OLDEST - Lutheran Church West of the Mississippi River - New Melle, MO - Superlatives on Waymarking.com

County of church: St. Charles County
Location of church: MO Hwy D & Almeling St., New Melle
Built: 1860

Marker text:

ST. PAUL'S LUTHERAN CHURCH This congregation was organized in 1844 by immigrants who came from Melle and Buer, Germany, in 1839. One of the first west of the Missouri River. It is the mother of four Lutheran congregations. St. Paul's is a charter member of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, founded in 1847.

This house of worship built of hand-hewn stone in 1858, is on the National register of Historic Places. It is the oldest L.C.M.S. church in use west of the Mississippi River. The Pfeffer organ, built in 1870, is the oldest of its style.

By Faith Alone - By Grace Alone - By Scripture Alone
SOLI DEO GLORIA!
In loving memory of parents Claude and Wilhelmine McElhiney and sister, Lucinda Picraux, by Charles and Lorine Kirnberger.

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"At first the congregation worshipped in a primitive log church on land in the same general location as the present complex of buildings which make up St. Paul's. In 1852 the congregation split over doctrinal differences. Most members of St. Paul's quit and formed the St. Peter's congregation, taking over the church building as they did so. The few remaining St. Paul faithful bought a little land to the east, in the area of the old cemetery, on which to build a new church. After severe trials including a cholera epidemic and the complete destruction of their new building by vandals and a subsequent rebuilding, the congregation of St. Paul's succeeded in dedicating their new frame church in 1855. Three years later the St. Peter's congregation began con struction of their new church, the present church of St. Paul's, which was completed in 1860. In 1868, the two congregations reunited and all property, including the stone church, reverted to St. Paul's congregation." ~ NRHP Nomination Form

Type of documentation of superlative status: Historical Marker, Church Records, and NRHP Location of coordinates: Church front door Web Site: [Web Link]

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