St. John Lutheran Church - Cypress, TX
Posted by: 
Raven
N 29° 58.997 W 095° 39.459
15R E 243586 N 3319906
Located on the corner of Spring Cypress and Huffmeister, St. John Lutheran Church was built in 1940. It replaces an earlier 1908 structure, which itself was constructed to vacate the congregation's original church built in 1853.
Waymark Code: WMJNE4
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 12/08/2013
Views: 3
Per the nearby Texas Historical Marker erected in 2002:
"St. John Lutheran Church Lutheran settlers from Germany moved to this area in 1848. They met in family homes for worship and in 1853 constructed their first church building, which also served as a school. In the 1860s, following the Civil War, they constructed a second building for the church, which at the time was called "the Church in Cypress Settlement."
The Rev. Andreas Schmidt became the congregation's first minister in 1872. During that time, church members began a register, listing baptisms, confirmations and weddings, as well as burials in the church cemetery. In 1877, the congregation, then known as "Little Cypress," called the Rev. August Hofius, its first pastor from the Missouri Synod.
The congregation wrote, in German script, its first known constitution in 1893 as the "German Evangelical Lutheran St. John's Congregation of the Unaltered Augsburg Confession at Little Cypress and Surrounding Areas." The membership continued to grow, and a new sanctuary was built in 1908. In its tall steeple hung a bell with two clangors, one large and one small. The larger, louder one rang at the beginning and ending of each service. The smaller one was used during services and to communicate to area residents the Sabbath, local events and deaths. The bell and cornerstone from the 1908 church remain with the congregation.
During the 1940s, St. John Lutheran Church underwent change and expansion, including the formation of a ladies society and the construction of a new schoolhouse. It also discontinued use of the German language in services and, in 1942, joined the Missouri Synod. During the next several decades, the congregation continued to grow; members worked and served together in butcher clubs, quilting bees, barn raisings, picnics, mission festivals and other activities."
Active Church: Yes
School on property: Yes
Date Built: 01/01/1940
Service Times: Majestic Grace Service: 8:15am / NewSong Service: 11:00am
Website: [Web Link]
|
Visit Instructions:
Take a picture of the Church. A waymarker and/or GPSr is not required to be in the photo. Please tell us about your experience.