Eden United Church of Christ on Eden Avenue in Affton, St. Louis, is known for a long local history, traditional Sunday worship and an active music life. Organized in 1912, Eden has welcomed generations through baptisms, confirmations, marriages and funerals. Its Sunday gathering at 10:30 a.m. includes a children’s message, Holy Communion on the first Sunday of the month, classes for children and adults, nursery care, and participation in the sanctuary, on Zoom or through a YouTube livestream.
From Eight Men in February 1912
The congregation traces its beginning to February 1912, when local men gathered at the home of Henry Hertel. William Stolz, Henry Krueger Jr., Henry Klingeman, Louis Pruetzel, Bernhardt Kettler, Claus Treuel, Henry Binder and Henry Staas attended. The group formally organized on February 29 at McKenzie School, now the Affton School District’s central office. They chose the name Eden Evangelical and appointed a committee to purchase land in the heart of Affton and establish services. By March, the committee had bought a lot from Mary E. Berry for $1,000.
The first service was held April 14, 1912, at Christ Episcopal Church on New Hampshire and Aliceton, and continued there until Eden’s own building was ready. A construction contract went to Lueke & Bopp of Kirkwood Construction with an estimated cost of $12,007.71. One enduring feature is the sanctuary’s pressed tin ceiling, obtained from Clabes Hardware a few blocks east on Gravois. The Rev. R. Gottfried Kurz became the first pastor, with Professor Baur of Eden Seminary ministering until Kurz’s installation. The cornerstone was laid October 13, 1912, and Christmas worship was held in the still-incomplete building.
The dedication on April 27, 1913 began with a short farewell service at Christ Episcopal, then everyone marched through the woods to the new building. Morning and special afternoon services were in German, while the evening service was in English. Roughly 1,000 guests attended, many arriving by streetcar and then wagon. Pastors from Evangelical churches and choirs from as far as Baden joined the celebration. Because of the crowd, the pastor moved to the church steps and repeated his presentation for those unable to enter the sanctuary.
From the start, Eden supported a Sunday School and a Ladies Guild. The Ladies Guild paid for altar furnishings, carpet and silver communion ware. A Young Peoples’ League, choir, drama society, band and sewing circle followed, and picnics and apple butter making became early traditions. The early Eden pattern combined Sunday school, music, fellowship, service and shared meals.
Those first activities gave the new congregation ways to learn, serve and spend time together. Sunday school and the Ladies Guild offered distinct forms of participation, while the additional groups and traditions created an active social life around worship. The same combination of education, music, fellowship and service continues to shape life at Eden today.
A Traditional Sunday at 10:30
Sunday worship begins at 10:30 a.m. The service is traditional, varies from week to week and usually lasts about 60 minutes. People may join in the sanctuary, on Zoom or watch through Eden’s YouTube channel, which carries the Sunday livestream. Online participants receive the weekly worship bulletin and Zoom access details. For in-person worship, face masks are welcome but not required.
Eden calls itself a faith community with a warm heart, an open mind and an engaging spirit. Its welcome is explicit: no matter who people are or where they are on life’s journey, they are welcome. The church is a United Church of Christ congregation within mainline Reformed Protestantism and describes its church family as having deep roots of faith in Jesus Christ. The congregation’s ages range from newborn to nonagenarians. Eden is committed to serving, learning, nurturing and growing with God in faith and ministry in the community.
Children are part of the worship service rather than set aside from it. A children’s message is included, and after it, Sunday School is provided for children and youth. A nursery room is available during worship with a dedicated childcare assistant and volunteers. On the first Sunday of each month, families are encouraged to share Communion together, so nursery care is not offered then. Coffee Hour follows worship on most Sundays.
Each service includes an offering supporting the work of the congregation, the United Church of Christ and care for neighbors near and far. Donations are also accepted online. The congregation is accustomed to a wide range of dress, so visitors can wear whatever makes them feel most comfortable.
Learning Across the Generations
Adult Bible Study gathers at 9:00 a.m. on Sundays for reading and discussion of the written Word, before the later worship gathering. The Christian Education Team oversees child and adult Sunday school classes. It also organizes Rally Day, distribution of Bibles and Vacation Bible School, and supports fundraising for UNICEF and Heifer International. Learning, service and participation sit together in the life of the congregation.
Students in grades 6 through 12 have a monthly discussion group from September through May. Its curriculum includes specific study of the United Church of Christ and its Statement of Faith, an overview of the Bible, lessons on Jesus Christ, Old Testament stories and preparation for youth-oriented worship services. The teaching approach is interactive and discussion-oriented, with an aim of helping young people develop as thinking Christians. Sunday School for younger children continues alongside the worship gathering.
Monthly Gatherings for Adults of Every Age
All Together Group plans one activity each month, and adults of every age are welcome. Past gatherings have included a mystery show and dinner, a Grizzlies baseball outing, progressive dinners and concerts. The mix of meals, outings and performances creates a regular way for adults to spend time together beyond Sunday worship.
Music in Many Forms
The Worship and Music Ministry Team works with the organist or pianist, choir director and pastor to strengthen worship and prepare special services. Special occasions include Hanging of the Greens in Advent, Lenten study, Holy Week worship, Beatles Sunday and Sound of Music Sunday. Music Director Leah Milton also invites musicians to offer special music throughout the year.
The Eden Choir rehearses September through May, typically every other Wednesday at 7 p.m., preparing a choral anthem for the following Sunday. The Christmas Cantata follows a similar every-other-Wednesday, 7 p.m. schedule from September through December for a December Sunday performance. The Chime Choir meets on Wednesdays from June through August to prepare a monthly anthem for the end of that month’s Sunday worship. Performers are welcome in all three groups.
Another distinctive ministry is the Side By Side Ukes. Don Dempsey began it in 2019 after a member of St. Lucas United Church of Christ asked him to help start a ukulele band. A dozen musicians first gathered there for weekly practice and performances, including regular visits to Friendship Village. Don and Marlene later brought the group to Eden, where Eden members joined them and the band grew to about 25 regular participants at practice and performances. The song Side by Side became the favorite ending for practice and performance and gave the group its name. A songbook created by the members combines familiar hymns with contemporary tunes. The group welcomes new players and uses its music to serve the congregation and the wider community.
Special music is open throughout the year, and new players do not need a symphonic background. The stated aim of Side By Side is to use the members’ combined talents for meaningful music in service to the church and the community.
Mission Partners and Benevolence
Mission and outreach are central to Eden’s congregational life. The Mission and Outreach Team helps members live into the congregation’s Gospel mandate through community involvement and benevolence opportunities. Four mission partners stand alongside the church: Affton Christian Food Pantry, Habitat for Humanity St. Louis, Heifer International and Missouri Network for Opiate Reform and Recovery. The relationships extend Eden’s work beyond worship and connect it with local and wider organizations.
Giving is another expression of the church’s work. Contributions support the congregation, the UCC and care for neighbors near and far. Gifts can be made in worship, mailed to Eden or submitted through secure online giving with a debit or credit card or bank account. Both one-time and recurring gifts are supported. Eden holds one annual fundraiser, the Christmas Cookie Sale, and Music Bingo is another fundraising activity.
Lay Leadership and Staff
United Church of Christ churches are self-governed through their own constitutions and bylaws and are directed by elected lay leaders. Eden organizes this work through teams with defined responsibilities. The Worship and Music team supports special services and music. The Christian Education team oversees child and adult classes and activities such as Vacation Bible School, Rally Day and Bible distribution. The Evangelism team focuses on the growth and care of the congregation. Mission and Outreach directs service and benevolence opportunities, while Building and Grounds maintains the church, parsonage and rental property.
The Rev. Courtney Montgomery Martin is pastor. Raised in Georgia and a Missouri resident since 2016, she has served congregations in Georgia, Illinois and Missouri, served on the Missouri Mid-South Conference of the UCC and spent a summer volunteering with the Iona Community in Scotland. Leah Milton, music director, teaches general music and serves as a chorus accompanist for fifth and sixth grades at Dorris Intermediate School in Collinsville, Illinois. A friendly office administrator keeps schedules and inquiries coordinated, while dedicated nursery staff and volunteers care for children during worship.
This shared structure allows the church’s many ministries to be rooted in lay responsibility while regular pastoral, musical, office and nursery work supports daily congregational life.
A Continuing Story in Affton
Eden’s identity combines a 1912 foundation with a changing range of ministries. Traditional worship, first-Sunday Communion, children’s messages, Sunday School, adult Bible study, nursery care, monthly gatherings, choirs, a ukulele band, mission partners and elected lay governance all belong to the same church. At its center remains Sunday worship at 10:30 on Eden Avenue in Affton, where people from newborn to nonagenarian ages are received into a congregation committed to serving, learning, nurturing and growing in faith and ministry.