Bethany United Church of Christ
Established 1867
PAGE CONTENTS
Also known as
Community
Chronology and locations
History
Church records
Pastors
Other facts
Contact information
Sources
See also Bethany Cemetery information
Deutsche Evangelische Bethania Gemeinde
Bethany German Evangelical Church
Bethany Evangelical and Reformed Church
St. Louis—Yeatman (1867-1915)
St. Louis—Fairgrounds (1915-1971)
Bellefontaine Neighbors (1971-present)
Chronology and locations
Chronology:
1867—Congregation founded as an independent congregation; met in a hall, then at 22nd & Franklin
1874—New building at 23rd & Wash (now Cole), William A. Lucas, architect
1878—Pastor C.F. Starck and 25 members leave to form Bethlehem German Evangelical, an independent congregation
1887—Admitted to ESNA
1915—New building at Red Bud & Rosalee
1971—Merged with Peace to form Bethany-Peace at 11952 Bellefontaine Rd. in Bellefontaine Neighbors.
Bethany Church was organized as a "free" or independent congregation on February 7, 1867 by the Rev. Christoph F. Stark, who had previously served at Holy Ghost Church. After meeting in a hall on the southeast corner of 22nd St. and Franklin Ave., the congregation purchased an existing chapel at 23rd and Carr Streets in 1868. A larger brick church was built on the northeast corner of 23rd and Wash (now Cole) Streets and dedicated in 1875. Controversy with Pastor Stark and his successor led to the congregation to call Evangelical Synod pastors beginning in 1878 and to join the denomination in 1887.
When its members started moving westward, the congregation built a new church at Red Bud and Rosalie Streets near Fairgrounds Park in 1915. In 1971, Bethany merged with Peace Church in Bellefontaine Neighbors to form Bethany-Peace United Church of Christ. Peace was founded in 1955 as a mission of the Evangelical and Reformed Church.
Church r ecords, 1859-1991, are available on microfilm in the Archives at Eden Theological Seminary and in Special Collections, St. Louis County Library Headquarters Branch (FHL film nos. 1765414, 1765415, 1765421). Original records should be located at Bethany-Peace United Church of Christ .
C. F. Stark, 1867-1878
M. Herberg, Jan.-Oct. 1878
L. Austmann, 1878-1885
J. Kramer, 1885-1887
H. F. Deters, 1887-1900
P. Brueckner, 1900-1910
Frederick H. Krafft, 1911-1937
Walter A. Scheer, 1938-1963
E. W. Luehrman (assistant), 1953-1955
Charles L. Stevens (associate), 1957-1961
Harold C. Grunewald, 1962-1971
Robert C. Stout (associate), 1963-1966
Pastors of Bethany-Peace
Harold C. Grunewald, 1971-1894
J.A. Freeman, Jr., 1984-1989
C.J. Shanks, 1989-1994
W.J. Causer, 1995-1996
S.W. Culver, 1997-1998
K.J. Hoyt, 1998-2003
E. Paul Emily, 2004-
Parochial school:
Est. 1867, closed 1914
Membership:
In 1930: 2000
in 1970: 570
Bethany-Peace United Church of Christ
11952 Bellefontaine Rd.
St. Louis, MO 63138
(314) 741-9062
Bethel: 1901-1926
Bethel Evangelical and Reformed Church, St. Louis, Missouri: Fiftieth Anniversary, 1901-1951.
Bethel United Church of Christ Dedication Days, March 6th-27th, 1966
Bethel United Church of Christ Seventieth Anniversary, 1901-1971
“A Self-Study, 1959-1960, of Bethel United Church of Christ, St. Louis, Missouri.” Type-written manuscript. 1960.
Updated September 2008. Queries, corrections and problems should be submitted to Scott Holl, Archivist at Eden.