Zion Lutheran Church Montpelier OH

Our Sunday morning worship follows a traditional Lutheran liturgy which is based on the Scriptures. We receive Communion on the first Sunday of the month during most months and on special feasts or holy days. All worship services include prayer, singing hymns, Scripture reading, and a sermon/homily based on the Scriptures. We typically follow the order of readings from the Revised Common Lectionary.

 

Download Zion Lutheran Church vCard

Click here to contact the church  

Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ  

http://www.zion1859.org  

 

 

Know how to get there? Share the knowledge with others!  

Please share parking information and/or parking experience!  

 

 

 

Brief History of Zion Lutheran Church

A history of the church was compiled and written by Grace E. Lyons in 1959 in celebration of Zion's 100th Anniversary. Minor clarifications and updates were added in 1974 and 1984 on the occasion of Zion Church’s 115th and 125th Anniversaries. The three documents were combined into one and updated as part of the celebration of Zion’s 150th year of service in 2009. Portions of this collection are provided below.

HOW THE CHURCH BEGAN Joseph Tressler, upon moving to Jefferson Township from Perry County, Penn. in 1856 to join an older brother, Johnathan - one of the platters of the village who had been in the Township since 1839 - found the area to be without a Lutheran Church. He had been a Lutheran since 1817 in Pennsylvania and he began to urge the organization and building of a church of his faith. At that time, Pulaski had two churches – a German Reform and a Methodist – and the Presbyterians had organized and built at West Bethesda in 1848. A sufficient number of interested families was found – many of them Tresslers since the area north and east of the village was mainly owned by Johnathan’s family.

The first formal organization meeting of The Zion Evangelical Lutheran Congregation was held in the school house on February 11th, 1859. A constitution, no doubt prepared by Rev. G.W. Walker, was read and accepted by the following persons “who had presented written certificates or verbal recommendation having been given”: namely Joseph and Catherine Shearer Tressler, Johnathan and Elizabeth Phillips Tressler, Jacob Andre, Peter and Christene Creek, George Leinard, and Charles Reichart. An election of officers followed and Johnathan Tressler was elected Elder for two years and Joseph Tressler for one year. Jacob Andre was chosen to be Deacon for two years and Charles Reichart for one year.

BUILDING THE CHURCH On March 5th, 1859, an agreement was drawn up between John Andre and Johnathon Tressler, Building Committee, and Joseph Tressler and his nephew Samuel Tressler, carpenters, for the construction of a frame building to be used by the newly founded Zion’s Evangelical Lutheran Church. The original Articles of Agreement carries six signatures: Jacob Andre and Jonathon Tressler, Building Committee and Joseph Tressler and Samuel Tressler, Carpenters. Two witnesses were A. G. Richardes and Samuel Brownawell. As they were elected on February 25th, they must have almost immediately purchased the two lots located at the east end of Hickory Street in Karle (West Jefferson), paying $20.00 for each lot. The building was to be started not later than April 1st, 1859, and be completed by November 1st of that year. The council men agreed to have all the materials ready as needed. For the work the carpenters were to be paid $480 in three installments - $30, $240, and $190. No mention is made of a foundation so the members must have built that themselves during the month of March 1859. The foundation for the new church to be started by April 1st, 1859, was to be 85 feet long and 55 feet wide, and could not have been too great a problem. The front or south end rested almost on the ground and was supported by large stones, probably flat, and so on all other sides – the largest stones being in the north end, this end being elevated high enough to crawl under. Before the church was raised and put on a block wall, a center stone began to heave up the floor timbers and caused the floor boards to bulge upward. Disposing of these huge stones was quite a problem and they laid in the northeast corner of the yard for a long while.

The third congregational meeting was held October 22nd in the school house, but the next meeting, on December 13th at 10:00 A.M., was held in the new church.

A county historian says the completed building cost approximately $3,000.00 and that it was a fine building. It is believed that the framing timbers, which can still be seen from below, were furnished from David Tressler’s farm one-half mile east of West Jefferson, on the north side of the road, and were probably a gift, as David Tressler was truly “a pillar of the church” for many, many years.

ROLL OF PASTORS Rev. George W. Walker Feb. 1859-Dec. 1859 Rev. F.W. Sargent Jan. 1860-1862 Rev. James Cather 1862- Rev. J.H. Henderson 1866- Rev. L. Wisehaupt Feb. 1867-1869 Rev. C.C. Sink 1870 Rev. J.H. Culler Aug 1872-1878 Rev. M.L. Smith Dec. 1879-1881 Rev. J.A. Dunlap Apr. 1882-Oct 1883 Rev. D.F. Kain March 1884-1885 M.L. Tressler, Student May-Aug. 1886 Rev. Edwin S. Hoffman Oct. 1886-1887 Rev. George A. Lee of Virginia Sept. 1888 Rev. C.S. Ernsberger, (Chrmn, mtg. in 1891) Rev. E.L. Dickey Apr. 1892-1893 Rev. J.H. Crouse Sept. 1893-Sept. 1898 Rev. M.L. Exline Dec. 1898-Sept. 1900 Rev. J.A. West Oct. 1901- Rev. J. Melanchthon Weber Nov. 1908-Nov. 1910 (No further notes until 1917) Rev. Hugh McClintock Dates unknown Rev. Runkle (Retained in 1917, served prior to being retained) Rev. Meade A. Rugh Dec. 1922-Sept. 1926 Rev. Zimmerman (Month of Jan. 1927) Rev. Dr. J.S. Herold (Synod to supply one service first Sunday each month) Rev. J.A. West Sept. 1931 (finished as supply pastor) Elmer A. Lehman, Hamma student June 1932 Olen Peters, Hamma student Dec. 1933-Apr. 1936 Frank Stevenson, Hamma student Apr. 1936-1938 James R. Baldwin, Hamma student 1938-1939 Robert Heine, Hamma student 1940 Rev. F.E. Strobel Apr. 1941 (Rev. West part-time supply?) Rev. E.O. Hilt Sept. 1944-Sept. 1956 Rev. Raymond L. Peters 1958-1960 Rev. Alan Doctor 1961-1967 Rev. Clayton Kantner 1968-1976 Rev. Ronald Graham 1976-1978 Rev. P. Douglas Campbell 1978-1983 Rev. Bruce P. Nordeen Dec. 4, 1983-1994 Rev. Dr. C. George Fry 1994-2000 Rev. Lanny Zup 2000-2002 Rev. Jeffrey D. Bischoff October 2002-May 2011 consecrated as Bishop in June 2010 Pastor Lanny Zup and Rt. Rev. Jeffrey D. Bischoff June 2011 to present (Zion does not have a regularly called pastor. Pastor Lanny and Bishop Jeffrey are supply pastors.)