Location:
901 Charleston Street
Lincoln, Nebraska
History:
The German Evangelical Congregational Salem Church was organized in Lincoln, Nebraska, on 18 August 1901 when a group of people met in the home of George Heinrich. It was agreed to form a congregation, and at a second meeting on 9 September 1901 in the home of John Hergenrader, it was agreed to construct a church building. The group met a third time, again at the home of John Hergenrader, on 10 October 1901 to call a pastor. The congregation's first building was erected at 9th and Charleston Streets. In 1916, Salem Congregational replaced its original building with the church that stands today.
It was affiliated with the German Congregational Church of America and became a member of the United Church of Christ when that body was formed in the early 1960s. In 1967 the Salem Church merged with nearby St. John's United Church of Christ to form Faith United Church of Christ. The new church occupied the old Salem Church buildings and the St. John's property was sold.
The Salem Congregation was served by the following pastors:
Rev. D. G. Schurr (1908-1913)
Rev. F. Brauchitsch (1913-1915)
Rev. R. Herholz (1915-1919)
Rev. Jacob Wagner (1919-1927)
Rev. John Braun (1927-1936)
Rev. A. Schiller (1937-1938)
Rev. H. Uhlman (1938-1941)
Rev. C. Roemmich (1941-1945)
Rev. E. Bettenhausen (1945-1947)
Rev. George Kissler (1948-?)
- Eisenach, George John. A History of the German Congregational Churches in the United States (Yankton, SD: Pioneer Press, 1938): 258.
- Everybody Welcome to Our Fiftieth Anniversary, September 16, 1951 (Lincoln, NE: Salem Congregational Church, 1951).
- Salem United Church of Christ (Nebraska State Historical Society)
- "Liste der Deutschen Kongregationalen Gemeinden." Illustrierter Kirchenbote Kalender 1926 (Redfield, SD: Redfield College Press, 1926): 65-71.
- "Namenliste der Prediger und ihre Adressen." Illustrierter Kirchenbote Kalender 1926 (Redfield, SD: Redfield College Press, 1926): 76-79.
The parish records of membership, baptisms, marriages and burials for the Salem United Church of Christ and its predecessor congregations covering the years 1901-1967 are available on microfilm at the Nebraska State Historical Society. The parish records of members, officers, baptisms, marriages, and confirmations for Faith United Church of Christ covering the years 1967-1981 are also available on microfilm at the Nebraska State Historical Society.
