ST. JOHN LUTHERAN CHURCH
(The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod)
Alma, Kansas
A family united by faith in Christ gathering around God's Word and Sacraments.
To reach out in Christ-like concern and Christ-borne love to each other and to those without Christ!
140 Years of History
Page 8
During Pastor Schmid's ministry St. John was involved in an extensive building program.The parsonage south of the second church was old and small. On April 8, 1901, a committee was appointed to inspect it. Ferdinand Stuewe, Jacob Terrass, and William Strasen served on the committee. They found it to be in bad shape and drew up plans for a new two-story frame house. On May 5, 1901 the voters accepted the plans and the same committee was instructed to have it built across the alley east of the present church. It was built at a cost of $1,600.00.The old parsonage was sold for $150.00. It was moved to 311 E. 8th and part was used as a wash house, then a chicken house, and later for a garage. On August 28, 1904 Mr. Meyer received a peaceful release to accept a call to Corning, Missouri. So Pastor Schmid taught classes in German in the morning and Albert E. Stuewe taught classes in English in the afternoon. He was paid $25 a month. At several Voter’s meetings, teachers were called. Each of them declined.On November 6, 1904, a call was extended to Mr. I. Strieter. He accepted the call. He was permitted to use only three rooms on the second floor of the school. He was a very talented organist and presented many concerts. At a July Voter’s meeting Mr. Strieter requested the use of all four rooms in the teacher's living quarters of the school and a water closet near the barn.The rapid growth of church membership during Pastor Schmid's ministry manifested the need for a larger house of worship.On April 1, 1906, the voters resolved to build a church, the nave of which was to be 40'x70'. Then it was changed to 42'x70'. The outside measurements were 44'x70'x18'It was to have a floor furnace in a half basement on the south and a ladies room on the northwest. It was to be of stone construction and built on the site of the second church.Ferdinand Stuewe, Fred Reuter, Jacob Terrass, Arthur Schmitz, and August Zeckser were chosen to serve on the planning committee with Pastor Schmid as an advisory member.On June 24, 1906, it was resolved that officers were to visit in the east, south, west, and Spring Creek districts and collect from member families who were not represented at voters meetings. (Pledge moneys were collected at Voter's meetings some years.) The voters also adopted the plans and specifications for the new building and delegated them to serve on the building committee.On September 30, 1906, voters talked about painting the cemetery fence and voted that the school was to get the Luther Book.At the December 16, 1906 meeting bids for the new church building were opened. The lowest bid was $11,775. The amount of $10,000 had been set at some meeting.The voters debated whether a frame or stone church should be built. They chose in favor of a stone structure.In the meeting on January 1, 1907, a discussion was held regarding the sale of cemetery lots.It was decided that the good stone from the second church would be used in the foundation of the new church. Many meetings were held. In early spring, 1907, an architect, Mr. Schrage, Topeka, was hired to draft a complete plan. At the April 1, 1907, meeting the Voter's elected to hold worship services in the school, to give the altar and pulpit from the second church to Alta Vista, and requested that the Pastor end the Sunday Service with the Lord's Prayer.August Peters, Alma, was contracted to construct the present beautiful fusilinid limestone church for $10,000. It's dimensions were to be 90'x42'x18' with a steeple about 95 feet high. This cost included two coal burning hot air furnaces in the half basement.Frank Schmidt donated all the necessary stone from his quarry west of the Alma cemetery. The sections of the decorative stones on the peaks of the walls were cut by one man.On June 30, 1907, the voters elected to purchase an altar for $225, a pulpit for $410.00 and a Christ figure for $30. The old benches would be used and some would be made to have enough. The women of the congregation gave forty-two new benches at a cost of $800.00 for the new church. [Those pews were sold in 2001, when the pews were refinished, and the handbells were moved to the balcony.] A new reed organ was to be purchased. There would be a German service in the morning and afternoon and an English service in the evening at the dedication. Two dozen German hymnals were ordered for use in church and school. On October 6, 1907, Pastor Schmid announced that the Kansas District Convention had been invited to meet in Alma in October, 1909. At the January 1, 1908, voter's meeting the announcement was made that the church dedication would be Sunday, January 12, 1908. The German services would be at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. and an English service at 7:30 p.m. The collection that day was to be used for a pipe organ.The Spring Creek members of St. John were to take as many of the old benches as they wanted after the dedication. The remaining benches were to be sold.January 12, 1908, was a day of rejoicing and praise to our Triune God as the new house of worship was to be dedicated to His praise, honor, and glory. The total cost of the church including the altar, pulpit, a crucifix, a hymnboard, pews, and carpets was about $13,000 and was paid in full at dedication."Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Come before Him with joyful songs."
Ps. 100:1,2a.At 10:30 the congregation assembled at the door. The bank accompanied them as they sang a German hymn. Ferdinand Stuewe, August Zeckser, and Jacob Terrass, members of the building committee, unlocked the door, and the pastors and congregation entered. The German dedication worship service continued with the singing of a hymn. The Rev. H.C. Senne, the first pastor of St. John, preached the dedicatory sermon.No other written information relative to the order and content of this and the afternoon service is available. (Miss Kratzer's mother told her that preparing for dedication was a lot of hard work-preparing meals and extra band and choir practice for each of the three services.) It was a big, exciting, joyful, thankful day of celebration.At noon the ladies of the congregation served a dinner at Mrs. Anna Falk's hall to those in attendance. The hall was located at the present site of Alma Food Mart. (There were no conveniences such as running water, sewer service, electric or gas stoves, refrigerators, central heating, etc.)Rev. W. Wittrock, St. Paul's, Alta Vista, preacher at the 2:30 German Service.The ladies of the congregation also served an evening meal at the Falk hall.As near as can be determined the evening service was the first English service held at St. John. The service began at 7:30 p.m. The service included:Hymn by Congregation:
"Praise to the Lord, the Almighty"Scripture Lesson - Psalm 145"Credo" by Farmer - sung by the choirHymn by Congregation:"Eternal Son of God, O Thou,"Sermon by Rev. Theodore Bundenthal"O Lord my God, hearken unto the prayer which Thy servant prayeth before Thee: That Thine eyes may be open upon this house day and night." II Chronicles 6:20b,21a"Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised." Psalm 48:1a"Gloria" by Farmer - sung by the choirNearly 800 worshipers attended the three services. The collection designated for the purchase of a pipe organ amounted to $500.On March 29, 1908, the voters raised the teacher's salary from $450.00 to $500.00 per year.
