A History of St. Paul Lutheran Church
(The First 50 Years of Service)
In 1955, the Board of American Missions of the ULCA extended a call to the Rev. Frank A. Pelkonen to organize a church in Pensacola. Pastor Pelkonen arrived on September 7th and the first worship service was held on Reformation Sunday the next month. Twenty-two adults and seven children were present for the service held in the annex of the YMCA, then located on North Spring Street. A larger, temporary home for the congregation was then rented in a storeroom at 2015 North "E" Street. St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church was officially organized on May 20, 1956 with 56 adults and 33 children in the charter membership. Pastor Pelkonen completed his missionary work in September, and on May 1, 1957 the Rev. F. Adolph Kleindt, Jr. was called as the first pastor of St. Paul.
Ground was broken October 9, 1960 on the North Ninth Avenue property. The first worship service was held in the new church, now Fellowship Hall, on May 7, 1961. Pastor Kleindt left St. Paul in September 1963, and on March 1, 1964 the congregation called the Rev. Charles L. Barber. During his pastorate, the congregation became self-supporting with a baptized membership of 270. Pastor Barber left the congregation in October 1967, and the Rev. Harold Deal, Jr. was issued the call as pastor in January of 1968. The Education Building was dedicated on May 16, 1976. Pastor Deal left St. Paul in April 1978, and on May 28, 1978 the congregation called the Rev. Charles P. Snyder, III as pastor.
On May 17, 1987 a service of dedication of the present church building and Zimmer Organ was held. The All Saints Memorial Garden was dedicated November 1, 1987. The remains of more than a dozen saints from the congregation or immediate family are buried there.
Pastor Snyder completed his tenure at St. Paul in October 1988, and on March 5, 1989, The Reverend Dr. Waldemar Meyer, Jr. was called as pastor. Needlepoint keeling cushions designed and made by St. Paul members were placed around the altar on November 1, 1991. The organ was expanded and rededicated on January 10, 1993, and the kitchen was renovated in 1994. The St. Paul Preschool opened in August 1996 and the house and property north of the church was purchased. The neighboring house was used to provide housing for our German vicars for several years. It was subsequently used to provide space for youth ministries until severely damaged by Hurricane Ivan in October 2004, then torn down in January 2006.
Pastor Meyer, received a call to serve a congregation in Tampa, Florida and completed his ministry at St. Paul in May of 1999. On March 5, 2000 The Reverend Michael A. Harris was called to serve as pastor of St. Paul. From the end of 2001 through 2004, several beautification projects were completed for the church sanctuary, including the installation of oak hardwood flooring and new pews. More significantly, plans for major building expansion and renovations were adopted unanimously in December of 2002 and with the congregation's on-going support of the Capital Fund Drive "Building the Vision Together," the demolition, construction, and remodeling project was completed in December of 2004 with the official dedication of new Sunday School and Preschool classrooms, a new Youth Activities Area, a new Conference Room/Library, new Music Room, new Offices for Pastor and Administration, new Bell Tower, new Portico, and completely renovated Fellowship Hall and Kitchen, in January 2005. Following Pastor Harris' resignation in April 2005, Pastor Alfred Buehner took over interim leadership of the church. In 2007, Pastor Matthew Dollhausen was called to serve as permanent pastor.
In 1956 the founding families of St. Paul acted in faith to establish a mission of the United Lutheran Church in America. Over the past fifty years the congregation has built upon that faith and grown in many ways through the dedication and commitment of its members, pastors, and vicars. We have been a part of two denominational mergers that have brought us to be members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and its Florida-Bahamas Synod. Through our congregation and the ministries of the ELCA, we reach out to countless people in our local community, state, and world to share the Gospel and our faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. As we look to the future, St. Paul congregation is again moving forward in faith to build and improve our facilities so we may continue to faithfully grow ministries and provide more opportunities for sharing the faith with our community and our world.
Ground was broken October 9, 1960 on the North Ninth Avenue property. The first worship service was held in the new church, now Fellowship Hall, on May 7, 1961. Pastor Kleindt left St. Paul in September 1963, and on March 1, 1964 the congregation called the Rev. Charles L. Barber. During his pastorate, the congregation became self-supporting with a baptized membership of 270. Pastor Barber left the congregation in October 1967, and the Rev. Harold Deal, Jr. was issued the call as pastor in January of 1968. The Education Building was dedicated on May 16, 1976. Pastor Deal left St. Paul in April 1978, and on May 28, 1978 the congregation called the Rev. Charles P. Snyder, III as pastor.
On May 17, 1987 a service of dedication of the present church building and Zimmer Organ was held. The All Saints Memorial Garden was dedicated November 1, 1987. The remains of more than a dozen saints from the congregation or immediate family are buried there.
Pastor Snyder completed his tenure at St. Paul in October 1988, and on March 5, 1989, The Reverend Dr. Waldemar Meyer, Jr. was called as pastor. Needlepoint keeling cushions designed and made by St. Paul members were placed around the altar on November 1, 1991. The organ was expanded and rededicated on January 10, 1993, and the kitchen was renovated in 1994. The St. Paul Preschool opened in August 1996 and the house and property north of the church was purchased. The neighboring house was used to provide housing for our German vicars for several years. It was subsequently used to provide space for youth ministries until severely damaged by Hurricane Ivan in October 2004, then torn down in January 2006.
Pastor Meyer, received a call to serve a congregation in Tampa, Florida and completed his ministry at St. Paul in May of 1999. On March 5, 2000 The Reverend Michael A. Harris was called to serve as pastor of St. Paul. From the end of 2001 through 2004, several beautification projects were completed for the church sanctuary, including the installation of oak hardwood flooring and new pews. More significantly, plans for major building expansion and renovations were adopted unanimously in December of 2002 and with the congregation's on-going support of the Capital Fund Drive "Building the Vision Together," the demolition, construction, and remodeling project was completed in December of 2004 with the official dedication of new Sunday School and Preschool classrooms, a new Youth Activities Area, a new Conference Room/Library, new Music Room, new Offices for Pastor and Administration, new Bell Tower, new Portico, and completely renovated Fellowship Hall and Kitchen, in January 2005. Following Pastor Harris' resignation in April 2005, Pastor Alfred Buehner took over interim leadership of the church. In 2007, Pastor Matthew Dollhausen was called to serve as permanent pastor.
In 1956 the founding families of St. Paul acted in faith to establish a mission of the United Lutheran Church in America. Over the past fifty years the congregation has built upon that faith and grown in many ways through the dedication and commitment of its members, pastors, and vicars. We have been a part of two denominational mergers that have brought us to be members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and its Florida-Bahamas Synod. Through our congregation and the ministries of the ELCA, we reach out to countless people in our local community, state, and world to share the Gospel and our faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. As we look to the future, St. Paul congregation is again moving forward in faith to build and improve our facilities so we may continue to faithfully grow ministries and provide more opportunities for sharing the faith with our community and our world.
