Our History

Founded in 1870

The Emmanuel congregation was founded in 1870 as an outreach mission of the Evangelical Association church in Neenah.  Two years later, in 1872 our first church building was built on the corner of Durkee and Franklin Streets.  This white clapboard church served the congregation until 1901.  In 1901 the congregation built a larger building on the same site.  The cost for the new church was $8,000 and it was completely paid for before construction was complete.  In 1952 a third church building was constructed on the corner of College Avenue and Meade Street.  This building has served Emmanuel ever since with a major Christian Education wing added in the 1970.  An elevator was added in 2008 making the church handicap accessible to all three floors.

1870 Evangelical Association

1947 Evangelical United Brethren

1968 United Methodist

Emmanuel comes out of the Evangelical Association tradition.  Our congregation founded in 1870 during the days of the Circuit Rider was one of the charges of the Neenah Evangelical Association’s Circuit.  In 1884 Emmanuel became part of the Appleton Circuit.

The Evangelical Association and United Brethren Church denominations merged in 1947 forming the Evangelical United Brethren Church (the EUB) denomination and in 1968 the EUB and the Methodist Church merged to form the United Methodist Church.

The Evangelical Association and the United Brethren Church both originated in the early 1800s in eastern Pennsylvania among German speaking Americans and like the Methodist Church, an English speaking denomination, spread west as the nation was settled.  All three denominations were similar in theology and liturgy from the very beginning and as the years unfolded and language differences disappeared they set aside smaller differences for a greater good, a church united in the name of Jesus Christ.

Pastors who have served Emmanuel

2004    Rev. Mark Geisthardt

1996    Rev. David Kalas

1992    Rev. Bob LeCount

1991     Rev. John Eldred

1986    Rev. Ruwal Freese

1983    Rev. David Warren

1982    Rev. Carol Smith

1978    Rev. Bruce Bartel

1970    Rev. Wendell Rex

1966    Rev. R. L. Ferch

1961     Rev. F. A. Dauner

1951     Rev. Franklin Schlueter

1943    Rev. Soloman Cramer

1931     Rev. G. H. Blum

1927    Rev. J. F. Neinstedt

1921     Rev H. A. Bernhardt

1916     Rev. H. J. Droegkamp

1913     Rev. J. E. Klein

1908    Rev F. J. Sievert

1905    Rev. C. Weigand

1902    Rev R. Eilert

1899    Rev. D. Barowski

1896    Rev. J. G. F. Zimmerman

1890    Rev. J. L. Runkel

1887    Rev. J. L. Stroebel

1884    Rev. F. Huelster

1881     Rev J. L. Runkel

1878    Rev. W. Zecherick

1876    Rev. F. Nickel

1873    Rev. C. Lahr

1871     Rev. H. Schelp, assisted by Rev. F. Nickel

1870    Rev. G. Zellhofer

Our current church building at 740 E. College Avenue, Appleton, Wisconsin

From the parking lot with the ramped entryway

Our ramped entryway off the parking lot

From Meade Street, looking southwest

From Meade Street, looking west, our Meade Street Entrance and front door

From College Avenue, looking north toward our front door