This is a letter that I received from the pastor of the church. This is "probably" the church where some of the Wayne Co., TN families went before coming west. Donna ----- Original Message ----- From: W. N. Hoss To: Donna Duckworth Sent: Monday, April 08, 2002 5:08 PM Subject: Church records - Just a synopsis: Saint Paul's is the oldest Lutheran church in Alamance County, NC, with worship conducted here as early as 1745 with duly elected deacons and elders in charge of religious services. Itinerant pastors preached here as early as 1759 until 1764. Because 1770 marked the earliest documented date for the church organization, this date is used on the cornerstone of the church's fourth and current structure constructed in 1960. The first church was a log structure built around 1789 and was a Union church with the German Reformed until 1800 when the Reformed members withdrew and built a church of their own. The church was originially called Graves Church because it was built on 60 acres of land given by the Jacob Graves family. The name was changed to Saint Paul's about 1849. Pastor Adolphus Nussman arrived in America from Germany in 1773 and was the first ordained Lutheran minister in North Carolina. He served Saint Paul's and other Lutheran churches in cent! ral and western North Carolina from 1775 to 1789. The Reverend W. N. (Bill) Hoss has served as Pastor since July of 1999. I will have to see if I can track down any records prior to 1800. I doubt it, but we shall see. Your friend in Christ, Bill Hoss

Donna, This is "definitely" the church that some of the Wayne County, TN families attended before moving west. Michael Shofner, the original Shofner/Shoffner immigrant, and his wife plus Michael Fogelman, the original Fogelman immigrant and brother-in-law of Michael Shofner, and his wife are buried there and their graves are well marked. The Michael Shofner line in particular had many, many contacts and inter-marriages with the Cooks who later moved to Bedford County, TN and beyond. If any early records for St. Paul's Lutheran Church can be found, and it is unlikely in my opinion, they should be a gold mine for all of us. Robert Nicholson ----- Original Message ----- From: James Duckworth To: Sheron (Pruitt) Reid ; Cook-L ; Nelda (Cook) ; Robert (Cook) Nicholson ; Bud Cooke Sent: Tuesday, April 09, 2002 9:47 AM Subject: Fw: Church records - This is a letter that I received from the pastor of the church. This is "probably" the church where some of the Wayne Co., TN families went before coming west. Donna ----- Original Message ----- From: W. N. Hoss To: Donna Duckworth Sent: Monday, April 08, 2002 5:08 PM Subject: Church records - Just a synopsis: Saint Paul's is the oldest Lutheran church in Alamance County, NC, with worship conducted here as early as 1745 with duly elected deacons and elders in charge of religious services. Itinerant pastors preached here as early as 1759 until 1764. Because 1770 marked the earliest documented date for the church organization, this date is used on the cornerstone of the church's fourth and current structure constructed in 1960. The first church was a log structure built around 1789 and was a Union church with the German Reformed until 1800 when the Reformed members withdrew and built a church of their own. The church was originially called Graves Church because it was built on 60 acres of land given by the Jacob Graves family. The name was changed to Saint Paul's about 1849. Pastor Adolphus Nussman arrived in America from Germany in 1773 and was the first ordained Lutheran minister in North Carolina. He served Saint Paul's and other Lutheran churches in ce! ntral and western North Carolina from 1775 to 1789. The Reverend W. N. (Bill) Hoss has served as Pastor since July of 1999. I will have to see if I can track down any records prior to 1800. I doubt it, but we shall see. Your friend in Christ, Bill Hoss