Saint Paul Area Council of Churches

The Saint Paul Area Council of Churches, originally known as the Ramsey County Sunday School Association, was first organized in 1906. As the early name suggests, the group's original mission was to coordinate and sponsor Christian education and leadership training for children and adults in the St. Paul area. Beginning with the Leadership Training School, the Lay School of Religion, and the Vacation Church School Institutes in 1916, the Association soon offered an extensive program of classes for all ages. The Weekday Church Schools were inaugurated in 1924 to provide released time religious education to public school children and soon became the association's signature program. At its height in the 1940s, the classes enrolled close to 2,000 fourth, fifth, and sixth graders in St. Paul public schools.

While the Weekday Church Schools continued to maintain a high profile through the 1960s, by 1943 other programming and functions had expanded so greatly that the board felt the name of the organization no longer adequately reflected its purpose. A new corporation, the St. Paul Council of Churches, was formed. In addition to its role in providing Christian education opportunities, the new Council focused on interdenominational activities and the promotion of the ecumenical movement as well as a strong commitment to social services in the community. Prompted by the growth of the metropolitan area, a final name change in 1962 brought it to its current title, the St. Paul Area Council of Churches (SPACC).

A separate organization, the St. Paul Lutheran Council, was formed in 1945 to play a similar role for the Lutheran churches. For a quarter of a century it worked alongside the SPACC providing parallel services, including its own weekday church school program. Ultimately, however, it merged into the larger SPACC, finding by 1971 that it was unable to garner enough support in the Lutheran community alone.

By 1988 the SPACC described itself as "a cooperative ministry uniting over 150 member congregations . . . in service and ecumenical witness" and providing a broad range of services including direct pastoral care and social services to persons or groups with special needs, assistance to congregations, and education and advocacy for social change. Programs included chaplaincies in adult and juvenile corrections centers, police chaplaincy corps, the department of Indian work, hunger relief, and support for neighborhood clusters of congregations and clergy, as well as addressing other community needs.

From the guide to the Council of churches records., 1903-1994 (bulk 1943-1994)., (Minnesota Historical Society)