Church History

According to historical records, St. Paul’s Church in Alexandria, Kentucky began in the year 1850, when a group of families of German origin organized a Protestant church for the purpose of worship and instruction in morals and religion. The congregation was German speaking and worshipped in a building east of Jefferson Street.  The parsonage and classroom for confirmation instruction were in an old house on Greenup Street.

The cornerstone for the new church on the northwest corner of Main and Jefferson Streets was laid in the fall of 1900, and the building dedication took place in 1901. In 1906, the new parsonage on the corner of Jefferson and Greenup Streets was built. Around this time, the congregation began worshipping in English to meet the needs of the younger generation.

The St. Paul’s congregation celebrated its seventy-fifth anniversary in October 1925. During those years, St. Paul’s had been an “independent” congregation, unaffiliated with any particular denomination but with Evangelical, Lutheran, and Reformed connections found in its ministry, liturgy, and hymnals. In May 1931, St. Paul’s Church applied for and was received into the membership in the Evangelical Synod of North America at the conference of the Indiana District held in Louisville, Kentucky.

The 100th anniversary of St. Paul’s was celebrated in September 1950. Plans for an addition to the church which would include classrooms and office space were started in July 1954. After the successful progression of a building fund, the congregation approved the building of the addition on May 29th, 1955.

On June 25th, 1957, the church became known as St. Paul’s United Church of Christ.

In January 1973, the building committee presented a plan for razing all existing buildings and constructing a new church. The new structure would include a sanctuary to seat 300 people, 12 classrooms, and a church office. In September 1973, it was voted to remodel the present structure instead. During the 125th anniversary celebration in 1975, the newly remodeled church and parsonage were dedicated. Outreach to the community increased as more community groups made use of the church building for their activities.

In September 1980, St. Paul’s obtained designation as a historical landmark from the Kentucky Heritage committee. The congregation continued to grow, and outreach opportunities continued to increase. Alexandria United Ministries was formed, and St. Paul’s outreach/mission department played an important role in its organization.

In 1991, St. Paul’s Church began a community outreach program for preschoolers called Rainbow Day School. Initially, it was a children’s play group, but it evolved into a learning program. Unfortunately, the Christian Education Board was unable to secure teachers for the 1996-1997 year despite the increasing number of students, and the program ended.

 Through the years, St. Paul’s Church has continued to grow and serve the community, while many of the traditions and values have stayed the same.  Since 1850 there have been 44 serving ministers. The majority of the ministers served St. Paul’s for 5 years or less.  There were a few that stayed 7 to 10 years and one who served for 23 years. Several generations of families have remained at St. Paul’s and many of the current members have been there since they were children.  The current active membership is 130 people.  The congregation as a whole is like a family; a community of people who have come together to worship and serve the Lord, one another, and the wider community.