller, Samuel Bame, and Frank Neibauer. An early list of members, prior to
1870, included the family names of Casper, Croft, Peeler, Miller, Smoot, Davis,
Harmes, Meisenheimer, Woociney, Humble, Walker, and Sprecker. Many of these
people came from Mt. Pisgah and St. John’s. Several of the descendants of these
people continue to be a part of the Dongola Lutheran congregation. The above
list, which was most likely put down by Rev. D. D. Sprecker who served 1866-69,
had 21 names. From 1902 with 40 communing, membership grew gradually to 60 in
1915 and then began to decline to 25 in 1927. Membership stayed low ranging
from 18 to 33 through 1948. In 1949 membership began a marked increase and
continued to 100 communing members in 1960. The 1984 parochial report shows a
communing membership of 120.
Since
its organization, First Church has been in a combined charge or parish
situation. At first, as noted earlier, it was in the Union County Charge and
then the Dongola Charge. From 1866 it formed with Mt. Pisgah and other points
the Dongola Charge. This joint ministry of First Church and Mt. Pisgah lasted
until 1963 when Mt. Pisgah ceased to exist. Mt. Zion Lutheran Church was a part
of this charge during its existence, 1889 until 1909. St. John’s entered the
Dongola Parish in 1927 and remains part of the charge. In 1902 First Church was
considerably smaller than Mt. Pisgah and somewhat smaller than St. John’s, but
by the 1930’s they were all about the same size with 20 to 25 communing
members. First Church recovered well and today is about three times as large as
St. John’s but Mt. Pisgah continued to decline and was closed. As one looks
back over the last eighty years, one would question that any of the
congregations could have survived alone. On their own it seems doubtful that
any of the congregations would have made it. They needed to cooperate in order
to continue to minister to those who subscribe to the Augsburg Confession. Even
though First Church has never had a sole pastor, it has remained an independent
congregation and has benevolently shared her pastors with other congregations
in the interest of the “Church”. The First Lutheran Church of Dongola is
another proud legacy of those old Germans that have the Christian Faith they
instilled in their descendants. The present congregation, though not large but
with a solid foundation, is still growing and has a bright future as it
ministers to God’s children in southern Illinois.
* A fifth congregation, Trinity Lutheran Church, LC-MS, which was
organized in 1930, is Of a different tradition than the Lutherans dealt
with in this paper.
Acknowledgement:
This text is based on several histories of St.
John’s, First Lutheran of Dongola, and the Dongola Community. People who put
these together include Clyde Schluter, The Rev. William J. Boatman, Homer and
Susan Davidson, Rev. Edward Johnson, and Rev. William Swarbrick. The Rev. Greg
Mayer who did so much in 1976 towards the preservation and celebration of St.
John’s history is especially noted. The Pastors of St. John’s Lutheran Church
of Concord, North Carolina and Zion (Old Organ) Lutheran Church near Salisbury,
North Carolina; the Rev. Ted Goins and the Rev. G. David Swygert respectively
were generous and gracious in visits to those churches.
In this brief history of St. John’s and First
Lutheran of Dongola, this writer attempted to put all of the various histories
together and resolve differences. He welcomes any and all additional and
correctional information as perhaps someday he or someone else can write a more
complete history.
