Our Roots

The congregation of St. John's has roots in two of the denominations which later merged to form the United Church of Christ.
The Congregational Church, through the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, established in 1831, the earliest mission in what is now Wisconsin on the Island. The Evangelical Church established a mission in 1920. The

Congregational Church merged with the Christian Church; the Evangelical Church merged with the Reformed Church. In 1957, these two merged denominations formed the United Church of Christ.
St. John's Evangelical Church was officially organized on November 11, 1921. Our building was built in 1925; the front entry with handicapped accessibility was added in 1996. The Jaekel pipe organ, built in Duluth, Minnesota, was installed in 1995.

 

A Brief History

1831 The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (composed of Congregationalists, Presbyterians, German Reformed and Dutch Reformed) established the first protestant mission on the Island. Led by Rev. Sherman Hall (Presbyterian), this was the earliest mission in what is now Wisconsin.

1835 A Protestant mission church was constructed and an elementary school was established. Among the clergy who served the mission were William Whipple Warren, T. Boutwell, and Leonard H. Wheeler. In the same year, Fr. Frederic Baraga established a Catholic mission.

1854 Populations shifts to developments on the mainland. The church declined and eventually closed its doors. Most of the Ojibway population moved from Madeline Island to Red Cliff and Bad River.

1912 Presbyterians formed another congregation on the Island
with a pastor from Bayfield.

1920 A group of laity headed by R.J. Russell appealed to
William Diehl, Evangelical pastor and land agent, to
address the need for a Protestant ministry on the Island
He found about 250 residents and another 500 vacationers.

1921 On November 11, St. John's Evangelical Church was officially
organized. The church was staffed in the summer by students
from Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis.

1922 The first full-time pastor was called: Rev. Harry Bruckner.

1925 The present church building was erected at a cost of $5800
and dedicated on August 9, 1925. Over the altar hangs a
painting of Christ by Russian Count Henselofsky, a survivor
of the Russian Revolution and acquaintance of Rev. Bruckner.

1934 The parsonage was constructed through the generosity of the
Islanders and with assistance from the National Women's Union
of the Evangelical Synod of North America.

1955 Woods Hall Craft Shop was built to provide a meeting place for Islanders and to offer a loom room for the cottage industry begun
by Rev. Otto and Velma Schroedel.

1960 A pipe organ was installed in memory of Rufus Jefferson's father,
replacing a reed organ.

1962 An electric carillon was installed, and upgraded to digital in 1996.

1985 The Madeline Island Cookbook came into existence.

1995 A new Jaekel pipe organ, handbuilt in Duluth, MN, was dedicated.
The organ has 8 stops, 10 ranks, and 516 pipes.

1996 St. John's became handicapped accessible with the decidation
of its new entrance and lift. Handicapped bathrooms followed in
1998.

2002 Woods Hall Craft Shop was renovated to provide space for additional
looms and a pottery studio.