Junction Church.
Branches:	ACCA
Date Founded:	1865
Attendance 2024:	270
Address:	13562 Road 147, Defiance, OH
Website:	Junctionacchurch.org

History

The Junction congregation of the Apostolic Christian Church started during the Civil War. The rural church is in Auglaize Township, Paulding County, OH - ½ mile east of SR 637 on CR 168. God planted the seed first in the heart of Christopher Dotterer, then in his family, and then among his German-speaking neighbors. Christopher, Fransiska, and their children left Eppingen, Germany, and came to Morrow County, Ohio in 1849 and on to Paulding County in 1851. Between 1849 and 1863, an Evangelical Baptist church of the Samuel Froehlich movement was established in Eppingen. Christopher returned to Eppingen to visit relatives in 1863. There, he met members of the Evangelical Baptist Church. When he became convicted of sin and felt his need of a Savior, they told him of congregations in Leo, IN and Archbold, OH - each about 30 miles from his home.

Christopher (age 53) and Fransiska (57) were baptized in Leo on 3/15/1864. Their son, Henry C. (28), was baptized 2/20/1865 and married in the faith on 3/17/1867. Christopher, who died in 1875, and Henry C. visited their German-speaking neighbors. Most of them belonged to some other faith, but the Lord blessed their efforts. One by one, they were added to the fold. By 1874, there were five more baptisms - followed by 11 in the 1880s and 19 in the 1890s.

Henry C. became the first minister in 1870 and the first elder in 1893. His first wife died in 1885, and he remarried. All twelve of Henry C.’s children who reached adulthood became members of the church and remained so to the time of their death. The Manzes came from his daughter, Anna, and the Schlatters from his son, Andrew.

Other early families were Edward and Christina Reimschisel, Philip and Eva Wittmer, George and Verona Brinkman, John and Barbara Hoffer, William and Christina Levy, Jacob and Elizabeth Schifferly, Charles and Mary Dotterer, Andrew and Katherine Schrenk, John George and Katherina Dotterer, Samuel and Eliza Dotterer, Adam and Frances Miller, Joseph and Anna Reineck, Frederich and Elizabeth Groh, William and Catherine Groh, John Heenig, Jacob and Anna Manz, and Gottlieb and Sophia Wahl.

They gathered in homes until the first white frame church building was built on the present site in 1892. This church was remodeled by adding a second story in 1913. A new brick building was built in 1968. In 1990, the church was greatly enlarged with a new assembly room. In 2020, a Sunday school addition was completed. The current assembly holds about 320 persons - with dining facilities for about 100. Attendance includes 130 members and 91 Sunday School scholars – with a total attendance of 270 from 68 households.

From Henry C.’s death in May 1905, Henry Souder, Sr of Leo, IN served as non-resident elder for 18 years. Elias Dotterer was ordained the second resident elder on 3/14/1923 and served for 28 years. George Sinn of Latty, OH served as non-resident elder for 20 years, followed by Loren Stoller of Latty, OH for 19 years. Bill Schlatter was ordained the third resident elder on 4/22/1990 and served for 29 years. Tony Manz was ordained the fourth resident elder on 4/28/2019 and continues to serve.

Ministers who have served the church are Henry C. Dotterer (installed in 1870), Andrew Schrenk (1892), John Heenig (?), Joseph Reineck (1905), Elias Dotterer (1914), Jacob Manz (1928), Andrew Dotterer (1928), Henry Manz (1951), Ben Schlatter (1951), Ben Manz (1969), Sam Schlatter (1972), Bill Schlatter (1977), Don Manz (1977), Warren Schlatter (2005), Tony Manz (2005), Michael Schneider (2016), Sam Manz (2020), and Jim Manz (2020).

Ministers

Ministers
Name	Born	Baptized	Minister	Deacon	Elder	Retired	Wife
John Heenig	2/26/1826					1/1/1916
Henry C. Dotterer	9/29/1836	2/20/1865	1/1/1870		4/1/1893	5/1/1903	Lydia Steiner
Andrew Schrenk	10/16/1836		9/1/1892			11/26/1914	Katharine Dotterer
Joseph Reineck	4/5/1852	<1871	1/1/1905			7/7/1927	Anna Baumer
Elias Dotterer	6/5/1881	11/14/1897	10/1/1914		3/14/1923	2/15/1952	Minnie Wahl
Andrew Dotterer	7/5/1890	6/20/1909	2/12/1928			12/1/1962	Leona Stoller
Jacob Manz	11/21/1861	8/1/1882	2/12/1928			2/13/1936	Anna Dotterer
Henry Manz	11/9/1893	11/15/1914	6/3/1951			8/1/1973	Lena Suttor
Benjamin Schlatter	9/17/1917	6/12/1938	6/3/1951			10/28/1969	Esther Dotterer
Ben Manz	12/25/1931	9/25/1960	3/23/1969			11/24/2011	Carolyn Steffen
Samuel Schlatter	12/28/1950	6/12/1966	4/30/1972			6/14/2023	Linda Morrison
Donald Manz	6/3/1950	9/1/1968	7/9/1977			7/19/2020	Connie Ehnle
William Schlatter	10/23/1948	6/12/1966	7/9/1977	3/6/1988	4/22/1990	3/22/2020	Emily Heinold
Tony Manz	3/22/1977	8/11/1996	6/11/2005		4/28/2019		Denise Knecht
Warren Schlatter	6/16/1973	8/19/1990	6/11/2005				Cindy Sinn
Michael D. Schneider	10/23/1979	2/27/1994	10/12/2016				Jodi Ifft
Jim Manz	7/3/1989	4/27/2008	10/25/2020				Elizabeth Schrenk
Sam Manz	1/9/1979	2/25/1996	10/25/2020				Shelby Sinn

Attendance

Attendance
Year	Total	Members	Sunday School	Year	Total	Members	Sunday School
1953	-	43	10	1996	178	69	78
1956	-	40	22	1998	195	78	74
1959	-	35	21	2000	197	86	69
1962	-	34	29	2002	193	95	56
1965	-	37	35	2004	200	103	55
1968	-	38	35	2006	217	103	47
1971	-	41	30	2008	214	103	51
1974	-	48	25	2010	233	113	58
1977	-	54	19	2012	254	115	71
1980	-	57	19	2014	270	119	83
1983	-	56	32	2016	289	125	99
1986	-	62	40	2018	281	121	99
1989	-	62	62	2020	284	127	102
1992	176	63	79	2022	267	128	95
1994	178	69	80	2024	279	130	91

Cemetery

Latty Cemetery