St. Paul United Church of Christ

The History of St. Paul United Church of Christ

Colerain Township

The historical roots of St. Paul United Church of Christ (Old Blue Rock Road in Colerain Township) are best described as a long journey. It all began in 1874 when our European, German ancestors (mostly farmers or hired help) relocated in Colerain Township in the State of Ohio. These ancestors arrived strong in their faith and were influenced by the teaching of Martin Luther which resulted in the Protestant Reformation. As a result of the Reformation, the Evangelical Church was created whose doctrine focused on the faithful use of Holy Scripture and the practical livelihood of Christian life. Our elders searched for and rebuilt an old church building on Blue Rock Road and named the church St. Paul German Protestant, Evangelical Church.

At a later time, the Evangelical Church merged with the Congregational Church, and we became known as St. Paul German Protestant, Evangelical, Congregational, Church. The focus of this newly created denomination was to renew lay leadership, pay strict attention to the words of theBible, and open fellowship to all Christians. Because of the new, shared beliefs, our congregation grew in faith and fellowship, in the caring of individuals, and practiced the idea that we, as Christians, should love all individuals as demanded by Jesus’ teaching in Holy Scripture.

In 1957, our congregation stayed true to its historic, Protestant faith and joined the United Church of Christ. The birth of this denomination was influenced by various historic outcomes:1) the Reformation - a protest movement against the abuse of authority by church leaders; 2) the rediscovery by Luther and Calvin that the Bible taught that salvation is not earned through indulgences, etc. but is a gift from God; 3) the epic journey of Pilgrims who left England and landed on the shores of North America and the waves of German and Hungarian, Protestant emigrants, seeking spiritual and political freedom; 4) the beginning of the first Christian anti slavery movement in history; and 5) a 20th century movement to reunite the divided branches of Christ’s Church which resulted in the union of several traditions of Protestant Christianity into the United Church of Christ.

In November, 2019, St. Paul’s congregation will be celebrating its 145th anniversary. Our continued vision as a congregation is to "Shine the Light of Christ to All We Meet."