St. Paul Lutheran Church and School

Duane's take

The way I tell it, I'm going by what the official marker says, so let's take a ride out toward Concordia and see what was built there. It's a story about a small group of people who showed up in the middle of nowhere and refused to let their children grow up without faith or learning. December 1911.

A small group of Wendish Lutheran men, out in the rural community of Concordia, about seven miles northeast of Bishop, gathered under the direction of Reverend E.J. Moebus and organized St. Paul Lutheran Church.

Now, organizing a church is one thing. Building one is another. Johann Michalk, all the way over from Thorndale in Milam County, donated a five acre site for the construction of a church building.

And by early 1912, the structure was up. That's a fast turn around for a congregation just finding its footing. But here's the thing about these folks.

The ink wasn't even dry on their charter before they started worrying about the children. Religious education, secular education, the whole picture. So during the week, that same church building pulled double duty as a schoolhouse.

One building, one community, two purposes. Practical as a pair of boots. John G.

Dube donated a two acre site near the church for a cemetery, and that cemetery continues to be used to this day by those affiliated with the St. Paul congregation. Some legacies you can measure in headstones.

In 1913, a full-time pastor arrived. That would be Reverend Arthur E. Moebus, son of the very man who organized the church, Reverend E.J.

Moebus. Father plants the seed, son tends the garden. The parochial school, though, that took longer to staff properly.

A full-time teacher didn't come along until 1931. And when one finally did, his name was Alfred Geihsler, and he was not going anywhere. Geihsler served the school for over forty years as teacher and principal.

Over forty years. The congregation kept building, too. A new and larger church building went up in 1928, and by 1934 there was a dedicated school building to go along with it.

No more doubling up. Each structure had its purpose. Then came 1960.

The congregation voted to relocate to Bishop. Four years later, on September 20th, 1964, a new church and a four-room school were dedicated. The parish hall, the pastorage, and the teacherage were moved in from the former church site out in Concordia.

They didn't abandon what they had built. They carried it with them. Over the years, several organizations took root inside that congregation: the Lutheran Women's Missionary League, the Lutheran Laymen's League, the Walther League.

Different voices, same community. Started by a handful of men in a rural Texas field in December of 1911, St. Paul Lutheran Church and School continues to serve the people of the Bishop area to this day.

Seven miles northeast of Bishop is a cemetery that tells you just how long they've been at it. Some things get built to last.

What the marker says

ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH AND SCHOOL IN DECEMBER 1911, ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH WAS ORGANIZED BY A SMALL GROUP OF WENDISH LUTHERAN MEN UNDER THE DIRECTION OF REV. E.J. MOEBUS IN THE RURAL COMMUNITY OF CONCORDIA, ABOUT SEVEN MILES NORTHEAST OF BISHOP. JOHANN MICHALK OF THORNDALE (MILAM CO.) DONATED A FIVE ACRE SITE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A CHURCH BUILDING, AND THE STRUCTURE WAS ERECTED BY EARLY 1912. AMONG THE FIRST CONCERNS OF THE NEW CONGREGATION WAS THE RELIGIOUS AND SECULAR EDUCATION OF THEIR CHILDREN. THEREFORE, THE NEW BUILDING WAS USED AS A SCHOOLHOUSE DURING THE WEEK. JOHN G. DUBE DONATED A TWO ACRE SITE NEAR THE CHURCH FOR THE CREATION OF A CEMETERY THAT CONTINUES TO BE USED BY THOSE AFFILIATED WITH THE ST. PAUL CONGREGATION. ALTHOUGH A FULL-TIME PASTOR (REV. ARTHUR E. MOEBUS, SON OF THE ORGANIZING PASTOR) WAS HIRED IN 1913, THE CHURCH’S PAROCHIAL SCHOOL DID NOT ACQUIRE A FULL-TIME TEACHER UNTIL 1931. ALFRED GEIHSLER SERVED THE SCHOOL FOR OVER FORTY YEARS AS A TEACHER AND PRINCIPAL. A NEW, LARGER CHURCH BUILDING WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1928, FOLLOWED BY A DEDICATED SCHOOL BUILDING IN 1934. IN 1960, THE CONGREGATION VOTED TO RELOCATE TO BISHOP; THE NEW CHURCH AND FOUR-ROOM SCHOOL WERE DEDICATED ON SEPTEMBER 20, 1964. THE PARISH HALL, PASTORAGE AND TEACHERAGE WERE MOVED IN FROM THE FORMER CHURCH SITE. SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS HAVE BEEN FOUNDED WITHIN THE CONGREGATION, INCLUDING THE LUTHERAN WOMEN’S MISSIONARY LEAGUE, THE LUTHERAN LAYMEN’S LEAGUE AND THE WALTHER LEAGUE. TODAY, ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH AND SCHOOL CONTINUES TO SERVE THE PEOPLE OF THE BISHOP AREA. 175 YEARS OF TEXAS INDEPENDENCE * 1836-2011