History

The Junction congregation of the Apostolic Christian Church started during the Civil War. The rural church is in Auglaize Township, Paulding County, OH - ½ mile east of SR 637 on CR 168. God planted the seed first in the heart of Christopher Dotterer, then in his family, and then among his German-speaking neighbors. Christopher, Fransiska, and their children left Eppingen, Germany, and came to Morrow County, Ohio in 1849 and on to Paulding County in 1851. Between 1849 and 1863, an Evangelical Baptist church of the Samuel Froehlich movement was established in Eppingen. Christopher returned to Eppingen to visit relatives in 1863. There, he met members of the Evangelical Baptist Church. When he became convicted of sin and felt his need of a Savior, they told him of congregations in Leo, IN and Archbold, OH - each about 30 miles from his home. 

Christopher (age 53) and Fransiska (57) were baptized in Leo on 3/15/1864. Their son, Henry C. (28), was baptized 2/20/1865 and married in the faith on 3/17/1867. Christopher, who died in 1875, and Henry C. visited their German-speaking neighbors. Most of them belonged to some other faith, but the Lord blessed their efforts. One by one, they were added to the fold. By 1874, there were five more baptisms - followed by 11 in the 1880s and 19 in the 1890s.

Henry C. became the first minister in 1870 and the first elder in 1893. His first wife died in 1885, and he remarried. All twelve of Henry C.’s children who reached adulthood became members of the church and remained so to the time of their death. The Manzes came from his daughter, Anna, and the Schlatters from his son, Andrew.

Other early families were Edward and Christina Reimschisel, Philip and Eva Wittmer, George and Verona Brinkman, John and Barbara Hoffer, William and Christina Levy, Jacob and Elizabeth Schifferly, Charles and Mary Dotterer, Andrew and Katherine Schrenk, John George and Katherina Dotterer, Samuel and Eliza Dotterer, Adam and Frances Miller, Joseph and Anna Reineck, Frederich and Elizabeth Groh, William and Catherine Groh, John Heenig, Jacob and Anna Manz, and Gottlieb and Sophia Wahl.

They gathered in homes until the first white frame church building was built on the present site in 1892. This church was remodeled by adding a second story in 1913. A new brick building was built in 1968. In 1990, the church was greatly enlarged with a new assembly room. In 2020, a Sunday school addition was completed. The current assembly holds about 320 persons - with dining facilities for about 100. Attendance includes 130 members and 91 Sunday School scholars – with a total attendance of 270 from 68 households.

From Henry C.’s death in May 1905, Henry Souder, Sr of Leo, IN served as non-resident elder for 18 years. Elias Dotterer was ordained the second resident elder on 3/14/1923 and served for 28 years. George Sinn of Latty, OH served as non-resident elder for 20 years, followed by Loren Stoller of Latty, OH for 19 years. Bill Schlatter was ordained the third resident elder on 4/22/1990 and served for 29 years. Tony Manz was ordained the fourth resident elder on 4/28/2019 and continues to serve.

Ministers who have served the church are Henry C. Dotterer (installed in 1870), Andrew Schrenk (1892), John Heenig (?), Joseph Reineck (1905), Elias Dotterer (1914), Jacob Manz (1928), Andrew Dotterer (1928), Henry Manz (1951), Ben Schlatter (1951), Ben Manz (1969), Sam Schlatter (1972), Bill Schlatter (1977), Don Manz (1977), Warren Schlatter (2005), Tony Manz (2005), Michael Schneider (2016), Sam Manz (2020), and Jim Manz (2020). 

What later became the Apostolic Christian Church in America was founded about 1832 by Samuel Froehlich in Switzerland. Within 35 years of Froehlich’s first missionary journey - despite intense persecutions, there were 110 Evangelical Baptist congregations in Europe. The faith arrived in America in 1847 - when youthful elder Benedict Weyeneth was sent to Croghan, NY. The first congregation in Ohio was Sardis (Monroe County) in 1848, followed by Mansfield (Richland County) in 1850, Rittman (Wayne County) in 1855, and Archbold (Fulton County) in 1855. Today, there are 94 congregations in the USA, Canada, Mexico, and Japan.