Ocker Brethren Church

Ocker Brethren Church. . A group of deeply devoted followers of the Unity of the Brethren faith were among the Czech immigrant families who settled in this area of eastern Bell County in the late 1870s and established the farming community of Ocker. The group initially worshiped informally in their homes. Annual visits from 1884 to 1891 by the Rev. Henry Juren and the Rev. Bohuslav Emil Lacjak encouraged them to organize. The Evangelical Congregation of the Bohemian and Moravian Brethren of Ocker was established in 1892. The dedication of their first church building, erected in 1893, was conducted by the Rev. Juren and the Rev. Adolph Chlumsky, noted early Czech community preachers. The church cemetery was established later that year., Membership in the church grew from 52 families in 1900 to 92 families in 1925. A new church and Sunday school building was erected at this site in 1931 to meet the spiritual needs of a growing congregation. By the mid-1940s, English had replaced Czech as the language used in Sunday school and worship services., The congregation was served by part-time pastors until 1981, when a full-time pastor was called. The church continues to serve the local community with spiritual guidance and outreach programs.