We’re also starting a monthly series on Zion’s former ministers; this month’s installment is about Zion’s first minister, William Baehr (or Bahr) who served from Nov. 1872 until June 1873.

After Zion was established on April 2, 1872, the congregation decided that they desired a resident pastor instead of the commuting services that had been provided by Reverend Schoettle from Newburgh, Indiana. Our church turned to the Evangelical Synod of the West for help in obtaining a pastor and for the financial support to pay his salary. Since the first pastors of Zion received their pay from the Evangelical Synod of the West, our records do not mention the exact amounts of their salaries. However, a notation indicated that the annual salary was less than $300.

The President of the Synod sent Pastor William Baehr to serve as Zion’s first official minister. Like several of Zion’s early ministers, he had received his training and education in Germany, probably from either the Barmen school or Basel Mission School, the primary sources of German Evangelical pastors.

Pastor Schoettle introduced Rev. Baehr to Zion’s congregation at one of the services in November 1872. As a new immigrant, Zion’s first minister was unable to accustom himself to the difficult conditions of 1870’s Owensboro; at least he thought they were difficult. So, after leading Zion for less than a year, William Baehr was assigned to another field by the President of the Synod, and he left Zion in June of 1873.

I believe that the following family from the 1880 Census is probably that of our first pastor. Based on this assumption, when he arrived in Owensboro in 1872, he would have been about age 29.

1880 Census; Meramec; Jefferson, Missouri

William Baehr, age 37, born in Hanover (Ger.); preacher

Caroline Baehr, wife, age 32, born in Missouri

Johana Baehr, daughter, age 2, born in Missouri

Wilhmena Baehr, daughter, age 8 months, born in Missouri

Assuming that I have the right family, he was born in Hanover, Germany, and his reassignment was obviously in Missouri, near St. Louis. And after leaving Zion, he married and had at least two children.

So in the summer of 1873, Zion once again needed a minister, and again turned to Rev. Schoettle of Newburgh, Indiana. Johann George Schoettle became Zion’s pastor in July of 1873, and served for four years. Next month, we’ll focus on his service to Zion.