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St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church (Corning, Missouri)
Encyclopedia
St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church is an historic Lutheran church located at 112 Walters Street in Corning, Missouri
. It was founded as a Confessional Church
, adhering to the Unaltered Augsburg Confession
. It is currently a member of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
(LCMS).
On January 4, 2008, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
as St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church and Parochial School.
immigrants to Northwest Missouri
in the spring of 1860. This congregation built its first church structure, a wooden building nicknamed the "Church in the Timber," in October 1860 at Hemme's Landing next to the Missouri River
, approximately two miles from Corning. By 1872, the congregation began outgrowing this structure and purchased the land in Corning on which the current structure now stands.
The current brick building was constructed in 1893 by Pete Thull of Rock Port, Missouri
and has been in use ever since. The wooden, parochial, one-room schoolhouse was constructed behind the church in 1912. It held regular classes in German
until 1917. The parish hall addition was constructed in 1953.
The church survived damage inflicted in the Great Floods of 1951
and 1993
.
, nave
, transept
s, and choir
) and with pointed-arch windows, both characteristic of churches in the Gothic Revival style.
The stained glass
windows were installed in 1943 and were made with blue glass from Czechoslovakia
. They depict various Judeo-Christian symbols, including the Luther rose
, an eagle
in a boiling cauldron (both symbols for St. John
), a crown of thorns
, a throne
, a Bible
, and the Ark of the Covenant
(among others).
The interior also houses the original hand-stenciled pipe organ
and three murals (one of Christ the Good Shepherd, one of Jesus
preaching at the Sea of Galilee
, and one of Heaven
). A white, wooden altar
-pulpit
with a large hand-made representation of the Kingdom of Heaven
as it is described in the Book of Revelation
rises 24 feet from the floor.
Corning, Missouri
Corning is a village in Holt County, Missouri, United States. The population was 21 at the 2000 census, at which time it was a town.-Geography:Corning is located at ....
. It was founded as a Confessional Church
Confessional Lutheran
Confessional Lutheran is a name used by certain Lutheran Christians to designate themselves as those who accept the doctrines taught in the Book of Concord of 1580 in their entirety, because they believe them to be completely faithful to the teachings of the Bible...
, adhering to the Unaltered Augsburg Confession
Augsburg Confession
The Augsburg Confession, also known as the "Augustana" from its Latin name, Confessio Augustana, is the primary confession of faith of the Lutheran Church and one of the most important documents of the Lutheran reformation...
. It is currently a member of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod is a traditional, confessional Lutheran denomination in the United States. With 2.3 million members, it is both the eighth largest Protestant denomination and the second-largest Lutheran body in the U.S. after the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The Synod...
(LCMS).
On January 4, 2008, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
as St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church and Parochial School.
History
The congregation was founded as the "Deutsch Evangelish Lutheraner St. Johannes" by GermanGermans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
immigrants to Northwest Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
in the spring of 1860. This congregation built its first church structure, a wooden building nicknamed the "Church in the Timber," in October 1860 at Hemme's Landing next to the Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
, approximately two miles from Corning. By 1872, the congregation began outgrowing this structure and purchased the land in Corning on which the current structure now stands.
The current brick building was constructed in 1893 by Pete Thull of Rock Port, Missouri
Rock Port, Missouri
Rock Port is a city in Clay Township, Atchison County, Missouri, United States and the county seat of Atchison County. The population was 1,318 at the 2010 census...
and has been in use ever since. The wooden, parochial, one-room schoolhouse was constructed behind the church in 1912. It held regular classes in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
until 1917. The parish hall addition was constructed in 1953.
The church survived damage inflicted in the Great Floods of 1951
Great Flood of 1951
In mid-July 1951, heavy rains led to a great rise of water in the Kansas River and other surrounding areas. Flooding resulted in the Kansas, Neosho, Marais Des Cygnes, and Verdigris river basins. The damage in June and July 1951 exceeded $935 million dollars in an area covering eastern Kansas and...
and 1993
Great Flood of 1993
The Great Mississippi and Missouri Rivers Flood of 1993 occurred in the American Midwest, along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers and their tributaries, from April to October 1993. The flood was among the most costly and devastating to ever occur in the United States, with $15 billion in damages...
.
Description
The current brick structure was designed in the Latin cross design (complete with narthexNarthex
The narthex of a church is the entrance or lobby area, located at the end of the nave, at the far end from the church's main altar. Traditionally the narthex was a part of the church building, but was not considered part of the church proper...
, nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
, transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
s, and choir
Quire (architecture)
Architecturally, the choir is the area of a church or cathedral, usually in the western part of the chancel between the nave and the sanctuary . The choir is occasionally located in the eastern part of the nave...
) and with pointed-arch windows, both characteristic of churches in the Gothic Revival style.
The stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows were installed in 1943 and were made with blue glass from Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
. They depict various Judeo-Christian symbols, including the Luther rose
Luther rose
The Luther seal or Luther rose is a widely-recognized symbol for Lutheranism. It was the seal that was designed for Martin Luther at the behest of Prince John Frederick, in 1530, while Luther was staying at the Coburg Fortress during the Diet of Augsburg. Lazarus Spengler, to whom Luther wrote his...
, an eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
in a boiling cauldron (both symbols for St. John
John the Apostle
John the Apostle, John the Apostle, John the Apostle, (Aramaic Yoħanna, (c. 6 - c. 100) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He was the son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother of James, another of the Twelve Apostles...
), a crown of thorns
Crown of Thorns
In Christianity, the Crown of Thorns, one of the instruments of the Passion, was woven of thorn branches and placed on Jesus Christ before his crucifixion...
, a throne
Throne
A throne is the official chair or seat upon which a monarch is seated on state or ceremonial occasions. "Throne" in an abstract sense can also refer to the monarchy or the Crown itself, an instance of metonymy, and is also used in many expressions such as "the power behind the...
, a Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, and the Ark of the Covenant
Ark of the Covenant
The Ark of the Covenant , also known as the Ark of the Testimony, is a chest described in Book of Exodus as solely containing the Tablets of Stone on which the Ten Commandments were inscribed...
(among others).
The interior also houses the original hand-stenciled pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
and three murals (one of Christ the Good Shepherd, one of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
preaching at the Sea of Galilee
Sea of Galilee
The Sea of Galilee, also Kinneret, Lake of Gennesaret, or Lake Tiberias , is the largest freshwater lake in Israel, and it is approximately in circumference, about long, and wide. The lake has a total area of , and a maximum depth of approximately 43 m...
, and one of Heaven
Heaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
). A white, wooden altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
-pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
with a large hand-made representation of the Kingdom of Heaven
Kingdom of God
The Kingdom of God or Kingdom of Heaven is a foundational concept in the Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.The term "Kingdom of God" is found in all four canonical gospels and in the Pauline epistles...
as it is described in the Book of Revelation
Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament. The title came into usage from the first word of the book in Koine Greek: apokalupsis, meaning "unveiling" or "revelation"...
rises 24 feet from the floor.