USA > New Jersey > A history of Baptists in New Jersey > Part 48
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NEWARK FIRST CHURCH.
As previously stated, the first three converts among the Germans in our country to Baptist principles baptized by a German pastor, were in Newark in 1839, and although they united with an English-speaking church, they really formed the nucleus of the first German Baptist church, which ten years later, in 1849, was organized with thirteen members, S. Kupler becoming its pastor. He was succeeded by a line of German pastors, whose names have throughout a good report with their brethren, and taking the first rank and one becoming the editor of the German publications. Rev. J. C. Hasselhuhn, H. Rumpp, G. Knobloch and G. Niebuhr the present pastor. The church has almost all through its later history maintained a mission station somewhere in the city and has at present a flourishing mission under the leadership of J. C. Reuber, the missionary of the church. The membership of the church is three hundred and fourteen and in their two Sunday schools are
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gathered five hundred and fifty scholars. The total expenditure of the church for all objects, home and foreign was four thousand and thirty- two dollars and sixty-seven cents during the past year.
JERSEY CITY PILGRIM CHURCH.
This church had its origin by members of the Second German church of New York City, who took up their abode on the Heights across the Hudson and seeing their opportunity by the vast increase of the German population around them, they organized the church in 1866, under the leadership of H. Gubelmann, the venerable father of Prof. J. S. Gubelmann in Rochester, who became the first pastor. He was succeeded by F. Silvers, C. Young, H. Groeminger and H. C. Baum, who closed his pastorate on April 1st, 1901. His successor is Rev. E. Berger, who took charge of the church on June, 1st, 1901. The church has almost from its beginning, maintained a mission interest in Union Hill, out of which grew the church there. At times, the mission was in a more flourishing condition than the church itself. The membership is seventy-four. Sunday school scholars, one hun- dred and twenty-five. Yearly expenditures for all objects, eleven hundred and seventy-five dollars and seven cents.
NEWARK SECOND CHURCH.
A number of members of the First church, living in the lower part of the city and seeing the growth of the German population, organized a church in 1875. They were served by the following pastors: C. Kralls, J. Jaeger, F. Sievers, W. Schuff, A. Brandt and C. Schenck, who closed his pastorate on December 1st, 1901. His successor is Rev. G. R. Gunther, who took charge of the church on April 1st, 1902. Their membership is one hundred and four. The Sunday school has one hundred and sixty scholars and their expenditure is eighteen hundred and fifty-three dollars and thirty-one cents.
JAMESBURG.
In the beginning of the eighties C. A. Schlipf, then a member of the First church in Newark, visited some members who had removed to that part of the State, with the object of starting a German Baptist church there, succeeded and in 1885, a church could be organized. The members were mostly from the Hightstown church. C. A. Schlipf became the first pastor and was succeeded by H. C. Baum, E. Otto and F. G. Walter, the present pastor. The membership is fifty-one. The Sunday school has fifty-two scholars and the total expenditure is one hundred and eighty-seven dollars and seventy-three cents.
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UNION HILL.
Almost at the same time, when members of the Second church of New York City removed to Jersey City Heights, others of the same church settled in Union Hill. Meetings were started under the direct- ion of the Pilgrim Church and Union Hill became a mission of that church. In 1888, they organized: Its first pastor was H. Bens, who was followed by H. Groeminger, L. Rabe and W. Papenhausen, who closed his pastorate on September 1st, 1901. His successor is Rev. L. Rabe, who took charge of the church on December 1st, 1901. In 1893, a mission was started by the church in Guttenberg, which has a flourishing Sunday school and is thriving at least to become an independent church, which greatly depends on the natural development of the place. The membership of the church is eighty- eight; the Sunday school numbers 190 and the total expenditure was last year, eleven hundred and seventy-five dollars and seven cents.
HOBOKEN.
Members partly from the First church of New York City and partly from the church of West Hoboken, constituted the church which was organized in 1891. Their first pastor was F. Knorr. He closed his pastorate on October 15th, 1901. His successor is Rev. G. Peitsch, who took charge of the church on December 15th, 1901. Hoboken is chiefly a German city, mainly of the higher class and is, there- fore, a hard field for our German work, as we generally have access only to the middle classes; still the church is steadily moving forward. The membership is seventy-nine. The Sunday school has one hundred and ten scholars and the total expenditure was thirteen hundred and sixty-two dollars and twenty-one cents.
PASSAIC.
German Baptists from Brooklyn and New York City settled in Passaic some ten years ago and although small in numbers, organized a church in 1891. C. H. Schmidt became their first pastor, who was succeeded by C. Fielge, the present pastor.
They are maintaining a mission in Paterson, but meet there with great obstacles and it is doubtful still whether a German Baptist interest will ever permanently be established in that city, which has such a large German population. The membership of the church (Passaic) is fifty-seven. In the Sunday school are one hundred and ten scholars. The total expenditure is six hundred and fifty-three dollars and ninety cents.
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EGG HARBOR.
This church, in the south of the state, isolated from all other churches, was a mission of the First German Baptist church in Phila- delphia, and was organized in 1893 and is a weak interest. J. Niger was its first pastor, who was succeeded by J. Braun, J. M. Hoefflin and O. von Barchwitz. Although a thoroughly German town, it is shut off from immigration and the church has a hard struggle to become English-speaking. Its pastor (1904) is J. T. Linker. The mission has given to the denomination before it became a church, the first lady missionary to the German work in Miss M. Rapp, who since 1885, under the appointment of the Women's Baptist Home Missionary So- ciety in Chicago, at the landing place for emigrants in New York City. The membership of the church is twenty-eight. The Sunday school has thirty-six scholars and the total expenditure was three hundred and thirty-six dollars and six cents.
ELIZABETH MISSION.
Recently, a German Baptist independent mission has been started in Elizabeth. Some years ago, mission work has been done on the field by C. Schenck, pastor of the Second church of Newark, but nothing permanent could be established at that time. About sixteen German Baptists are living on the field belonging to various churches and recently, they took courage and started an independent mission work. They have a preaching service on the Lord's day; a Sunday school and a weekly prayer meeting. They have placed themselves under the leadership of the missionary committee of the German Atlantic Conference, under whose direction, C. H. Schmidt of Passaic, is supply- ing for them. The outlook is hopeful and encouraging.
SUMMARY.
To sum up the German Baptist work: There are nine churches and several mission stations with a membership of nine hundred and fifty; Sunday school scholars, fourteen hundred and sixty-three in thirteen schools. Expending for all objects, Home and Foreign, the sum of fourteen thousand and forty-eight dollars, and thirty cents, almost fifteen dollars per capita. They hold property to the amount of eighty-seven thousand, five hundred dollars on which is a debt of ten thousand, four hundred dollars. They have ten pastors and mis- sionaries and three lady missionaries under the appointment of the Women's Baptist Home Mission Society. The churches report an increase of ninety-eight.
The Baptist cause in New Jersey began in 1839. A young Baptist preacher, Konrad A. Fleischmann came from Switzerland and on
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his landing in New York, immediately began to work among his country- men. Meeting but little success, he went to Newark, New Jersey, where, after months of labor, he baptized three on confession of their faith in Christ. These were the first Germans baptized by a German pastor in this country. Then Mr. Fleischmann went to Pennsylvania and baptized two hundred converts. Then he went to Philadelphia, and in July, 1843, organized a German Baptist church, with nine constituents. The first German Baptist church was thus con- stituted in Philadelphia, but the first baptism of Germans was in Newark. We have an executive force of German Baptists in the state to effect great results. These churches are near to New York City, where Germans land in this nation and there, too, they are likely to locate. Consequently, much of the work in reaching the German population must be done in and about New York City.
ITALIAN BAPTISTS.
New Jersey has a large Italian population. The first effort in New Jersey to reach them with Baptist views was made in Newark in 1887. Members of the Mount Pleasant Baptist church, at an after- noon prayer meeting were impressed with the importance of mission work being done in a part of the city inhabited by many nationalities, having no religious provisions. Out of the prayers and discussions of that meeting, sprang the Garside Mission, of which Deacon Theodore Beardsley was superintendent. This was for all nationalities. The place where the mission held was sold and the Mount Prospect church secured a lot on Mount Prospect avenue and built a chapel. The Italians came in large numbers to live in this vicinity and it was evident that a work distincly for them, must be inaugurated.
In March, 1895, Pastor F. C. A. Jones of the Mount Pleasant church, suggested a general meeting of Newark Baptists in Peddie Memorial church, when it was determined to carry forward the work more vigorously. A committee of representatives from Baptist churches was appointed to collect money and have general charge of the mission. Rev. Alexandro Dell Erba was secured; a Sunday school was organ- ized; onepreachng service was held on Sunday and one in the week. Mr. Dell Erba remained over a year. He was succeeded by Mr. Angelo Di Dominica, who was a member of the mission and in it had developed capacity for the work. He has since continued in charge. He has been ordained and proved a valuable worker. At this time, fifty converts have been baptized, uniting with the Mount Pleasant church, to which the mission holds the relation of Branch.
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ORANGE.
A mission was started here by the Presbyterians, but in 1898, they gave it up and the Baptists took it. Rev. A. Turnbull, a member of North Orange church and the Assistant Secretary of the Home Mission Society, has thus far been the superintendent and Rev. A. D. Domenica has been the missionary. He is of Newark. The work here has not developed strength.
In 1899, Pastor Domenica branched out in his effort toward Pater- son. He supplied workers from the Newark mission in the persons of Messrs. Vincengo Lomonto and Antonio Di Domenira, who conducted service for over a year and a half in the First Baptist house of worship, Rev. A. A. DeLarme, pastor; then with the aid of the Home Mission Society, Rev. B. Barrechia was secured for a year; several were bap- tized. For some time there has been no missionary here.
CAMDEN.
The City Mission took hold of Italian work in 1901 and secured Mr. Vicengo Lomonte as missionary and under his care a good be- ginning has been made. There is great need of a suitable building for the Camden work.
PASSAIC.
Italian work was begun in 1901, under the auspices of the First Baptist church, and there is much to encourage. Though difficulty has been experienced in securing satisfactory missionary workers. The Italian work of the State is in its infancy. The people are here, needing the Gospel. The great hindrance to forward movement is lack of capable missionaries.
SWEDISH BAPTISTS, (BY REV. D. DEWOLF.)
The first religious meeting of Swedes in New Jersey was at Arling- ton in a private house on February 4th, 1883. At various times, Baptist pastors, and others came here to preach. On September 8, 1886, the Swedish union was formed and occupied a lot of ground donated to them. Internal dissentions from the diversity of the denominations arose. The main trouble was the pre-dominance of Baptists, who were too strong for the rest. The Lutherans and the Methodist withdrew from the union and the Baptists returned to them money and six per cent interest and in return got a clear deed for the property. On February 3, 1892, a meeting was held to consider the question of forming a Baptist church and on the 25th of March, the First Swedish Baptist church was organized, with a constituency of twenty-four.
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NEW JERSEY BAPTIST HISTORY
Mr. M. Abeleey began his work on November 1, 1892. The New Jersey Baptist convention appropriated to his support, Arlington and Dover being his field. He also preached in Newark, Plainfield and Montclair until in November 1894. Rev. W. Koheer was the first pastor at Arlington on January 1, 1895. Under his labors, a new meeting house was built and dedicated October 4th, 1896. In Septem- ber, 1898, he resigned. Rev. J. Visberg settled November 9th, 1898. The church chose Lapland in Sweden as its first mission field, but dis- continued it, when they called their own pastor. The condition of Swedish work in Newark is described by Mr. William Abbey, who resumed his work in Newark, the meetings being held in the Peddie Memorial house for a short time. Circumstances forced them later to rent a hall and until November, 1894, they were held in a place on Broad street, Newark. At this time, the church in Arlington took up the work as a mission and appointed a committee to lead the meetings and the Sunday school. The small attendance however, made it impossible to maintain the mission and on the 23rd of February, 1897, it was discontinued. Many of the former members had removed from Newark and although the Congregationalists of Montclair and New York tried very hard to redeem the work given up by Baptists, their efforts were unavailing. Also the New York Swedish Conference decided to resume the work and Rev. A. Kumcin was sent to it. Soon, there after, on the 11th of December, the same year, a church was organized with a membership of thirty-five, of which eighteen came from the Arlington church.
And although at present without a pastor, we sincerely hope that there will be no more interruptions to the progress of the church and that it will succeed in its endeavor to reach all of the people whom it can interest. The work in Orange was for many years supervised by brethren from Brooklyn. However, on 22nd of January, 1896, Rev. Kohler began to hold meetings in the North church, where a room was offered freely for the work. He continued this work up to the summer of 1898, intending to resume it after the hot weather. But as he left 'Arlington in September, he could not do so. Also, some of the Baptists left the place and the work had to be discontinued. Two pastors from Montclair attempted to retrieve the fortunes of the church but were unsuccessful. At present, the Baptists of Orange are for the most part, members of the Newark church. The ladies of the Baptist church of Rutherford wrote to the Secretary of the State Convention a request for a Swedish Baptist pastor, inasmuch as there were so many Swedish girls in town. In response, to this request, Rev. Kohler held the first meeting there on February 28th, 1896. The work inter-
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ested Swedes from both Rutherford and Passaic and a few were con- verted and baptized in Arlington. The meetings were continued to the last Sunday in June 1901, when they had to be discontinued,as during the summer, most of the former participants moved away and the attendance became too small to warrant continuance. The work in Montclair began about 1892, under the supervision of the Swedish church of Brooklyn, which established a Swedish mission in connection with the Baptist church in Montclair, from which the Swedes derived great benefit for a few years.
Their first pastor was Rev. Cl. Heden, part of whose support was defrayed by the American brethren. In 1891, an independent church was organized by the Swedish Baptists and their house of worship was dedicated in August 1902. From 1890 to 1894, the Swedish church of Brooklyn labored to establish a church in Elizabeth and in Plainfield. But the field lying principally among the servant girls, who left Eliza- beth soon thereafter, they were unsuccessful. The Congregationalists took up the work later and have churches there at present. In Dover, where Rev. A. P. - -, from New York had several members of his church, a church was organized on January 1st, 1889, with a member- ship of twelve. Form that time, the work of the Baptists has been uninterrupted and in 1895, they sustained their own pastor and in 1900, had the great satisfaction of dedicating their house of worship. Rev. John V. Vidberg is pastor of the Swedish church at Arlington and has kindly furnished this record of Swedish Baptists.
CHAPTER LVII.
MISSIONS.
Missions have been characteristic of New Jersey Baptists. The Philadelphia Association was constituted with five churches, three in New Jersey, one in Delaware and one in Pennsylvania. New Jersey gave up her right to the first place, and pastors and churches readily assented to the name as well as to the appointments of that Association. Between 1757 and 1773, sixteen years, as many as seventy-five assign- ments were made by the Philadelphia Association of New Jersey pastors to supply weak and destitute churches. As churches increased and associations this ministration, ceased. With the Carey era of missions, our churches contributed through the English Baptist Mission Society not waiting for the Judson, Rice and Newell change to our views.
At the Convention for an organization of the New Jersey Associa- tion in 1811,a recess was taken (Page 8, Resolution 2, Min. 1831, really the origin of the State Convention was in this Society, formed in 1811. Resolution to be incorporated to organize a New Jersey Mission Society, also to found a school for Baptists.) Both of these objects were attained. In 1769, fifteen churhes of the Philadelphia Association were credited with benevolent funds. Eight of them were in New Jersey, evincing the hold the missionary spirit had of them. The part and place of the Baptist churches in the Philadelphia Association is instanced at the annual meetings in 1778, 79 and 80. At the session of 1778, fifteen churches were represented and thirteen of them were in New Jersey. In 1779, ninteen churches sent delegates. Of these, thirteen were in New Jersey. In 1780, twenty-one were represented of these fourteen were in New Jersey. Thus our churches were a vital force in the Philadelphia Association and but for them, the Association might have been extinct. True, it was the period of the American Revolution, but New Jersey was the highway of both the English and the American armies and the "Tories" were a greater terror to patriots than the armies. Yet at these annual meetings, delegates came from Sussex to Cape May. It is a surprise that the Baptists in New Jersey had not earlier established an association in the state.
But their circumstances were peculiar. The division of the State into East and West Jersey, was an almost inseparable barrier to unity in state missions. New York gathered to itself the interests of East Jersey. Philadelphia was the center of those of West Jersey. A
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result was, that these sections were wholly dissimilar. The state was named in the minutes of the Philadelphia Association as the "Jersies," as if two, not one. This gap widened as each were governed from different centers. There was nothing, not only to identify these parts, but there was a tendency to disintegrate. Nor for more than twenty years after, the State Convention was formed was there a hearty co-operation between East and West Jersey as now exists.
It seems incredible that so great patience and endurance was necessary to effect the union and concord now enjoyed in the work of the New Jersey Baptist State Convention. Even so late, as in 1871, the pastor of the First Baptist church of Newark, made an effort in the annual meeting of that year to dissolve the convention and trans- fer the mission work of the Convention from it to the Associations. An instance of the hold, which local influences had on individual minds. It was this old time inclination to division that induced the writer to urge "the present state superintendent of missions," to make his home in Newark, hoping thus to wield East and West Jersey in the common interests of the New Jersey State Convention. Rev. Samuel Jones preached the historical sermon at the Centenary of the Philadelphia Association in 1805.
He named eight pastors in the mission work of that body. Six of them were pastors in New Jersey, Messrs. Robert Kelsay, of Cohansie; Isaac Eaton, of Hopewell; John Walton, of Morristown; Isaac Stelle, of Piscataway; Benjamin Miller, of Scotch Plains; John Gano, of Morris- town. Others were P. P. Van Horn, formerly of Pemberton and another in Maryland. All of these were men of mark and anywhere would have had a foremost place. Contrasts in denominational growth at different periods are sometimes drawn to the credit of modern activ- ities. Such estimates are not always just, since we do not know and cannot, the conditions of earlier times. The missionary spirit of the eighteenth century, planted the seed which now bears fruit. We are still reaping of Apostolic labors. What would the nineteenth century have been, if there had been no America refuge for the wronged tribes of men? Or if there had been an America and there had been no "Dec- laration of Independence," nor Baptists to get into the constitution of the nation, a guarantee of free speech, free conscience and the right of one to himself to think, to speak and to do, so long as he shall not molest or wrong another. This liberty is the open sesame to the at- tainments of the nineteenth century in education, science, social pro- gress and religious life. Voltaire, when he predicted the extinction of Chritianity knew nothing of the might of this inspiration of liberty.
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Early in 1800 three churches had twenty-two missions, each of whic is now a church of God with a single exception.
Middletown had five meeting houses in her colonies, where large congregations met and converts confessed the Christ. Piscataway also, with its lineage of Scotch Plains and Morristown covered a terri- tory where are now more than a hundred churches. Cohansie, Hopewell, Hightstown, Salem, Pemberton and other churches nursed colonies, which in our times would have been constituted churches in their be- ginning. It was a small day in the sense of resources, but it was a great day in the sense of comprehension, faith and performance. This feature of a mature colonization, continued the order of developement until Sunday schools became a channel of our church activities and developed more intensely, both the faith and the purses of our member- ship. As already said, the New Jersey Baptist Mission Society was the first body which proposed to do Baptist mission work in the state. A convention met at Hightstown December 3rd and 4th, 1811.
The first minute of business reads: "On the third of October 1811, while the Philadelphia Association was in session, the ministers and messengers of most of the churches in New Jersey members of the Association, being duly authorized, by their churches, held a con- ference on the expediency of forming. an Association in New Jersey at which it was unanimously resolved that an address and respectful request for a dismission be presented to the Association. The request was presented and cordially complied with. It was agreed that a con- vention for constituting an association in New Jersey be held at Hights- town on the first Tuesday of December following. The Baptist churches hereafter mentioned convened accordingly by their delegates at Hights- town at eleven o'clock, A. M., on the day appointed."
The minutes continue: I. An introductory sermon was delivered by Brother Sheppard, of Salem, from I. Cor 13:13. II. Selected Brother Burgiss Allison, pastor of Jacobstown, moderator and Brother Joseph Sheppard, Clerk. III. Representatives from the following churches appeared:
Cohansie, *H. Smalley, absent; A. German, J. Harris.
First Cape May,
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