History

The Bern Apostolic Christian Church is located five miles southeast of Bern, Kansas, and was the first Apostolic Christian Church established in Kansas. The church was founded in the late 1800s as families migrated to the area.

A charter was established for the Apostolic Christian Church at Seneca, Nemaha County, Kansas on October 14, 1880. The stated purpose was "for worshipping God, diffusing the Word of God, and spreading the Christian religion and principles of truth, brotherhood and integrity." Four of the organizers included John Leuthold, Christian Aeschliman, Adolph Marti, and John Wenger. Two acres for a church and cemetery were donated by John Wenger.

Construction on a new church building did not begin until 1895. Located in Washington Township, the little church was a 42 ft. x 64 ft room. A dining room was added on later that year. The Sunday School was located in a 24 ft. x 36 ft. building north of the church building. German school was held there in the winter. Gottlieb Hohulin of Goodfield, Illinois was the first teacher. Jacob Leuthold, Gottlieb Streit, Matthias Strahm, Sr., John Wenger and Christ Heiniger were some of the early ministers. Jacob Edelman followed by Rudolph Locher served as elder in the early to mid 1900s.

A full basement, Sunday School rooms, a dining area and a kitchen were added to the church building during a remodel in 1947. The following year, the church had one of its largest "in-gatherings" when 27 people were baptized.

In April 1970, construction began on a new church building. This building was located just north of the old one on two acres of land purchased from Marie Edelman. Church members and friends donated most of the labor. Dedication services were conducted by Elder Noah Schrock of Oakville, Iowa on May 14, 1972. In 1984, a Sunday School was added on due to an increase in church attendance. The cost of the addition was $235,000, which was almost as much as what the church had cost when it was built in 1970-1972.