USA > Washington DC > History of St. Paul's English Lutheran Church : and of the work of the church and Sunday school for the semi-centennial year, including additional reports to June 30, 1893, with a synopsis of the semi-centennial services of the church and Sunday school, April 16 and 17, 1893 > Part 7
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Then came the glad day of dedication, with Drs. Morris and Conrad in the pulpit and a congregation filling every inch of space in the church. There were present the President of the United States, some inem- bers of the Cabinet and of Congress, and other dignita- ries of the land.
With hearts beating with gratitude to God, we dedi- cated St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Now our success seemed assured, but the work was to be carried on by other hands, for it was at this time that the pastor, suffering from the effect of overwork, succumbed to several attacks of vertigo, and on two occasions he was overcome in the pulpit. After consul- tation with several physicians their decision made his resignation imperative, and with a sad heart he bade. adieu to St. Paul's and Washington City.
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Throughout the long period intervening since his connection with St. Paul's Church, so suddenly termi- nated, the writer's thoughts have lingered often and lovingly over these memories of long ago, and the reali- zation of her present success and growth seems but a glad fruition of his dreams, hopes, and prayers for the church of his early ministry.
Rev. Dr. Butler, Third Pastor.
The ten minutes kindly assigned mne in the program of the evening furnish scarcely more than time for the bow of an ex-pastor, whose ministry in St. Paul's ex- tended from 1849 to 1873. Our ยท venerable friend, Doctor Morris, yet in his vigor-and long may his bow abide in strength-has for all the fifty years of your history been a foster father. My good brother Graeff, my own predecessor, and myself were but nurses to the infant St. Paul's, in whose jubilee we all so heartily rejoice to-night. When I remember the burden he laid down in 1849 because of failing health, and the burdens that I, in my inexperience tried to carry, it is not surprising that his health gave way under the heavy load. It is of God's great mercy that I was made strong for this infant nurture. True, forty years ago the building had been completed, but a debt of some six thousand dollars was a legacy too heavy for the handful of people whose names will ever be embalmned in my heart. This was my first love, and my heart was sympathetic and responsive to faithfulness and kind- ness. The names of Finckel, and Noerr, and Roem- melle, and Woodward, and Linkins, and Kinchy, and Eberbach, and Weaver, and Tschiffely, most of whom have been gathered to the fathers, are names but for whose steadfastness of faith this church had died more than forty years ago.
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The munificent salary of $400 a year was all they could promise, and this church has always paid what it promised. My regret now is that in the second year of my pastorate I accepted an addition of $100 from the home mission fund of the Synod. With my present experience I would not accept it, but would trust our kind people and the Lord. It is well for pastor and people to struggle together. That is the law of the Kingdom.
The inexperience of the young pastor, the compara- tive poverty of the few people who worshipped here, and the odium that too often attaches to our Lutheran name by those who do not know the history of the great Protestant Church bearing the name of Luther, were not especially helpful to the infant St. Paul's. We had outgrown the tallow dips and had advanced to oil lamps not much better, and soon found it necessary to introduce gas, which in our poverty was no easy task. Soon the dingy church with its immense pulpit needed renovation and improvement.
At our first communion, I remember 25 persons kneeled at the Lord's table. The Sunday school, though not large, was vigorous, and the weekly prayer service was revived and continues to the present.
The debt was gradually reduced and finally paid, and the very comfortable parsonage adjoining the church was built and paid for.
Born fifty years ago, St. Paul's had its second birth in 1861, amid the throes which brought a new life to the nation in whose beautiful and growing capital we live. The pulpit of this church when the nation's life was threatened gave no uncertain sound for freedom and the old flag. St. Paul's soon became too small for the men and women drawn to Washington that the na- tion's life might be saved. It is one of the inost cherished memories of my heart that no uncertain
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sound during these dark days ever was heard in this house of the Lord. New life as well as increased reve- nues came to St. Paul's. Never asking for an increase of salary, if my memory be correct, the people volunta- rily appropriated $2,000 a year to my support, whilst the congregation became one of the most liberal in sustain- ing the boards of the church and the work of the King- dom. None of the churches in the city entered more heartily into the daily union prayer meeting, begotten of God, as a preparation for the baptism of blood so soon to follow, than did St. Paul's.
The Church of the Reformation, of which Rev. Dr. Parson is now the able pastor, was born in 1869 in a little Sunday school housed in the hospitable home of Mrs. Lucille Morrell, at present a member of the Memo- rial Church. At about the same time was planted the little seed which has since grown into the Memorial Church.
In 1873 the pastor of St. Paul's severed his connection and gave himself to the work of gathering a congrega- tion in the northwest part of the city.
None of you enter more fully than I into the joy of this jubilee. The pastors of St. Paul's, and of the Church of the Reformation, and of the Memorial, and even of the Keller Memorial, and of the Fatherland, and of St. Mark's, preach to more people on the Lord's Day in their respective churches than did the then pastor of St. Paul's for a long time after the beginning of his pastorate. What hath God wrought!
St. Paul's, occupying this central position, needs enlargement. Why not remove your parsonage, and build here at the old corner of IIth and H a magnifi- cent church ? Do it, and God will bless you.
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Rev. H. B. Belmer's Pastorate.
On account of the unavoidable absence of Rev. Mr. Belmer from the anniversary exercises, his paper was presented by the pastor of the church at the Sunday evening's services.
Rev. H. B. Belmer's Pastorate in St. Paul's Church, Washington, D. C., from January Ist, 1873, to Octo- ber Ist, 1874.
As a former pastor it naturally devolves on me to take some share in these fiftieth-year festivities, and first of all I want to congratulate old St. Paul's on having reached this point. I say "old St. Paul's," not simply because it is fifty years old, for fifty years is not so great an age for a church organization; but we use the word as some young man, buoyant with pristine vigor, will apply it to a dear friend whom he greets with the salu- tation, "How are you, old fellow ?"-using it as a terin of endearment, and not a designation of age at all. To-day, with tender affection, we say "OLD St. Paul's," not merely in view of the actual years it numbers in its history, but in view of its position and relation to the other Lutheran churches in the city. For this is indeed THE OLD CHURCH, out of which the others have sprung. And it so happened that my pastorate came at the very time when some of these organizations, or colonies, from old St. Paul's were just getting under way. The Church of the Reformation had already been organized; that of the Memorial Church was made in the first months of my pastorate.
Others to-day will doubtless give you a connected his- tory of the church from its beginning to the present time. It will be proper for me to give the facts of the short period covered by my pastorate, history of which I myself was a part, and which, therefore, is imbedded
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in my memory. And it will be the more proper for me to do this because the congregation to-day is largely made up of persons not connected with St. Paul's at that time, partly the children of the older members of that time, partly the ingathering from the ever- changing population of the Capital City. While some of the then leading members remain as pillars or sub- stantial helpers, hundreds of others have been received since then. And both on their account, as well as to call up the past in the minds of the older members, let us rehearse some of the facts of that pastorate which began January Ist, 1873, and ended October Ist, 1874.
In December, 1872, I was invited by your then Pastor, Rev. Dr. J. G. Butler, to become associated with him in the pastorate of St. Paul's Church, to assist in carrying on services both in the old church and in the Memorial Chapel, which had already been built, while the walls of the inain church building were then some eight or ten feet high. Services had already been held in the Memorial Chapel for some time, Rev. W. E. Parson having assisted Dr. Butler in these services, and also on Capitol Hill, in the Church of the Reformation. It became my duty to preach alternately with your pastor in St. Paul's and in the Memorial Chapel. In the spring of that year, 1873, the memorial congregation was organized by Dr. Butler. While only some forty withdrew from St. Paul's to form the original mnemo- rial church organization, in the course of a few months many others followed, altogether to the number of about eighty, to cast in their lot with the new organi- zation. The pastor of St. Paul's, Dr. Butler, was elected pastor of the Memorial Church, and offered his resignation as pastor of St. Paul's Church, which was accepted, and Rev. H. B. Belmer, the assistant pastor, was elected to become full pastor, from April Ist, 1873.
The division of the church, the going out of the
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memorial colony, proved a critical period to St. Paul's, for the outgoing colony included some of the best and most active working force of the old church. The division of a church is always a critical event, either to the old church or to the new organization, or to both, because of the weakening of the forces, or the liability of misunderstanding; and generally some time is required, it may be but a few months, it may be years, till the congregations can adapt themselves to the new conditions. If the outgoing colony is but a small part of the whole church, the effect may not be severely felt; but if, as in this case, about half the most active working force goes out, it is a shock to the church from which it requires some time to recover. While numeri- cally nearly twice as many remained as withdrew, yet those familiar with the history of this outgoing from St. Paul's will agree that fully half of the most vigor- ous working force went with the Memorial colony.
However, we who remained did the best we could under the circumstances, striving not only to maintain the regular work as it had been carried forward, but seeking to put into it our best vigor and energy to fill up again the depletion and regain what had been lost. It was to be expected that we should notice and feel the thinning of our ranks in the church and Sunday school, and probably a feeling of depression was at times the inevitable result. It is easy to feel confident and jubi- lant under growth and success, but it is still easier to feel discouragement under decrease or lack of looked- for increase and desired success.
Something of this feeling prompted the pastor to offer his resignation in April, 1874, after only a fifteen- months' pastorate. This was done in order that he might not stand in the way of the largest possible success which might be attained under the most efficient leadership. The resignation offered to the council was submitted
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by them to the congregation for action, which refused to accept it, and gave assurance of confidence in the pastor, and hearty cooperation with him in the work. The congregational meeting which refused to accept the resignation also asked immediate assurance of the pastor that he would remain, which, in view of the ex- pression of confidence and the earnest desire of the con- gregation, he felt constrained to do.
The work went forward for a season without any in- cident requiring mention; but in September, 1874, the pastor felt that it was wisest to resign, and insisted that now the resignation be accepted, the pastorate closing October 1, 1874, embracing a year and three-quarters of labor.
When the resignation had been accepted, the one im- portant and anxious question was, "Whom can we secure at this juncture for a pastor ?"
As the retiring pastor and the council had always been in the fullest accord and harmony, the brethren naturally asked his advice and assistance. Two courses were open to the church, either to secure a young and inexperienced man at such salary as the diminished con- gregation could easily pay, or to look for a man of more commanding ability and position, though it might re- quire some special effort to raise the requisite salary. The retiring pastor's very decided advice was to take the latter course, and he suggested as a successor Rev. S. Domer, of Shamokin, Pa. This brother was promptly elected pastor, accepted, came, took hold of the work vigorously and judiciously, and has brought the church into its present condition of prosperity.
But while to-day all is confident success, yet your present pastor can look back and tell you of the dis- couragements of the first year or two of his work, till the tide began to turn and the crisis was past. And while in the historic account of my own pastorate I have
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no brilliant success of which to boast, to-day I take great satisfaction in having assisted the council and church of St. Paul's in making this choice of pastor, and heartily congratulate you on the well-nigh a score of years of successful work done under his leadership.
At this point I may fitly close my historic sketch with the assurance that the short and trying pastorate of less than two years often passes for review before my mind, and also with the assurance that those with whom I here wrought in the work in that trying time are not forgotten but most kindly remembered, and that my prayer for them and for the whole membership of St. Paul's is that you may be faithful unto death and re- ceive a crown of life.
Some who then were with us have already entered into their reward. While they were with us in health and strength we expected and found them in their places of work and worship. Some of them could go back to the early and most trying experiences of this church. They had seen the clouds lift and brighter days come. But where they now are it is brighter day than the best that dawns on any soul or church on earth. We are sure that after their godly life on earth, when they dropped out of their places in old St. Paul's in Wash- ington, they found places prepared for them in the general assembly and church of the first-born in heaven to sing and worship and triumph alongside of that glorious Paul after whom their earthily church had been named. Many of you still tenderly cherish their mem- ory, both because of natural and spiritual ties. As they were dear to you on earth, so are they still in heaven. Your love for them can not die. Their love for you is more glowing and glorious than when they were still with you in the body. The relationship of love you sustained to them can never be blotted out. Kinship, friendship, is eternal, and the communion of saints on
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earth is but a foretaste of the communion of saints be- fore the throne of God. And it may be that for those who wrought together in church membership on earth, God has some united and common work in heaven. Let us live such a life and so walk by faith that as the redeemed of God and dear personal friends we shall clasp hands again as members of God's glorious church in heaven.
Rev. Dr. W. E. Parson, Church of the Reformation.
It affords me great pleasure to bring a word of greet- ing to this jubilee occasion.
I come from the Church of the Reformation on Capi- tol Hill. The church which I serve began as a mission of St. Paul's. I recall very well the early days when we began to lay the foundations. It was on this wise : During the meeting of the General Synod in Washing- ton, in 1869, Dr. Butler, then pastor of St. Paul's, said to me: " Will you not come to Washington to do some work during the summer?" I was then a student at Gettysburg. The result was that I came to preach in the summer vacation.
This was the first attempt I made at preaching, and was doubtless a very thin diet, but it was the best the untrained theologue knew how to give at that time.
I recall also the feeling of relief with which I gave up my work at the end of the summer. My sermons were all preached, and I went back to Gettysburg to the theological seminary to learn how to make more ser- mons.
But on reaching Gettysburg I found that a call had been sent to me to become the assistant pastor. The faculty giving their consent, I returned to Washington to take up the work as a permanency.
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This comes to us here to-night that the pastorate in our Lutheran churches is no itinerancy. Here is Dr. Butler, who has been more than forty years in Wash- . ington. Here is Dr. Morris, who has been more than fifty years in Baltimore. Here is Dr. Domer, who has been nearly twenty years in this pulpit; and your speaker has never had any congregation but the one which he now serves. Some one asked me the other day how long our ministers remained at one place. I replied: " For life or good behaviour."
Out of that assistant pastorate has grown the Church of the Reformation on Capitol Hill. Two of us kept three churches alive for some years. Dr. Butler preached in the morning at St. Paul's, and at night in the Memorial. I preached in the morning on Capitol Hill, and at night in St. Paul's. Thus each outpost had one service a day, and at the old hive there were two services.
Chronologically, St. Paul's is the oldest; then comes the Memorial, in which preaching began in 1868; then Capitol Hill, in 1869. The organization in both churches came later.
The old mother church ought to feel very much elated this evening as the daughters gather again to recount their struggles and successes. We on Capitol Hill could give a tale of dark days, discouragements, succeeded by bright experiences as the various boards of the church came to our relief. Once we had an old barracks for a church, the whole outfit of so little value that we sold it for sixty dollars when we abandoned the site. The man who made the purchase refused to hold the building, and it was subsequently condemned by the Health Department, and torn down as a nuisance. To-day we have a property worth not less than forty thousand dollars. This will give the younger people in our churches some idea of the tribulations through which some of us have passed.
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But we are all of one household of faith to-night, and we come to bring our congratulations to the mother of us all. Our prayer is that we may be a united church in this capital city. May no petty rivalries disturb our congregations. Let us provoke each other only in the way Paul suggests, to love and to good works.
I must say good night !
The relations between the pastor of St. Paul's and the pastor of the Church of the Reformation have al- ways been of the most pleasant and fraternal character. They could not be otherwise, while your pastor holds out the cordial hand he has always extended. I am free to say if any break could come it must be some one else's fault than his.
May God bless St. Paul's, her pastor, and congre- gation !
Reminiscences by Rev. Henry C. Grossman, A. M.
I am not quite certain as to the year I became asso- ciate pastor of St. Paul's as assistant to Dr. Butler. I think it was in 1868-1869. I had not been in the min- istry very long, and had but little experience. I shall never forget my first sermon on Sunday morning after iny arrival. I was nearly scared to death. The church was crowded. In the audience were many noble heads and persons of prominence. Hon. Schuyler Colfax, then one of the most popular men in the country, sat with his family in a pew near the pulpit.
I took as my text Exodus 33 : 180, "I beseech Thee, show me Thy glory." Fortunately I had a good many points, and when I found my mind would not work on one, I dropped it and took up another, and so filled in the time, but I could never remember how I got through.
Some years after, when I was pastor at Constantine, Michigan, Hon. Colfax came to our town to lecture. I
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took him out driving, and in the evening introduced him to the audience. I reminded him of my embarrass- ment in St. Paul's, and he remembered my preaching, and then comforted me very much by saying, " I do not think you had a more appreciative hearer than my- self."
One of the things that impressed ine was the cosino- politan character of the members and congregation. They were of various nationalities, and from all the States of the Union. Many of them were prominent and influential people-all were grand and noble friends of the church. They were united in peace, love, and work, and I suppose hundreds have gone out to the old world and the States of the Union bearing with them a high opinion of and love for the Lutheran Church because of their connection with St. Paul's. They were drawn to the church by its liberal spirit, affection for Dr. Butler, and the unaffected sociability that char- acterized the people.
St. Paul's was noted for the inany Union services held there. Everybody felt at home, and other churches cheerfully joined in services as a common meeting place for all christians. In preaching, services, church love, benevolence, and spirit, St. Paul's was always a loyal Lutheran Church.
I shall never forget the socials held in the basement of the church. There was music and enjoyment. Everybody seemed to be there trying to inake every- body happy without respect to persons. Gen. Ekin, Brother Pratt, and others moved about to see that every- body was noticed. Sandwiches and coffee were served in winter and ice cream in summer.
What precious meetings of all kinds were held in St. Paul's, and all of them were pervaded by deep spirituality and the sweet spirit of christian sociability. I was a member of the Sunday school. I shall never
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forget the earnestness, zeal, loving spirit, and splendid work of the school. It was a large and live school. No one can forget the lovable, gentle, childlike, white- haired Brother Pratt, the superintendent, a successful Sunday-school worker. The officers and teachers were a splendid band. The teachers' meetings, Sunday - school anniversaries and entertainments, the emblems, the services, the children and young people, not ex- celled anywhere, will linger in memory a joy forever. If I am not mistaken, Brother Alden, your successful present superintendent, was then a young man in the Sunday school. At any rate, I recognize his name and others as familiar names.
Whilst I was connected with St. Paul's I served as superintendent of an afternoon school in a German church on the Island, which was under the fostering care of St. Paul's. Mrs. Morrell, a devoted member of St. Paul's, being an invalid at the time, became in- terested in the neglected children of the street, and organized a Sunday school in her parlors. Out of this grew the Church of the Reformation, so successful under Dr. Parsons. When the Sunday school outgrew its space it was necessary to provide other quarters for it and the church that was already gathering. By the earnest and faithful efforts of Dr. Butler, seconded by Gen. Ekin and the people of St. Paul's, abandoned bar- racks were bought from the United States Government. These were removed to leased lots, and neat audience and Sunday-school rooms were built. Dr. Butler, as- sisted by Prof. Cyrus Thomas and inyself, dedicated the church. I preached some sermons in this cozy chapel. Thus the Church of the Reformation was founded. This church and the Memorial are children of St. Paul's.
It was my good fortune to suggest the name of Dr. Parsons to Dr. Butler as my successor. I wrote him a
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strong, personal letter, which I think had an important bearing in his consenting to respond to Dr. Butler's appeal. Out of this grew his connection with St. Paul's, his connection with the Japanese Embassy and the University at Tokio, and his subsequent successful and .grand work in Washington. I congratulate myself in having a small part in the precious work done by this right man in the right place. May the Lord more and more bless him !
I could mention by name the many kind friends I remember in St. Paul's. My pen would never cease recording their constant kindness.
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