
Branches:	ACCA
Date Founded:	1982
Attendance 2024:	400
Website:	BlufftonNorth.com
Other Local Froelich Churches:
Bluffton Country
Bluffton(CAC)

History

In 1851, two men, Ulrich Kipfer and Matthias Strahm along with their families emigrated from Switzerland to America. Both were from Anabaptist congregations and eventually settled around an established Anabaptist congregation in Indiana. One year later, when the leader of their new congregation passed away, the church fell into years of confusion and conflict. Ulrich and Matthias remembered a congregation of the Apostolic Church in Sardis, Ohio, and walked 260 miles to visit it.

Although Ulrich and Matthias’ stay in Sardis was brief, it created a lasting legacy. They met Isaac Gerhing and Joseph Bella and discussed the Christian faith. Both men committed their lives to Christ and joined the new church. They traveled back to their home and eagerly told their friends and family what they had learned. Later, Joseph Bella traveled to Indiana to reunite with Ulrich and Matthias. While there, he baptized 18 people, and the Bluffton Apostolic Church was born. In the years that followed, it experienced great growth.

The original church met in houses until it built a small church in 1867. This church became too small, and a new church was built in 1897 with a seating capacity of 450 people. In 1949, the church once again became too small for its congregation, and a new church was built to seat 1,500 people. When in 1981 the congregation once again outgrew their building, they elected to build a separate church a few miles away and start a new congregation.

This new 25,000 square-foot church was built on what was then the northern edge of the city of Bluffton. In order to distinguish it from the Bluffton congregation, it was dubbed Bluffton North. The new congregation held its first services on Thanksgiving Day, 1982. While Bluffton North is a separate congregation than the Bluffton church, the two churches remain close to this day.

Following the Eldership of Orville Ringger, Bluffton Country, Phil Stettner was ordained as the first Elder at Bluffton North on 2/05/1984. On April 13th of 2008 Phil was succeeded by Steve Ringger as Elder, and Dan Pfister was ordained in 2021.

Ministers

Ministers
Name	Born	Baptized	Minister	Elder	Retired	Wife	Also Served
Wendell W. Gerber	8/13/1925	1/16/1944	3/4/1967		5/12/1991	Wanda Moser	Fort Lauderdale
Carroll Gerber	7/10/1934	6/15/1952	10/10/1976		10/10/2004	Louise Bertsch
Phillip H. Stettner	1/16/1943	1/13/1963	2/22/1978	2/5/1984	10/31/2010	Maureen Frank
Nile V. Bucher	3/11/1942	5/11/1958	12/2/1984		6/15/2012	Phyllis Isch
Doyle Frauhiger	2/9/1943	7/28/1963	4/17/1988		2/21/2021	Jane Kaehr
Steve R. Ringger	4/6/1951	4/8/1973	4/17/1988	4/13/2008	12/5/2021	Myra Gray
Steven A. Frauhiger	10/5/1951	4/8/1973	1/27/1993		2/23/2020	Irene Kaehr
Robert Jr. Meyer	11/24/1954	4/8/1973	1/27/1993		2008/2009	Ann Jones
John Baumgartner	2/9/1961	4/2/1978	1/30/2005		1/1/2009	Tammy Gerber
Timothy L. Drayer	6/1/1976	2/25/1996	2/7/2010			Gwen Kloter
Daniel W. Pfister	8/28/1962	11/7/1982	2/7/2010	3/21/2021		Sherry Stoller
Ryan Bertsch	10/8/1980	2/27/2000	6/3/2012			Jessica Yergler
Jeff Leman	10/1/1962	4/15/1978	6/3/2012			Val Ringger
Jeremy Frauhiger	1/13/1974	7/22/1990	10/15/2017			Sally Ringger
Preston Kaehr	8/10/1988	2/7/2004	10/15/2017		8/1/2025	Wendy Neuenschwander
Andrew Stoller	2/9/1979	9/24/1995	5/22/2022			Jenna Francesi

Attendance

Attendance
Year	Total	Members	Sunday School	Year	Total	Members	Sunday School
1986	-	325	165	2006	570	400	100
1989	-	325	165	2008	570	400	100
1992	700	397	190	2010	465	335	80
1994	700	400	190	2012	465	335	94
1996	700	400	190	2014	465	335	94
1998	700	400	190	2016	450	305	114
2000	675	425	150	2018	455	310	109
2002	675	425	150	2020	435	305	115
2004	675	425	150	2022	430	285	130
2006	570	400	100	2024	400	275	115

Cemetery

Old Cemetery Records New Cemetery Records