A Brief History of Swiss Church

From its inception in 1867 until 2002, Swiss Church was known as St. John’s Evangelical Church. The first church services were held in a small log shed one mile north of Swiss, and have been at the current location in Swiss since 1888. The church was founded by German immigrants to Gasconade County, as part of the German Evangelical Church, in the Reformed tradition, and continues to hold to the historic Reformed faith today.

In 1927, the parent denomination dropped the word “German” from its title, and became the Evangelical Synod of North America. Seven years later in 1934, they joined the Reformed Church in North America, another denomination of German background. Together they formed a new body, the Evangelical and Reformed Church. In 1957 another merger took place when the Evangelical and Reformed Church joined with the General Council of Congregational Christian Churches to form the United Church of Christ (UCC). Swiss remained part of the UCC for over 40 years.

In 1998, the church voted to leave the UCC and become independent, in an effort to maintain the Bible-centered focus upon which it was founded. In 2002, the name of the church was changed to Swiss Evangelical Reformed Church, in order to reflect the historical roots of the church dating back to the Protestant Reformation. Consistent with that history, Swiss Church today subscribes to two well-known historically Reformed confessional statements: The Westminster Confession of Faith, written in England in 1646, and the Heidelberg Catechism, written in Germany in 1563.

Swiss Church Today

Swiss Evangelical Reformed Church is situated on a picturesque six acre campus in Swiss, MO. We meet to worship the Living God at 9:00 am each Sunday to declare the best message a person could ever hear:

• Jesus Christ has risen from the dead, he is alive forever, and one day will return in power and glory to personally rule over the new heavens and the new earth.
• In his love and mercy God has given the gift of eternal life to every person who by faith will believe in him.
• The Bible is the true Word of God, preserved through the ages, that tells the timeless story of man’s creation, fall and redemption.

Our worship and study are centered on the Bible, so that we may know personally and intimately who God is, and how we might live a life that is pleasing to him, and in service to our fellow man.

Our worship is intimate and interactive, with a chance for everyone to share the concerns of their hearts and meet others. We all depart to serve God, instructed by the Bible and encouraged by the fellowship of the saints.

We have been a vital part of the Hermann community for 150 years, and exist to serve God by serving our fellow man.