1901 to 1953

The Congregation and its Programs

The early 1900’s were years of growth for St. Paul’s Evangelical Church of Findlay.  The little church on East Sandusky Street was fairly bursting at the seams.  By 1904 plans were begun to build a larger church building to house the congregation and its programs.

These years were a time when the Sunday School and the Young People’s Association and the Women’s Missionary Society were very strong groups within the church.  The Sunday School had a superintendent and classes for people of all ages.  At St. Paul’s the adult men’s class was called The Albright Class to honor Jacob Albright, the founder of the Evangelical Church.  The adult women’s class was called The Frances Willard Class to honor a national social reformer who championed the cause of temperance.

 

 

Every summer a Sunday School picnic was held at a nearby park.  In the days before automobiles, the group from St. Paul’s would board the interurban train for a short trip to Reeves’ Park near Arcadia, Ohio, for the picnic.  One year the picnic had a late start because the interurban train had hit a hay wagon before arriving at Reeves’ Park!

 

 

 

 

 

The YPA or Young People’s Association met regularly for spiritual enrichment and fellowship events, often in the homes of church members.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another strong group within the church was the WMS or Women’s Missionary Society.  This group met monthly and learned about the mission work of the Evangelical Association and collected money for its financial support.  In 1929 a young woman from St. Paul’s Church, Georgia Weist, went to China as a missionary sent out by the mission board of the Evangelical Association. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St. Paul’s continued its strong evangelistic emphasis by holding annual revival meetings every winter.  Those who attended these meetings were from St. Paul’s and also from other churches in town and in nearby communities.

 

 

 

 

During the years when revival meeting campaigns were held at St. Paul's for one or two weeks each winter, a men's vocal group sprang up to provide special music for the services.  They called themselves The Soul Winner's Quartet.  They enjoyed singing so much that they provided music at St. Paul's not only for the revivals but for other services as well.

 

 

In 1945 a 75^th anniversary event was held at St. Paul’s in the fall.  In the brochure printed for that event the membership of the church was reported to be 577.  Astonishingly, the Sunday School membership was reported to be 615, including the Cradle Roll and Home Department!  At the end of this period, the membership at St. Paul’s was recorded to be 592 with an average worship attendance of 292. 

In 1946 a name change for the church occurred.  The Evangelical Association and the United Brethren in Christ denominations united, forming the Evangelical United Brethren Church.  St. Paul’s had a layman, Elliott C. George, who was elected to attend the uniting events held in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, that year.

 

 

 

A few other pictures from this time period offer us glimpses of the congregation’s life and activities.  During the pastorate of Rev. L. H. Naumann (1936-1945) there were evidently some baptisms by immersion because a long time church member has a picture from such an event that took place in a creek near Benton Ridge, Ohio.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rev. H. L. Zachman pastored St. Paul’s from 1945-1952.  During this time we have a picture of a large choir with many members and a catechism class of 9 boys and girls dressed in their Sunday best.

The Building

In the early 1900’s it was clear for everyone in the local church to see that the small building erected in 1870 was no longer adequate. 

 

The congregation began gathering funds for a new building in 1904.  In the spring of 1912 the old church building was torn down and ground broken for a new building.  The dimensions for the new building were 70 feet by 90 feet and the cost was $21,000.  It would be brick and would feature a flat roof and a dome.  Dedication services were held from January 9-12, 1913.  The pastor of St. Paul’s at the time was J. M. Prickett.

 

 

 

One year after the new church was dedicated, the disastrous 1913 flood of the Blanchard hit Findlay.  It would be the first of many times when the basement of St. Paul’s would take on water! 

 

Records show that the church was reroofed in 1930.  A pipe organ with two keyboards was installed in 1935.  Carpet was laid in the auditorium in 1938.  In 1942 the basement was completely renovated and a kitchen installed.  In 1945 the church building was valued at $40,000.

 

 

 

By the early 1950’s St. Paul’s was again needing more room for its growing congregation and their programs.  The church’s pastor at the time, C. D. Osborn, helped to organize committees to collect pledges and money to build an addition to the east of the building.

 

 

The addition planned at this time provided space for offices, classrooms, a chapel, and a parlor.  Other improvements were to install a new boiler and heating system and to completely redecorate the sanctuary.  These improvements were undertaken at a cost of $155,845.  A dedication was held on May 22, 1955.  The debt incurred was paid off in January of 1961.

 

 

 

Interesting Anecdotes and Stories

A picture taken in 1953 shows the three George brothers who had grown up in the church.  They had all dedicated their lives to Christ and then served the church in a variety of ways as adults.  On the left is Edwin George who as a 12 year old boy was greatly moved by the spirit during the 1895 Great Revival.  As an adult he became a professor of Greek at the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Naperville, Illinois.  Elliott George, in the middle was a grocer in Findlay and a faithful, life-long member of St. Paul’s, serving on many boards and committees and often teaching the Albright Sunday School Class.  Willard George, on the right, was a partner with Elliott in the grocery business and a faithful member of St. Paul’s.

 

This 1914 photograph shows the St. Paul’s Evangelical Church Sunday School orchestra.

 

 

A 1943 picture shows 32 women who were members of the Frances Willard Bible Class.  They were meeting in the home of a member, Rose Weist, the older sister of the three George Brothers.  The picture shows them gathered in the back yard of Rose George Weist, the hostess.