William N. Dresel, 1901-1907

The following is from Saleste, Paul H., Ninetieth Anniversary of Saint John's Evangelical and Reformed Church, January 1, 1935. (Spelling and punctuation as in the original.)

With the turn of the century Rev. Wm. Dresel, became the pastor. The very first steps in preparing for the Ninetieth Anniversary, mark also his sudden and unexpected death, Jan. 11, 1934. He was a preacher who knew the law of his vocation and fulfilled it. The courage, resourcefulness and talent for organization which distinguished this Man of God, were derived from his father. Both father and son, contributed a portion of their lives to the "making of Saint John's." His originality and initiative were often misled by youthful fervor, but his spirituality, natural ability and broad knowledge of church affairs, cannot be questioned. There was a certain freshness of mind,, which was uttered out of a pure flaming heart. There were spots in his sun, but it was a sun radiating everywhere the warmth of Evangelical Truth. Saint John's was fortunate to have had him for six years, if for no other purpose, than to re-establish an re-invigorate the Sunday School. All his life Rev. Dresel was a great Sunday School man, and our great modern Sunday School, in a sense begins with him.

Unhindered by the problem of debt, Rev. Dresel was able to give his whole time and talent to the development of the spiritual side of the work. The whole program of the church and Sunday School was modernized and departmentalized. Societies, Sunday School and congregation were welded into energetic instruments for christian service. It was a transition period, and the changes trending toward a more American type of program were not of one day, but they began here. Cradle Roll, Home Department, Willing Workers and Missionary Societies were added.

Saint John's was also given a monthly voice in the establishment of a monthly paper, "Der St. Johannes Bote," which now is in its thirty-third year, and is an indispensable part of the church at work.

It was published on January 1, 1902. Order of services were: Morning - German at 10:00 a.m. Evening - English at 7:00 p.m. Sunday School met at 8:45 a.m. Gottfried Schaller was superintendent.

Excerpts: The entertainment by the Young Peoples Society was a great success.
A box of Christmas gifts was sent to the Orphan's Home at Detroit.
Wanted a "class of adults" for Confirmation (English).
Motion passed y "council" to have a two-year course of catechetical instruction for confirmation.
The Evening Services in English began on Sept. 1, 1901.
Average attendance in Sunday School for 1901 - 180.
Ladies Aid enrollment - 71. Young Peoples Society - 68.
A quartet was organized to sing at funerals.
Benevolence of the congregation for 1901 - $180.29.
Income for 1901 - $1842.44.
Salaries: Minister $900. Organist $110.00 Janitor $92.00
Taxes $27.14. Indebtedness $450.00

Under Dresel's dynamic leadership, the missionary energy, generated under Jud and Buesser, were directed into more concrete channels, and resulted in the organization of a Christ Evangelical Sunday School, held in the halls of what is now Newman Public School, in a district of the city, which he considered neglected and unchurched. There may also have been a feeling, that due to the expansion of the city, two Evangelical Churches might serve better than one. The brevity of his pastorate, precluded a complete working out of his plans along these lines.

Special mention should be made, of the high development of the music in the church,. under the competent and enthusiastic leadership of Mr. Arnold Kalmerten, who in 1905, when the congregation celebrated the Sixtieth Anniversary was completing his thirty-third year of service as Director of the Choir. These workers of the early days, made their part in the church work, so much more a life-time job, than we do today. Let us remark, that looking for "pillars" in the church, you dare not pass this one by.

Interesting from Dresel's reports up until December 1, 1904 are the pastoral statistics. We copy them, to show the level of progress attained by Church and Sunday School up to this time, that we may have something by which we may measure our own success and the achievements of the church since 1905. Compare these two tables, Saint John's in 1905 and Saint John's in 1935.

CHURCH RECORD STATISTICS
1905 and 1935

First baptism - Anna Barbara Volkert, Dec. 25, 1844.
First confirmation - April 11, 1852.
First wedding - Christian Gruebling and Maria Stroeter.
First funeral - Michael Altvater, June 10, 1845, Age 2 years, 6 months.
First communion service - March 23, 1845. Fifty communicants.

SUNDAY SCHOOL TABLE
Enrollment

Other enrollment figures are given for 1905 as follows.

Willing Workers - 38.
Young Peoples Society - 192.
Ladies Aid - 125.
Missionary Society - 74
Christ Sunday School (Newman School).
Officers 5, Teachers 11, Pupils 110, Total 126.

Up to the sixtieth anniversary (1905) the language of the congregation in divine worship as well as Sunday School and the Societies was predominantly, almost exclusively German. That was very natural, since the church was organized as a German Church. But with the sixtieth anniversary, pastor and leaders of the church, who were able to sense the trend of the times, realized that something must be done about that class of people in the church, some of them coming in by way of marriage, most of them however offspring of the fathers, who desired to worship, study and converse in the English language.

The issue had been put off too long already. There had been a loss of men and women, boys and girls, who rightfully belonged to Saint John's. In the societies more and more voices were using the English language. This sentiment also drifted into the Sunday School, where the first concrete forward step in this matter was made, by the organization of one English class, with Katherine Aberle, the first teacher. There were twelve in that first class, and it was the beginning of an evolution into the work of our Church and Sunday School, as now constituted. The change was bound to come, and the willing acceptance, though with some protest, by leaders of the congregation, was a momentous step. Even German-speaking members, who were broad-minded enough, and envisioned the future of the whole work, rather than their own selfish desire, never regretted it.

The fundamental character of the church remained unaltered, of course. Faith is not bound and disordered, by commotions on language. Faith and creed, are unhampered by matters of race and time. And today, as we think back to this beginning thirty years ago, what is our situation? We still have the language of the founders, for those who desire to worship that way. The principles and ideals of the church are still the same; the same Eternal Father above; the same redeeming Savior; the same Baptism; the same Sacred Memorial Communion; the same Bible; the same creed; the same songs; the same worship. And yet since that first step, our splendid Sunday School in all departments, all societies except the original Ladies Aid, and our church services with the exception of the second and fourth Sunday morning services, are all English. How could it be otherwise. We would have failed on the side of wisdom if we had done otherwise. Your church marches on, without let or hindrance from factors as language, with one goal in view, "the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ, till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a fullgrown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." Eph. 4:12.13. But let us not forget, now that we are English-speaking, the concessions that were made when we were German-speaking. For what they conceded then, let us be willing to concede something now.

With these adaptations enumerated above, as well as the vigorous leadership of Rev. Dresel, the Sunday School expanded so rapidly that there began to be a movement looking toward enlargement and improvement of church facilities, mainly to take care of the growing Sunday School. There were meetings and discussions regarding this situation of course, and especially since the church proper needed renovation badly, but nothing came of it, except that a Building Fund was started. We do have a steady whispering here, however, that Saint John was outgrowing its second church, and getting ready for its third. But in 1907 Rev. Dresel answered the call of a congregation in Evansville and resigned his work.