The Dexter Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
125 years of faith
St. Andrew's Church celebrating 125 years
By Elaine Owsley, Special Writer
PUBLISHED: March 13, 2008
On a bright October morning in 1883, the Rev. Gottlieb Robertus led a procession of German residents from Dexter, Ann Arbor, Chelsea, and surrounding towns from Sills Hall, located above what is now Hackney Hardware, up the hill called "Piety" to a new church.
Advertisement
Although many of the church records from early days were destroyed in a fire at the home of church secretary Jacob Heller, enough remained to chronicle the beginning of one of Dexter's early churches.
The German Lutheran Society, as it was then known, was organized in March 1883 - 125 years ago this month.
The purpose was to launch work on a church building at the corner of Ann Arbor Street and Fourth, known as the Hollis property.
A contractor was hired for $2,125 and the cornerstone was laid on June 3.
According to the history, "The exterior was painted white, the blinds green. The inside walls were also white the seats of pine trimmed with walnut, the octagonal pulpit of pine and cherry.
The choir occupied a handsome gallery because 'Lutherans do not follow the modern practice of placing the choir near the pulpit as most churches do now.'" Seating capacity was about 250.
For that first service the walls were "beautifully decorated with flowers and evergreens. Covering the pulpit were wreaths and bouquets.
Suspended above the pulpit was a large anchor, the Christian symbol of immovable firmness, hope and patience."
The morning service was conducted in German and the afternoon's in English. A German school was begun by the pastor in November 1883.
It is not known when the church came to be called St. Andrew's, in honor of the patron saint of Russia and Scotland who was martyred and crucified somewhere in Greece. The X-shaped cross he chose became his symbol.
A schoolhouse was added on the west end of the church and classes in German were open to any citizen in the village of Dexter as well as their children.
Along the way the "German Lutheran Church" became the Evangelical Church, although most of the names on the church registry were German in origin and many of them remain; succeeding generations have continued to worship at what is now St. Andrew's United Church of Christ.
A succession of pastors presided in the pulpit during these transitions and in the gradual change from German predominance in the liturgy to English.
A notable "first" was the 1927 sauerkraut supper served by the Ladies Aid Society, a tradition unbroken to this day when the 82nd event takes place in October.
Other annual events include the June Rummage Sale, the May Quilt Show, and the August Ice Cream Social during Dexter Daze.
Refurbishing and restoration continued on the frame church over the years with the installation of art glass memorial windows, the addition of a new social hall in 1960, and the construction of a new church on the site in 1973.
The old building was given to the Dexter Historical Society with the provision that they move it to the far side of the church parking lot and that location was leased for 75 years.
In 1974 the new brick church was dedicated, the carved altarpiece from the old church installed and the old bell given a place of honor on the front lawn of the new church.
Unlike most of the older churches in Dexter, St. Andrew's members can appreciate their old building each time they visit the new one.
Over the years, the congregation of succeeding generations has celebrated events, progress and change; the latest being the installation of its newest pastor, Dr. Robert Summers, in 2007.
Events celebrating the church's 125th anniversary this year include the German cookie school in December, a box social, and, coming in October, a re-enactment of the procession from downtown Dexter up "Piety Hill" to the top, where it all began.
Not all stories are guaranteed to appear
online. The Web edition contains a reasonable
sampling of the print edition stories.
For the most complete news coverage, we invite you to
subscribe
to the print edition of the paper.
Expanded
Web
Coverage
TOP JOBS
