remains a seminary of the United Church of Christ. In the early 20th century, the Evangelical Synod became active in the ecumenical movement, joining the Federal Council of Churches and pursuing church union. In 1934, it had 281,598 members and 1,227 pastors. At that time it joined with another denomination of German background, the Reformed Church in the United States, forming the Evangelical and Reformed Church. This church united, in turn, in 1957, with the General Council of Congregational Christian Churches to form the United Church of Christ. Notable people and congregations The oldest Evangelical Synod congregations are believed to be Femme Osage United Church of Christ near Augusta, Missouri; Bethlehem United Church of Christ in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Saint John's-Saint Luke Evangelical and Reformed United Church of Christ in Detroit, Michigan; or The United Church in Washington, D.C., each of which were founded in 1833. The oldest Lutheran church in Chicago, Illinois, was an Evangelical Synod congregation. The Deutsche Evangelische Lutherische Sankt Paulus Gemeinde (German Evangelical Lutheran St. Pauls Congregation) was founded in 1843 and is now known as St. Pauls United Church of Christ. Zion Evangelical and Reformed Church, St. Joseph, Missouri, was founded 1858 by Rev. Heckmann to serve the families who had come from various parts of Germany who were part Lutheran, part United and part Reformed. The new congregation was named The United Evangelical Protestant Congregation of St. Joseph, Missouri. The Zion Evangelical Church in Cleveland, Ohio, was founded in 1867. The merger of the Evangelical Synod and the Reformed Church in the United States took place in this building on June 26–27, 1934. Reinhold Niebuhr and H. Richard Niebuhr, two siblings who developed strong reputations during the mid-20th century for their theological acumen, were both members of the Evangelical Synod and its successors. References Further reading Builders of Our Foundations - A History of the First Evangelical Church of the Synod, Henry Bode, D.D.; Webster Groves, Missouri: self-published, 1940 External links "The Deaconess Movement in 19th-century America: pioneer professional women" by Ruth W. Rasche in Hidden History in the United Church of Christ. Former Christian denominations Lutheran denominations in North America United Church of Christ Reformed denominations in the United States United Church of Christ predecessor churches