County of church: Franklin County
Location of church: St. Johns E and R Rd., about 1 mile W. of MO-185, Casco
Built: 1936
Architectural Style: Gothic, German
Congregation Formed: 1848
Phone: 573.459.6633
Pastor: Mark Crothers
Plaque Text:
St. Johns
Evangelical Church Caelo
1848
This stone is from the old 1848 church building, and is kept as a reminder and remembrance within the current churches marquee
"St. John's German Evangelical Church was established in 1850 by the Rev. H. Grote, with one member, Casper Johanning. The Rev. Mr. Grote became dissatisfied with the conduct of some of the members of his congregation and withdrew. After holding services in his house four years, he, in 1854, erected a frame church building on Section 7, Township 43, Range 2 west, and himself conducted the dedicatory services. After him the ministers have been the Revs. William Schuenemann, George Maul, M. Kruse, F. R. Frankenfeld, W. Baehr, William Bek and D. Behrens. Fifty-three families at present belong to this parish." ~ Genealogy Trails, for Franklin County, Missouri
"St. John's Church was established by German immigrants in 1848. The original church building was later used as a school and still stands on the Church grounds today and is
occasionally used for special events.
"Our church hosts an Annual Old-fashioned Christmas Program, Church Dinners, Sunday School, Bible Study and hand quilting. We support a variety of charities including our local food pantry, Native American Indian Reservation Schools and families, Every Child's Hope, One Great Hour of Sharing, Neighbors In Need, Our Church's Wider Mission and many others." ~ Facebook Page [link below]
"A Short Course in the History of the United Church of Christ tells our story beginning with our origins in the small community who followed Jesus 20 centuries ago and continuing to the present. Learn about the Reformation—a protest movement against the abuse of authority by church leaders; the rediscovery by Luther and Calvin of the Bible’s teaching that salvation is not earned, but is a gift; the epic journey of the Pilgrims from England to the shores of North America; the waves of emigration by German and Hungarian Protestants seeking spiritual and political freedom; the beginning of the first Christian anti-slavery movement in history; the 20th-century movement to reunite the divided branches of Christ’s church, and, as a result of that movement, the union of several traditions of Protestant Christianity into the United Church of Christ in 1957." ~ United Church of Christ