St. Paul Lutheran Church Flatrock Township, Ohio History - 1851-2026. Part 4.

Our Sister Congregation St Paul Flatrock is celebrating it’s 175 Anniversary on August 23rd 2026. I thought it would be nice to share some of that history!

Last time we discussed how in the year 1858 the faithful Lutheran pastor Adolph William Bergt began to serve St Paul Flatrock.

Pastor Paul Rupprecht, called from Minnesota, became the successor of Pastor Bergt. His field of work was rather large. Resigning at St. James, Fulton County, where he had been installed on June 5, 1864, he served our congregation in addition to St. John's, Ridgeville Township, and St. Paul's, Napoleon.

When three years later Williams County was added to Pastor Rupprecht's field, an assistant in the person of John Peter Karrer, was given him. Pastor Karrer was installed in Flatrock and in Napoleon on September 1, 1867. At first our pastor resided in Flatrock Township, but after a year with us he moved to Napoleon. Pastor Karrer's work expanded. St. John's, Freedom Township, also came under his care. On September 18, 1870, assistance was given by the arrival of Candidate Adalbert Krafft. On that day the latter was inducted into office at St. Paul by Pastor Detzer. In the resultant division of work Pastor Krafft also took over the duties at St. John's-Michaelis, Florida.

When on September 24, 1871, Pastor Krafft was installed as pastor of the St. James, Fulton County, and St. John, Ridgeville Township, congregations, he could no longer serve St. Paul because of the distance. Therefore, St. Paul, along with four other congregations in and around Napoleon, called Pastor Henry Ludwig Dulitz of Huntington, Indiana.

Although he was called in December, 1871, Pastor Dulitz was not able to move into the vicinity until some months later. Residing in Napoleon, he served the congregation there and our congregation, as well as St. Paul and Zion in Hanover Settlement, and St. John in Freedom Township.

Apparently no notice was taken of the congregation's 25th anniversary in 1876 since the pastor had much work to do. In the fall of the year 1883 the health of Pastor Dulitz began to fail. Finding no relief for the severe headaches which beset him, he resigned his pastorate in August of 1884. He had served St. Paul faithfully for twelve years. After moving to Detroit and serving as an assistant pastor there, he died on November 27, 1885, at the age of 65 years.