Photographs: April Confirmation, 2006

The St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church Records consist of a wide variety of records documenting the congregation’s 165-year history on Wayne Avenue in Dayton, Ohio. Records date from the congregation’s founding in 1852 through 2018, just after its closure, and include general history, vital records, administrative records, publications, and audiovisual materials. Early documents (prior to about 1920) are almost exclusively in German, the use of which was not discontinued entirely until 1939. Records in German are indicated at the file level in the collection inventory.

Series I, General History, includes published and compiled histories of the congregation, information about anniversary celebrations, programs, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, and a selection of prayer books used by the congregation. Of note in this series are the two most recent written histories of the church, one in 2002 for the 150th anniversary and the “final chapter” written in 2018 to cover the time period from 2003 until closing in 2017. Also notable are two scrapbooks, one created by Helen Baker and covering much of the early to mid-20th century, the other an oversize scrapbook of mostly photographs throughout the church’s history up until 1982. Materials in the General History series date from 1879 to 2018.

Series II, Vital Records, includes records of baptisms, confirmations, communions, marriages, and funerals or burials. In addition to the original records themselves, this series also includes a name index card file, alphabetical by last name, for all members from about 1913 (when the card file was started) until closure in 2017. The card file includes such information as date of birth, baptism, confirmation, marriage, and death, as well parents’ and children’s names, making it a valuable resource for genealogists. The card file index system was started shortly after the 1913 flood, but event dates on the cards (e.g., baptisms, etc.) may predate 1913: cards were made for all current living members at the time the system began, and at some point someone checked all the member cards against the earlier record books and filled in the information. Most early volumes are in German, but later volumes and the card file are in English. This series also includes member obituaries from 1981 to 2016. Genealogical researchers may also find the pastoral diaries in the Administrative series useful as well, as these also contain sacramental records. Note that one early bound volume of vital records also includes financial records, though this is also listed in the Administrative series. Early volumes are extremely fragile and should be handled with great care. Materials in the Vital Records series date from 1859 to 2017.

Series III, Administrative, includes constitutions and by-laws, minutes, financial records, property records, annual reports (to the congregation) and parochial reports (to the American Lutheran Church), and pastoral diaries. The pastoral diaries (all in German and dating from 1884 to 1926) are of particular note, as they contain records of sacraments performed by the pastor. Minutes are available for the church council, congregational, and board meetings. Most financial reports were received already interfiled with the minutes of meetings at which they were discussed, and so these remain in their original order, interfiled chronologically with the minutes. Early records, especially the pastoral diaries, are extremely fragile and should be handled with great care. Materials in the Administrative series span the entire life of the congregation from 1852 to 2017.

Series IV, Publications, includes membership directories (primarily from mid-20th century through 2002), worship bulletins (1920s through 2017), and newsletters (1963 to 2017). The worship bulletins (usually weekly) and Chimes newsletters (usually monthly) are excellent sources of information about events and activities, as well as topics of interest or concern, both in the congregation and the extended community. Materials in the Publications series date from 1911 to 2017.

Series V, Audiovisual, includes primarily photographs, but also slides, an LP recording of the choir singing, a pen and ink drawing of the church, and a few videos. Heavily represented in the photographs are interior and exterior pictures of the church building, as well as Confirmation class photos, but many other church activities are documented as well. Materials in the Audiovisual series date from 1883 to 2018.