St. Paul's Evangelical and Reformed Church

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. December 1, 1889. Five people walk into a room and decide to start a church.

Five. You might laugh, but don't, because what those five charter members set in motion is still standing today. That congregation is St.

Paul's Evangelical and Reformed Church, right here in Dallas County, and its story has some real staying power. The church was organized under the Rev. H.

Siegfried, with a helping hand from two Fort Worth pastors, Thomas L. Mueller and C.F. Bauman.

They came over from Fort Worth to help get things going, and get things going they did. The congregation carried the name St. Paul's German Evangelical Church in those early years, and it served a predominantly German-speaking membership.

German was the heartbeat of this community, every word, every hymn, every sermon. Now, there was already a German Presbyterian congregation in existence in Dallas, and rather than the two groups going their separate ways, they merged with St. Paul's.

The Presbyterian church building was actually moved, physically relocated, to a corner lot at Texas and Florence streets to serve the new congregation. That's commitment to a vision. The Rev.

Mr. Siegfried eventually handed the reins to the Rev. J.

Jans in 1893. Then the Rev. Theophile Tanner stepped in and led the congregation from 1895 all the way to 1909.

After Tanner came the Rev. Albert Romanowski, who served until 1935. That is a long stretch of steady leadership right there.

By 1912 the congregation had grown enough that a new sanctuary was built to hold them all. And those services, every one of them, were conducted solely in the German language, right up until World War I. That's the moment the world outside the church doors changed what happened inside them.

The name itself was changed to St. Paul's Evangelical and Reformed Church in 1934. Then in 1953 this site was acquired, and by 1957 a brand new sanctuary had been completed.

Along the way, St. Paul's didn't just tend to its own flock. It was instrumental in establishing new congregations in the area.

Five charter members on a December day in 1889, and what grew from that is a church that's still here, still serving. Not bad for five people and a shared conviction.

What the marker says

Established on December 1, 1889, this congregation began with five charter members. Led by the Rev. H. Siegfried, the church was organized with the help of Fort Worth pastors Thomas L. Mueller and C.F. Bauman. The congregation was originally named St. Paul's German Evangelical Church and served a predominantly German-speaking membership. A German Presbyterian congregation already in existence in Dallas merged with St. Paul's, and the Presbyterian church building was moved to a site at the corner of Texas and Florence streets to serve the new congregation. The Rev. Mr. Siegfried was succeeded by the Rev. J. Jans in 1893. The Rev. Theophile Tanner led the congregation from 1895 to 1909, and he was succeeded by the Rev. Albert Romanowski, who served until 1935. A new sanctuary was built in 1912 to serve the growing congregation. Worship services were conducted solely in the German language until World War I. The name was changed to St. Paul's Evangelical and Reformed Church in 1934. This site was acquired in 1953, and a new sanctuary was completed in 1957. Instrumental in establishing new congregations in the area, St. Paul's continues to serve the community.