St. John's Evangelical Church

from Where In The World Is Riesel? A Centennial History of Riesel, Texas 1881-1981
Compiled and written by Mrs. Dorothy Kuehl
(page 36)
Submitted by Barbara (Caddell) Fox
St. John's Church at Otto had its beginning in the Mettina community as St. John's Evangelical Church in the year 1886. The Rev. F. Werning, a traveling pastor of the Evangelical Synod of North America, was the organizing pastor and served the congregation the first four years of its existence.

Worship services for the new congregation were held twice a month in the William Hommel . For a brief time they also met in a vacant farm house until the congregation built the Mettina School in 1889. This building served as a community church and school for the next thirteen years.

In 1902 the Mettina property was sold and St. John's was relocated to its present site at Otto. The present church building was dedicated in 1930.

During the pastorate of Rev. H. J. Leemhuis, he was instrumental in organizing Friedens Church at Riesel in 1904.

With the merger of the Evangelical Church and the Reformed Church in 1934 it became St. John's Evangelical & Reformed Church. Since uniting with the Congregational Christian Churches in 1957 the church has taken on its present name, St. John's United Church of Christ.

In recent years St. John's has undergone various changes and improvements. In 1974 the old parsonage was removed and the church received a complete remodeling, including a new chancel area, rest rooms, kitchen, fellowship room, and class rooms. The exterior was covered with vinyl siding in 1976. In 1979 new church windows and doors were installed. The interior of the sanctuary was redecorated and painted in 1980, and in 1981 central heat and air conditioning was added.

During its ninety-five year history St. John's Church has been served by eighteen pastors: Rev. F. Werning 1886-1890, Rev. F. W. E. Hartmann 1891-1895, Rev. E. Rudolf 1895-1896, Rev. J. R. Rausch 1896-1900, Rev. R. Schmiechen 1901-1902, Rev. H. J. Leemhuis 1902-1906, Rev. Albert Romanowski 1906-1909, Rev. J. T. Werkenthein 1909-1912, Rev. G. Deislinger 1912-1919, Rev. K. A. Mennenveh 1920-1921, Rev. A. Buettner 1922-1925, Rev. Carl Mueller 1925-1935, Rev. F. C. Anderson 1936-1937, Rev. William Wuerz 1938-1941, Rev. K. M. Jescke 1941-1951, Rev. Edwin M. Schaefer 1951-1954, Rev. Clarence Kohring 1954-1957, and Rev. Al H. Schwecke of Friedens U. C. C. in Riesel has served St. John's as supply pastor since the summer of 1957.