History

            The Evangelical and Reformed Church, with which St. Paul Church is affiliated, is a union of the Evangelical Synod of North America (under whose leadership St. Paul Church originated) and the Reformed Church in the United States.  This merger was effected in 1934.

            The history of this congregation dates back to the time when several years before the church was organized, many Evangelical Christians had come into Clark County, Missouri, from the vicinity of Franklin, Lee County, Iowa, which place at that time was an Evangelical center and from which several thriving Evangelical congregations have sprung.  Evangelical pastor from Lee County, Iowa, came down and ministered to these people and at regular intervals conducted services, which were held in private homes and for a short time in the Kahoka public school building.  The first steps to organize St. Paul Church of Kahoka were taken, after the close of church services, in a private home about one mile west of Kahoka in September 1866.  The building of a place of worship became the topic of discussion at every service and gathering until finally about one year later, on September 27, 1867, the first church building was dedicated.  The Evangelical pastors who officiated at the dedication were Rev. C. Witte and Rev. O Niethammer.  The Rev. Callihan, pastor of the Kahoka Congregational church preached a sermon in the English language on this occasion.  On this same day, Rev. C. Witte installed the first pastor of the church, Rev. H. Ehlers.  The organization proper of St. Paul Church took place under the direction of Rev. H. Ehlers on November 18, 1867.  The thirteen charter members who signed the constitution have all passed on to their reward.  However, on October 27, 1867, four babies were baptized in the church.  Of these first four to be baptized in the first church building there is one who has retained his membership in the church all these years and celebrated the Diamond Jubilee with us.  That one was Mr. Fred Zinnert, born December 21, 1866.

            The first church building, erected in 1867, soon proved to be too small for the fast growing congregation and in 1886 the building was sold and moved to another lot to make room for a larger church building.  This building was erected at a cost of approximately $3,500.  In 1890, an addition was built for school purposes.  In 1913, the Sunday school and the Young Peoples’ League installed a pipe organ costing $1,275.  This second church building, which served as a church home for thirty years, was destroyed by fire on March 15, 1916.  Immediately steps were taken to erect a new church building.  Work progressed so rapidly that the new church could be dedicated January 21, 1917; ten months after the other church had been destroyed.  The cost of this artistic brick church was $18,000.  This church served its purpose well until January 21, 1940, just 23 years from the date of its dedication, when it, too, was destroyed by fire.  Although preparations for erecting a new church were started shortly thereafter, it was not until April 1941 that plans satisfactory to the congregation were decided upon.  Actual construction was begun July 8, 1941 when the concrete footings for the new building were poured.  The Corner-Stone laying service was held August 10, 1941 at 3:30 pm with the president of the Iowa Synod, the Rev. Carl Klein, Washington, Iowa, as the speaker for the occasion.  By February 22, 1942, the construction was completed and the beautiful new modernistic Church and Sunday School building, full equipped, costing $49,000, was ready for dedication to the service of the Lord of the Church.

            It was in 1957 when the merger of the Evangelical-Reformed Churches and the Congregational-Christian Churches happened.  This merger was what formed the United Church of Christ.  This is how St. Paul Church became: St. Paul United Church of Christ.