Evangelicals in Wisconsin
The Evangelical Association or Church came into being around 1803 when a group of German-speaking Methodists were refused recognition by the Methodist Episcopal Church. John Lutz brought the German Methodist gospel to Wisconsin in 1840 when he took up a mission field under the auspices of the Evangelical Association in Milwaukee. The increasing number of Germans in Wisconsin prompted visits from other ministers and circuit riders who blanketed the state in the 1840s. Since preachers often officiated in both English and German, Evangelicals proved to be a potent force in attracting Germans to the state. By 1889, the Church had congregations in all the principal cities and towns and a total membership of 11,588.
Wisconsin's Cultural Resources Study Units, Wisconsin Historical Society
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