As the evening of September 12, 1887 draped softly over the rooftops of Bellevue, a small group of local citizens was gathering at the tailor shop at 77 Ross Ave. The rest of Bellevue was enjoying September 12th as just another evening-kids playing, families relaxing on their porches or chatting with neighbors - but inside the little tailor shop, the atmosphere was electric.

Late into the night, the little group sat together and deliberated and discussed and debated, and by the time the meeting adjourned and everyone headed home under the midnight sky, a new church had been created.

It was called the St. John Evangelical Protestant Church of Bellevue.

In the year 1887 Bellevue was a quiet town of approximately 1800 people. Its roads were dusty and winding, and many of the town's residents could see farmland when they looked out their windows. Residents attended worship services at either Calvary Methodist Church or one of two Roman Catholic churches, but the founders of St. John earnestly believed that Bellevue needed an Evangelical Church.

Finding a place to worship was the next important step. The founders put their heads together and came up with two possibilities: either Calvary Methodist Church on Taylor Ave. or the Balke Opera House. It turned out that the Balke would be the church's new home, and the founders rented a room there for $7.50 a month. Arrangements were made with two local pastors, Rev. Schory and Rev. Brandstetter, to lead St. John's worship services, to care for the spiritual needs of the members, and to guide the congregation through the chaos of establishing itself.

By this time different facets of the new church were developing. Two Sunday School classes were being taught, and two church societies were already thriving: the Ladies' Aid Society ("always alert and always willing") and the Young People's League. These two organizations met in October, 1887, to explore the possibility of buying a church organ, and after discussing the idea for much of the evening, they formed a committee authorized to purchase an organ and a silver baptism bowl. Sunday worship services during this time were held "auf Deutsch"-in German-because most of the congregation was either German or of German descent.

Early in 1888, the congregation held a joint session with the congregation of Dayton, Kentucky to initiate a search for a minister who would serve both churches. Rev. Gerber of Cincinnati received the call from the two congregations and accepted it. A few months later, the St. John's congregation, anxious to build a church home of its own, purchased two lots on Foote Ave. for $550, but the lots would remain empty for another two years while the congregation struggled with Gerber's abrupt resignation and a depleted church treasury. In 1890, to the joy and relief of the congregation, a new pastor, Rev. Koenig, was called, and the construction of their long-awaited church began-at a cost of $5,279.

But as the external church was beginning to take shape, the internal church was breaking down into more turmoil. Five weeks after the cornerstone was laid, Koenig resigned, and Mr. Langebrake, a layman of the Reformed Church who had previously served the congregation, was asked to serve again. "I will serve without compensation," he said, "if the congregation will provide for my living arrangements and unite with the Reformed Church." The St. John's congregation was adamant in their refusal to join any synodical organization. "We will remain a free Protestant church!" they chorused, so Langebrake departed and Rev. Fuerst was chosen as the next pastor of St. John. On February 8, 1891, the new church building was dedicated, and members celebrated with three joyful services and a congregational parade through Bellevue from the Balke Opera House to their new home.

Soon after the church was dedicated, St. John endured a quick succession of pastors. Fuerst resigned amid allegations of misconduct, and Rev. Voelker stepped in to fill the vacancy. He was forced to resign a few months later and was replaced by Rev. Hoffman, who was able to restore organization, peace, and a sense of mission to the turbulent church, before his resignation in 1894. Rev. Bomhard was the next to accept St. John's call, and after Bomhard's resignation, Rev. Emigholz was welcomed as pastor in 1899. He remained at the church until 1907, when Rev. Goebel replaced him.

Despite these rapid shifts in leadership, St. John continued to grow. The church building was renovated, more members were added to the church roster with each passing year, and St. John was represented at the District Conference of the Evangelical Synod for the first time, although it wasn't until 1908 that Goebel persuaded the church to join the Synod.

After Goebel's departure, Rev. Davis was installed as pastor in 1911, and when he resigned less than a year later to accept work as a missionary, Moritz stepped in. In 1913, the dark, muddy waters of the Ohio River rose and flooded the town along its bank, but the flood wasn't enough to dampen the spirit of St. John. Under Moritz's leadership, the congregation worked long hours to bring aid and comfort to their neighbors. During these years, a new altar and pulpit were purchased for the church, a Literary Society was founded, and a merger between St. John's and St. Paul's in Dayton, Kentucky was attempted. The congregation also voted to accept plans for major renovations to the church, but during the renovations, Moritz resigned. In 1915, Rev. Kramer was chosen as successor, and during his tenure, a brick house at 234 Foote Ave. was purchased for use as a parsonage. Rev. Pfitzer was the next pastor to serve the congregation, and with his resignation, Rev. Jeschke was welcomed in 1921.

The church was thriving now, with a membership of 327, a choir "equaling any choir in the three cities," a graded Sunday School with 35 officers and teachers, a new electric sign with the message Jesus Saves, new song books and a newly-replaced lighting system. "All in all, we have progressed both spiritually and otherwise," wrote delighted Church Council President, Edward Koch. During this cheerful and prosperous time, the thoughts of the congregation turned towards a new church building, and a Building Fund was established in 1921. Eleven years later, thanks to the determined efforts of the congregation, Jeschke, and his successors, Revs. E.A. Arends and A.H Knipping, construction of the church at the corner of Ward and Fairfield Avenues began in 1932. The building was dedicated on June 18, 1933, and the celebration festivities included three worship services and a procession from the old location on Foote Ave. to the new "Church on the Avenue." The total cost of the new church, including furnishings, was $63,500.

During the next few decades, the life of the church continued to experience exciting changes. In 1934, the Evangelical Synod of North America and the Reformed Church in the United States merged, and the church became The Evangelical and Reformed Church. In 1957, the Evangelical and Reformed Church merged with the Congregational Christian Churches to form the United Church of Christ. St. John became St. John United Church of Christ. Knipping retired in 1957 after 26 years of ministry in the church, and Rev. Stoerker succeeded him as St. John's pastor.

Until mid-1964, St. John's held two Sunday worship services: a Family Worship at 9:15 a.m. and a second service that began at 10:45 a.m. The Family Worship was much like our contemporary worship service. Children were present for the beginning of the service and after a Children's Message they headed off for Sunday School.

The church also enjoyed a thriving musical life. St. John's members were highly enthusiastic about making a joyful noise to the Lord, and the church boasted three choirs. Youngsters sang in the Carol Choir, junior high youth to adults could join the Junior Choir, and there was a Chancel Choir for adults. Besides music, there were plenty of other opportunities for church members to get involved. The Women's Guild met monthly during the day (and still meets monthly), and for more than 50 years they prepared and served lunches for Rotary Club members. "Quilters" was a quilting group that met weekly from the 1940's until 1982, and there was also an adult Fellowship, a Youth Fellowship, Evening Circle (a working women's evening group), and bowling teams.

In 1964, Rev. Artopoeus was called as the pastor of St. John. His wife, Martha, was instrumental in initiating the tremendously popular Lenten Quiet Hour, a Lenten tradition that lasted for more than 25 years. The Lenten Quiet Hour offered participants a devotional program, along with a light lunch, and it quickly became so popular that it was necessary to start taking reservations. Officiated by the Women's Guild, the Quiet Hour eventually evolved into an ecumenical program, hosted by women of the church and by women in the Bellevue/Dayton community. The Lenten Quiet Hour was held each year until 1999, when the number of participants outweighed the number of women available to host.

Another St. John's tradition that continued for more than a quarter of a century was the Easter Breakfast. After nourishing their souls at an early-morning Easter service, members of St. John gathered to nourish their bodies with a delicious, homemade breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage, and biscuits prepared by the people of the church and served by the youth of the church. In recent times, the church has been serving a buffet breakfast before the Easter service.

Rev. Artopoeus served St. John for 24 years and was a driving force toward emphasizing mission work. Under his leadership St. John's established the Second Mile Fund that still provides above-budget and four special denominational offerings to support local and global missions.

St. John welcomed Rev. Eriksen as its pastor in 1989. Eriksen opened a church computer lab in 1997 with computers he built from spare parts, and anyone who wanted to learn more about computers or receive training (no matter what their level of expertise), was invited to the lab. The lab program was dubbed GHN-Geeks Helping Nerds-and it became a monthly event. Besides using his computer skills to set up the lab, Eriksen worked as a computer lab camp counselor at our Ohio Conference - United Church of Christ Templed Hills Church Camp.

The beautiful, stained glass windows of St. John's were restored in 1996, funded by donations and memorials raised by the congregation. Some of the funding came from a booklet published in-house in 1993: The Gospel in Stained Glass. Written by Eriksen and illustrated by Lorraine Arthur, an artist and member of the congregation, the booklet gave a brief interpretation and scriptural basis for each of the 24 stained glass windows in the nave of St. John's.

In November, 1996, the congregation honored the 10th anniversary of Eriksen's ordination. Rev. Ms. Jane Fisler Hoffman, the Southwest Ohio Northern Kentucky Association (SONKA) Minister, shared a message with the congregation and a reception and luncheon in Eriksen's honor followed the service. During that same year, St. John hosted an anniversary celebration for Pastor Emeritus Artopoeus, in honor of the 50th anniversary of his ordination. Rev Dr. Dipko, Executive Vice President of the United Church Board for Homeland Ministries, gave the sermon, and Rev. Hyvonen, Associate Association Minister of SONKA, was also a participant.

Eriksen decided to accept a new church call in 1999. As a farewell gift and a special send-off for him, the church held its first annual "Souper Bowl" Sunday, the idea of which was to collect money for soup kitchens on Super Bowl Sunday. It provided the perfect opportunity to support one of Eriksen's favorite mission causes: ECHO Inter-Church Organization, the local soup kitchen. Like its sports-oriented counterpart, the Souper Bowl is now a national event.

In 1999, Rev. Haithcock, a pastor serving in Dayton, Ohio, received a call from St. John, asking if he would be interested in serving as a designated pastor while the church looked for a minister. His answer was "Yes." After he served for two years as the church's designated pastor, the search committee recommended Haithcock be selected as the called pastor and the congregation followed up with an 83% affirmative vote. Haithcock answered "Yes" to their call, and in a jubilant installation service on February 25, 2001, he officially became the church's eighteenth pastor-and its first openly gay one.

The installation was witnessed by supportive friends, family, church members, ministers from area churches, and officials from SONKA in a church filled to capacity. Rev. Sharon Mack Temple gave the sermon, and a reception for Haithcock immediately followed the service. Local newspapers and television stations carried the groundbreaking story of Haithcock's installation, including a noteworthy article in The Cincinnati Enquirer entitled "Church Pastor, Gay Man."

An openly gay pastor provided a much-needed learning opportunity for the mostly straight, mostly older congregation of St. John. Some members embraced him with open arms and open minds. A few left to seek spiritual guidance elsewhere. Most of the congregation felt that Haithcock was a good match, and that he was dedicated and hardworking.

St. John has seen many changes since Haithcock's arrival in 1999, and one of the most important was the issue of a new mission statement:

As a vibrant, growing, diverse Church, our mission is:
To be representatives of Jesus Christ,
To provide a spiritual, compassionate,
nurturing place of worship,
learning, and fellowship,
To share our gifts and resources,
serving all with unconditional love
and acceptance.

St. John has always been very mission-minded, and the congregation has consistently maintained relationships with missionaries and mission projects and concerns. In 2002, the church is continuing this effort by giving more than $15,000 to the following:

• Local, national, and global missions through Our Churches Wider Mission giving
  
• Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Mission Inc. (supporting local and regional service organizations)
  
• Chicago, United, and Eden seminaries (CUE)
  
• Northern Kentucky Interfaith
  
• Second Mile Fund (supporting projects in all five regions of Global Ministries of the United Church of Christ, Washington United Church of Christ, a mission congregation in Cincinnati, and St. Vincent DePaul Society)
  
• Four annual denominational offerings
  
• Christmas Card Mission Project
  
• Souper Bowl Sunday (Soup Kitchens)
  
• Many other special disaster relief offerings.

In addition to these church efforts, the Women's Guild continues to support many mission works across the globe.

Outreach and evangelism have also been vital interests for the church. Throughout the 1970's and 1980's, church membership entered a gradual decline as many Bellevue families moved to Fort Thomas and Kenton County to enroll their children in school districts there. Older residents stayed behind, and this demography is reflected in the current membership, but St. John is actively encouraging diversity and increased membership by throwing its doors open in a broad welcome to the community. In 2001, Haithcock and Music Director Brad Caldwell introduced a Friday evening concert series to reach out to the community and invite people to get involved in St. John. In 2001 and 2002, the church was represented in both the Bellevue/Dayton Memorial Day Parade and the Cincinnati Gay Pride Parade. Immediately after the Pride Parade, St. John's members spent the afternoon greeting and talking with the local Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender (GLBT) community at the post-parade festivities.

Music has become a stronger presence in the life of the church. Sunday worship services incorporate more music and singing, and the congregation voted to purchase the 1995 New Century Hymnal (published by the United Church of Christ), after using the Evangelical and Reformed Church hymnal for more than 56 years. During the holiday season, friends and members enjoy Christmas concerts presented by the Chancel Choir, and the church began to hold two Christmas Eve services with great success.

The Spiritual Growth Series offers frequent opportunities for learning throughout the year. Topics range from Bible study to group discussion of spiritual issues.

St. John has also formed a collaborative with Prince of Peace Lutheran Church by helping them collect items for the Bellevue Food Pantry, and by sharing in Easter Vigils. During an Easter Vigil, members from both churches attend services rich in prayer, liturgy, and symbolism, and join together for a walk from one church to the other.

For 115 years, St. John has faced many ups and downs, joys and sorrows, but the heartbeat of our church remains as strong and true as ever. At its 115th anniversary as a congregation and 70th anniversary of being in the "Church on the Avenue" Rev. Haithcock says, "There is a new generation rising at St. John Church, a generation without the judgment and rigidity of religion. A generation eager to proclaim the radically inclusive love of God as taught by Jesus, the Christ to become a place for people - just like you - to discover their full potential."

May God bless and guide our members, friends, and leaders as we continue to extend the love and service of Jesus to the people in our homes, our communities, and our world.