Zion Church of Kurten

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker says about Zion Church of Kurten, out there in Brazos County. Now, some churches show up in a county and make a little noise. And then there's Zion Church of Kurten, which holds the distinction of being the oldest established congregation of its denomination in all of Brazos County.

That's not a small thing to carry. Let's talk about how it got there. Back in the 1890s, thirteen families, most of them of German descent, decided this community of Kurten needed a church.

And they had the land for it, donated by German immigrants already settled in that place. In 1892, Zion Evangelical and Reformed Church was formally established at Kurten, with Reverend P. Vollbrecht stepping in as its very first pastor.

But they weren't done organizing yet. On April 21, 1895, the congregation regrouped, reorganized, adopted a constitution, and joined something bigger, the Evangelical Synod of North America. That's a congregation that knew what it wanted to be.

Now, here's a detail that says everything about the character of these people. That first church building? Rough oak boards.

Built by members of the congregation themselves, under the leadership of Reverend P.J. Franzke. The whole thing cost two hundred and twenty-five dollars.

And in 1896, they hung the bell. In 1902, the building itself got up and moved. Literally.

It was relocated from its original spot, approximately one mile north and on the east side of the road, to newly purchased land right there in Kurten. That tract of land, the very same one, serves today as the site of the parsonage and the church buildings. Some ground is just meant to hold something.

Then came 1907, and with it, Reverend Julius Kasiske. He became pastor and served for twenty-one years. Twenty-one years is a long time to tend a flock, and Kasiske used every bit of it.

He organized the orchestra. He was responsible for the Kurten telephone company. The community water well.

And the Kasiske Creamery. That is a man who looked at a small Texas community and said, we can do more here. By 1910, the church building had doubled in size, with a new wing and steeple rising up to mark the place from a distance.

The congregation kept growing into that building until 1942, when the old sanctuary was demolished and a new building was erected in its place. That building is still in use today. Since then, a new parish hall went up.

Then a family center, which became a focal point for both church and community activities. In 2008, the congregation joined the Evangelical Free Church of America. And in 2014, a new family ministry building was added.

Thirteen families, rough oak boards, two hundred and twenty-five dollars, and a bell. That's what it took to plant something that's still standing, still serving, in Kurten, Brazos County, more than a hundred years later. Not bad for a congregation that started in the 1890s on donated land with a whole lot of faith and not much else.

What the marker says

Zion Church is the oldest established congregation of its denomination in Brazos County. It was created in the 1890s by some thirteen families, most of German descent, on land donated by German immigrants in the community of Kurten. Zion Evangelical and Reformed Church was established at Kurten in 1892 with Reverend P. Vollbrecht as its first pastor. On April 21, 1895, the congregation was reorganized, adopted a constitution and became a member of the Evangelical Synod of North America. The first building was constructed of rough oak boards at a cost of $225 and was built by members of the congregation under the leadership of Reverend P.J. Franzke. In 1896, the bell was installed. The church building was moved in 1902 from its original location, approximately one mile north and on the east side of the road, to the newly purchased land in Kurten. That tract of land serves today as the site of the parsonage and church buildings. In 1907, Rev. Julius Kasiske became pastor and served for twenty-one years. He organized the orchestra, was responsible for the Kurten telephone company, the community water well and the Kasiske Creamery. In 1910, the church building doubled in size when a new wing and steeple were built. The sanctuary stood until 1942 when it was demolished and a new building was erected, which is still in use today. Since then, a new parish hall has been built and a family center erected which has become a focal point for church and community activities. In 2008, the congregation joined the Evangelical Free church of America, and a new family ministry building was added in 2014.