Emmaus Lutheran Church (Wauseon, Ohio) records

The beginnings of Emmaus Lutheran Church were affected by a political marriage. In the middle 1700’s Catherine of Germany was married to the Czar of Russia. As she lived in Russia, she recognized the possibility that existed in the great power she now had. She knew that in Germany there was a great need for land “lebensraum”. In Russia there was plenty of land, but little civilization. Catherine determined to invite German people to live in Russia, to settle the land and to encourage spiritual, political and social growth of the Russian people.

Many of the ancestors of the founders of Emmaus congregation moved to Russia at the invitation of Catherine. The story of their 150-year stay in Russia is a long and intriguing one. They lived in this foreign land for all these years, but retained all of their identity as German-speaking people. They provided German schools for their children, they had German worship services for their families and they barred any kind of relationships with the Russians. Russia was not a land of promise; there were many difficulties and trials. The German people were not accepted by the Russians. There were many inequalities. When wars came, the German people were drafted first. There were unequal taxes placed upon them.

Shortly after 1900, hearing glowing reports of American, the Germans in the little village of Denhof, the Volga Germans, packed what little possessions they had and left to come to a new land. They came to stay for a little while to make some money to go back home. They stayed their lifetime, their children’s lifetime and their grandchildren’s lifetime. They have not gone back. They settled on farms in Northwest Ohio, sent their children to American schools. The last place for the German traditions to be forgotten was in the church. On Sundays it was still possible for the people to get together to sing the German hymns, to speak their beloved prayers, to hear God’s Word proclaimed to them in the German language.

Their first pastor in 1889 was Pastor F. Reinkings who started worship services two miles north of Ottokee. About a dozen families gathered that first time. By 1900, it was Pastor C. H. Schroeder; and two years later, Pastor J.F. Ruff took over the responsibilities of the mission. Four years later, Pastor John Meyer served them.

In 1911, when Wauseon became the county seat, the services were moved to town. Over the next few years, the parish consisted of St. James and St. Luke in Clinton Township and the mission in Wauseon. It was at this time that the congregation at Wauseon had grown to such a point that the members were determined to organize a Lutheran congregation. At a meeting held on November 16, 1913, this organization took place.

The above history was provided by Kay Heilman, administrator Emmaus Lutheran Church.