In 1837, as a desire for English-speaking services was growing, a group of members from the Reformed congregation united with a similar group from the Lutheran Church, and organized a new English-speaking church, Trinity Lutheran. Around the same time, Rev. Dr. Herbruck actively cooperated in establishing the first Theological Seminary in Canton. 

The 1830’s and the 1840’s were marked by two major and related national trends: the Temperance Movement and the Second Great Awakening. Both trends impacted the city of Canton in profound ways. Steadfast through these turbulent times, Rev. Herbruck sought to lead from a place of fidelity to Scripture and the longstanding traditions of the Church. As a result, he emerged as an outstanding religious leader in the State of Ohio.

The building of the Pittsburgh-Fort Wayne railroad through Canton in 1851 brought industry, jobs, and another wave of German and Swiss immigrants. Membership in the church grew quickly, and Union Church was bursting at the seams. In 1858, as it became apparent that the two congregations would grow into their own identities, Rev. Herbruck took it upon himself to raise the money for a new church building.