Detailed history is available thru the church office. Listed is a brief history of Zion United Church of Christ.
June 14, 1814 was a great day for two little congregations. On that day they laid the cornerstone of a log cabin which would be known as Zion's Lutheran and Reformed Church. This little structure would serve the two congregations with the provision that "no two preachers should hold church here at one time, but when there are two ministers in this church the one shall hold church one Sunday and the other next." And so it was until 1881. The sharing of a building by two separate congregations was the general pattern for Reformed and Lutherans in Ohio.
It can be presumed that Zions Church followed the customs of the day. Women sat on one side of the aisle. men on the other. Since there was no money for hymn books, the minister would read the hymns line by line, pausing between lines, thus allowing the congregation to sing. Services were conducted in German. The elders and deacons sat in the place of honor next to the pulpit. Sunday services were free worship; that is, there was no prescribed order of worship. Liturgy was used only on special occasions -- marriage, baptism, the preparatory service, Communion, ordination of ministers, installation of consistory. Participation in the preparatory service was a requirement for taking Communion.
The reformed and Lutheran congregations in Zion's were close. Clergy were shared as the two congregations worshiped together. While the Reformed and Lutheran groups in the Union churches of the area split into separate congregations around the 1860s, Zion's church remained a Union church until 1881.Peter Herbruck was to become the dominating clergyman in this area of Ohio. Over the years he would serve 22 churches. Brash, courageous, and determined, he would rock northern Ohio not only by his sermons but also on the issue of revivals, liturgy and language.
During the years of unrest the Zion's congregation were worshiping in a new two-story frame church built in the classic style, for the log church was destroyed by fire in 1838.Five years after Herbruck cut his ties with Zion's to devote his time exclusively to First Church Canton a new pastor arrived, the Rev. John H. Beck. He represented a new breed of Ohio clergymen. During his ministry it was decided the future of the church was in the village of New Berlin where the opportunities for growth would be greater. So in 1881 the Reformed congregation moved away from the original site into a new Gothic church on Main Street. The move into New Berlin was a propitious one. The little congregation of 44 members grew as it never did in the country. Pastorates might still be shared with other Reformed churches, but never again would Zion be a charge of nine or more churches.
By 1905 under the Rev. H.J. Rohrbaugh the church membership had grown to 195. The congregation still had its ties with the building in the country for it was paying one-half of its upkeep as well as that of th cemetery. On January 7, 1903, the congregation voted to sell its share of Zion's Church building, but no settlement was reached. In 1905, however, the Lutheran congregation decided to move into New Berlin. The building was sold for $500 with the two congregational owners dividing the proceeds equally.The Sunday school remained an important arm of the church. By 1905 there were 173 enrolled in the Sunday School with 10 officers and 14 teachers. By the summer of 1908 the consistory reached the conclusion that a new church was urgently needed. When the plan was presented to the congregation, it estimated that a new building would cost about $12,000, a sum it hoped to collect over a 5-year period. Moving into the new building brought joy but also serious disagreements. Many of them stemmed from dissatisfaction with the music. The church now had a pipe organ of which it was very proud, but finding someone who could really play it was another matter.
In 1918 the Rev. E. M. Beck, a younger brother of John Beck, became the new minister. Young men from Zion were now in uniform. The village of New Berlin did not wish to be associated with the hated Germans who were blamed for starting the war and changed its name to North Canton. The congregation voted to adopt the new name and the church became the Zion Reformed Church of North Canton.In October 1929, when the Rev. Melvin E. Beck was called by the congregation to succeed his father, the church had 561 members and a Sunday School of 1,000. The depression hit; money was scarce but North Cantonians were lucky as far as food was concerned. Their homes had been built on lots which could support gardens which now were in great demand.The depression seemed to stimulate church activity. In 1934 The Reformed Church in the US and The Evangelical Synod of North America merged to form the Evangelical and Reformed Church, thus uniting two denominations whose German background no longer mattered.
Attendance continued to grow, thus Zion built an English basement, the first unit of a Church School Building. Plans for building the second floor had to wait, for the World War II intervened.On January 29, 1950, the second floor of the education wing was dedicated. But now it was evident that the pre-war plans for the sanctuary were inadequate. Additional property was purchased, and on September 27, 1953 the ground was broken for a new sanctuary. Not until October 16, 1955 would it be completed.
June 25, 1957, was a significant day. At that time in Cleveland, the Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches united to form the United Church of Christ - one more step towards Christian unity.
The Rev. Paul V. Helm, Jr. became the pastor on Feb. 1, 1959 on the retirement of Dr. Beck. The church at that time had nearly 1800 active member.Five years later, a Christian Education wing was added which included a parlor, choir rehearsal rooms, library, youth room and staff offices. An enclosed cloister opened into a courtyard. The old parsonage was sold, and newer ones were purchased for the Senior Pastor and Associate.
After World War II the consistory wanted to lighten the workload of the pastor. Over the years new staff was added--associate pastor, church secrtaries, Christian education director, minister of music, youth minister as well as additional janitorial help. The present sanctuary and Christian Education Building were dedicated May 3, 1964.
The cornerstone for the last addition to Zion was placed in the year 2000. At that time the exisiting building was made handicap excessible and the fellowship hall was updated with carpet, air conditioning, sound system and lighting. An elevator was also added for the convenience of all.
Former Senior Pastors at Zion following the Rev. Paul V. Helm, Jr. include: Rev. Wm. Koshua 1970; Rev. Edgar Jones and Rev. Warner Siebert (co pastors) 1977; Rev. Robert B. Jencks, 1980; Rev. Thomas C. Smith, 1989, and the current pastor Rev. Eli O. Klingensmith.
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