By Norma Dittman Believe it or not, 2026 marks the 140th anniversary of the founding of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Fulda, MN, and the 70th anniversary of the dedication of its current church building. An anniversary celebration is planned for Sunday, July 26.
St. Paul’s current pastor, Shawn Ethridge, will lead the service. All are welcome to attend this anniversary celebration.
“Christ our Cornerstone: Trust in Him,” based on Ephesians 2:20 and 1 Peter 2:6, is the theme for the church’s celebration.
The church’s history began when missionaries of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod visited the Fulda community in the early 1870s. Their purpose was to share the Gospel of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ with early settlers spoken in the German language.
In 1871, missionary G. E. Ahner, stationed near Blue Earth, Minnesota, founded the first Lutheran Mission in Jackson County. His mission activities continued into Cottonwood and Murray Counties.
August Daeschlein, the first Lutheran pastor to live in Fulda, came from Brewster (then known as Hersey) in 1880. Because of an injury and failing health, Daeschlein died in 1883. For the next three years, the pastors serving St. Peter’s Congregation in Jackson County also served the Fulda Lutherans (Pastor C. W. Nickels and Pastor J. F. Rubel from Delafield-Rost Parish).
Recorded history states that St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church of Fulda was officially organized on March 28, 1886. Present at the first meeting were Julius Ziebarth, Edward Kickul, Gottfried Hempel, Lorenz Dobereiner, John Gritz and Charles R. Brandt.
M. V. Schneider was the pastor who was called to serve the new parish. He arrived in the fall of 1886.
The congregation has been blessed with sixteen full-time pastors throughout its 140 years. Pastor Ethridge has served the congregation since 2012 - 14 years of his 28 years in the ministry.
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church’s current church building was dedicated on July 1, 1956. Approximately 6,500 hours of labor were donated by the members of the congregation to build the church, between 1955 and 1956. The architect was William A. Schaefer, Minneapolis, MN; working with the Hattendorf Construction Company, Ocheyedan, IA as builder. The foreman for the building project was Leonard F. Glade.
The church is built of Kasota Split-face Ashlar stone, with Plum Valley stone in the interior in the chancel, narthex, and chapel.
Prior to the current building, the congregation worshiped in a church that it built in 1900. The church was constructed several blocks away from where its school was located. The building is now a home in Slayton, MN.
The 140th Celebration on Sunday, July 26, begins with a 9:00 a.m. Festival Worship Service, followed by a group photo which will be taken on the south side of the church.
There will be History Trivia and other games, as well as a short program with music.
Church memorabilia will be on display in the History Room exhibition.
The noon menu is a Hot Beef Dinner with cake & ice cream.
For additional information, please call Pastor Ethridge (320-808-9242, mobile) or contact Darcy Uttech at the church office (507-425-2258).
St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church is located at 400 N. Maryland Avenue in Fulda.
