USA > Pennsylvania > History of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of East Pennsylvania : with brief sketches of its congregations > Part 21
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The second pastor of St. Paul's was Rev. Harvey W. Mc- Knight, called from Newville, Pa. He was elected almost unanimously (but one negative vote being cast), November 6, and took charge of the church a few weeks later, December I, 1872. The church was not less fortunate in the choice of its second pastor than it had been in its choice of the first. Pastor McKnight's ministry in Easton lasted seven years and five months, and was marked by decided success. He was popular in his congregation and outside of it, and received large ac- cessions to the church. He found the church burdened with a debt of $7,000.00, the greater part of which was paid before the close of his pastorate.
May 1, 1880, the pulpit of St. Paul's again became vacant, the pastor having accepted a call to the First English Lutheran church of Cincinnati. This second pastor of St. Paul's is well known to-day as the Rev. Doctor McKnight, President of Penn- sylvania College at Gettysburg.
After an interim of seven months, during which the congrega- tion heard quite a number of candidates-two of whom declined calls extended-the third pastor was chosen, in the person of Rufus Ward Hufford, then serving St. John's Lutheran church, Lancaster, Pa. The election was held October 18, 1880, the candidate receiving all the votes cast but one. On the first Sun- day of December following, the newly-elected pastor entered upon his work in Easton. Twelve years have passed since that time, but the third pastorate of St. Paul's has not yet ended.
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After its close will be a more befitting time to write its history.
The communicant membership of the church is about two hun- dred and seventy-five. The elders at this time are Eli M. Fox, Samuel Kleinhans, Alvin F. Nolf and Ephraim Myers. The deacons are John F. Hess, William A. Lanterman, John Manning and George W. Hartzell. During the past year the church gave $502.40 to benevolence-$1.86 per member.
The Sunday-school numbers about two hundred, teachers and scholars. One member of the school is now a junior at college preparing for the gospel ministry in the Lutheran church. A Christian Endeavor Society, organized within the past two years, has fifty-five members and is an efficient aid to the church, being at present enrolled in the number of those that have volunteered to support our last missionary to India. A Dorcas Society of forty members, and a Young Girls' Mission Band, complete the list of organizations within the church.
LIV. EMANUEL'S CHURCH, WILLIAMSTOWN, DAUPHIN COUNTY.
BY REV. J. A. ADAMS.
This congregation began to exist in the year 1871. About the first of April of that year, Rev. Daniel Kloss began to conduct services here in school-houses and in churches of other denom- inations, as these places were available. Some time during the last of April an organization was effected, numbering about twenty members, with the following officers : Elders-E. W. Zerby and Frederick Shindler ; Deacons-Alfred Keiser and Charles Highland ; Trustees-W. Koenig, J. Hartman and J. Erdman. On May 7, 1871, a constitution was adopted, and the name, "Emanuel's Evangelical Lutheran Church," agreed upon for the congregation.
This congregation was served by Rev. Kloss in connection with that of Lykens, the two constituting "The Lykens Lutheran Pas- torate," the pastor preaching once a Sabbath at Williamstown, and receiving as salary from this congregation $175.00, $200.00, and $225.00 per annum. Brother Kloss served this congregation until some time in the spring of 1877, his resignation having been
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accepted on March 22. During his ministry of six years the church record shows the following : Infant baptisms, 87 ; confir- mations, 68 ; marriages, 10; burials 26.
A lot was purchased, and a church building, thirty-five by fifty-five feet, was erected thereon, the corner-stone of which was laid A. D. 1874, and the building completed during the year, at a cost of about $2,500.00, about $900.00 remaining unpaid at the close of Brother Kloss' labors in the charge.
During the month of May, 1877, Rev. J. A. Wirt was called as pastor of the charge, who served "the Lykens Lutheran pastor- ate " until January 1883, a period of about five years and eight months, when he tendered his resignation. Rev. Wirt labored in the Williamstown congregation with great acceptance to the peo- ple and good results. He received as salary from this congrega- tion $200.00 and $266.66 per annum. We can not, however, give a detailed account of accessions and losses during his stay with this people as pastor, as we have a record only of infant baptisms and burials, the former numbering 62 and the latter 27. During this pastorate the debt of nine hundred and some dollars, resting on the church property when Rev. Kloss left, was liquidated, and the church property repaired and improved at a cost of be- tween five and six hundred dollars, all of which was paid before Rev. Wirt vacated the charge.
Rev. M. L. Heisler was called as Rev. Wirt's successor, began his labors in May, 1883, and continued to be the pastor until April, 1886, a period of about three years. He received as salary from this congregation $300.00 per annum. During Rev. Heisler's labors in the pastorate the Church Record gives the fol- lowing : Infant baptisms, 33 ; confirmation, etc., 17 ; marriages, 4 ; burials, 16. Within the same time the church property was re- paired and improved, at a cost of between one hundred and two hundred dollars.
At a congregational meeting held December 31, 1885, Em- manuel's Evangelical Lutheran congregation of Williamstown, up to this time a part of "The Lykens Lutheran Pastorate," decided to separate from the Lykens congregation, and in itself constitute a charge and support a pastor. At a joint council meeting of "The Lykens Lutheran Pastorate," January 1, 1886,
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this action of the Williamstown congregation was made known. There being no objection on the part of the Lykens congrega- tion, the desire of the Williamstown congregation was cheerfully granted, the arrangement to go into effect April 1, 1886.
On February 28, 1886, Rev. M. S. Romig was elected pastor. He began his labors April 1, and continued his ministry among this people until January 1, 1888, a period of one year and nine months. He received as salary six hundred dollars per annum, out of which he was to pay the rent of a house. The Church Record gives as the result of his labors the following : infant baptisms, 45 ; confirmations, etc., 44 ; burials, 21.
The congregation was without a pastor, being served only by supplies, from January 1, 1888, until April I, of the same year, when the present pastor, Rev. J. A. Adams, began his labo:s in this relation. During his ministry (April 1, 1888, to Sep- tember 1, 1892, the date of this writing), a period of four years and five months, the church-book records the following : infant baptisms 79, confirmations, etc., 101, marriages 15, burials 30, losses by letter, etc., 40. The congregation now numbers 147 members. It has a circulation of between forty-five and fifty copies of church papers among its members. During the time of the present pastor's ministry, a good and pleasant parsonage, conveniently located, has been purchased by the congregation, which, with repairs and improvements, has cost not less than eighteen hundred dollars, all of which has been provided for. The salary of the present pastor is six hundred dollars and par- sonage.
A Sunday-school in connection with the congregation was es- tablished about the same time that the congregation was organ- ized. It has been doing a good work, and now numbers about two hundred members. A little over a year since, a Young Peo- ple's Luther Alliance was organized, which continues to exist and to be helpful to pastor and people.
It is worthy of note that Mr. E. W. Zerby, who is a member of the congregation at present, was one of the original members of the organization, and has been in connection with the congrega- tion ever since, serving most of the time as an officer, and as superintendent of the Sunday-school.
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LV. MEMORIAL CHURCH, HARRISBURG.
BY REV. S. DASHER.
This enterprise was begun about the middle of November, 1867, by a number of Sunday-school workers of the Zion Luth- eran Church of Harrisburg, then under the pastoral care of Rev. G. F. Stelling. The Sunday-school was organized in a small school-house on the Jonestown Road, near the present location of the church. Its sessions were held in the morning during the entire year, until about four years ago, when they were changed to the afternoon.
On September 17, 1868, Mr. Shoop and wife conveyed to the Trustees of the Zion church the lot of ground situated at the corner of Fifteenth and Shoop streets in the said city, fronting 100 feet on Fifteenth street and 105 feet on Shoop street, on which the present church building stands. On this lot of ground a chapel was erected by the Zion Lutheran church under the supervision of the above-named pastor, the corner-stone of which was laid on September 28, 1868, and the superstructure com- pleted about June 1, 1869. It was a one-story frame building, with seating capacity for about 225 persons. It was set apart and consecrated under the name and title of the "Lutheran Jubilee Chapel." On the same day, the Sunday-school entered its new and then commodious home, and continued efficient and successful work up to the close of the year 1871, when the council and pastor, Rev. G. F. Stelling, D. D., of Zion Lutheran church, tendered a unanimous call to Rev. S. Dasher. After many earnest entreaties the call was accepted, the salary being $600.00, and the pastor required to find his own residence.
The first sermon was preached by the pastor, on the morning of January 7, 1872, from the text, Psalm xx. 5, " In the name of our God we will set up our banners." There were at this date one hundred and twenty officers, teachers and scholars in the Sunday-school, and a canvass of the territory discovered thirty- five persons who claimed to be Lutherans.
On February 25, 1872, a meeting was called in the chapel for the purpose of effecting an organization. The attendance was
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large. Rev. G. F. Stelling, who had been invited by the pastor to be present, opened the meeting with appropriate religious exercises. Mr. J. Amos Fisler was called to preside, Mr. Uriah Brown was chosen to act as secretary, and, after the object of the meeting had been stated, thirty-five names were enrolled, and a constitution was submitted and adopted. Eight officers were elected, as follows : Messrs. J. Amos Fisler, J. Potteiger, and C. A. Walters, elders ; Messrs. David Mumma, U. H. Brown, and I. W. Hoover, deacons; U. H. Brown, secretary, and David Mumma, treasurer. The work was for some time partially sup- ported by the mother church.
In June, 1885, an application was made and a charter granted, and the church thereupon became self-sustaining. The name was changed to " The Memorial Evangelical Lutheran Church of Har- risburg, Pa."
On July 6, 1886, the proper officers of Zion church conveyed the lot of ground on which the chapel stood to the new corpora- tion for the consideration of one dollar.
On March 17, 1890, sixty-two of the members of the church made application to the council for letters of dismissal, for. the purpose of forming a new congregation and locating in a more central place. Among the number were three trustees, one elder, one deacon, and the secretary, superintendent, and a large num- ber of the teachers of the Sunday-school. Their request was granted. Within a short time after, seven more applied for dis- missal and were transferred to the new congregation. This left the old church' in a weak state, numerically and financially, but it rallied once more, and, with the material left, about 120 mem- bers, many of whom had little experience in church affairs, took hold of the work. It was evident, however, that something must be done to infuse new life into the remnant. After earnest thought, prayer, and well-matured plans, ground was broken in ' the latter part of April, 1891, on the old location, for a new building, the corner-stone of which was laid June 28, 1891, and the work of rearing the superstructure pushed as rapidly as pos- sible to completion.
On February 14, the house was set apart and dedicated to the worship of the Triune God, in the presence of about 800 people.
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The morning sermon was preached by Rev. C. S. Albert, D. D., of Baltimore ; the evening sermon, by Rev. W. H. Dunbar, of Lebanon. The finances were in charge of Rev. J. A. Wirt, of Hughesville, Pa., and the consecration was performed by Rev. D. M. Gilbert, D. D., of Harrisburg, Pa. The building cost about $14,000.00 and the furnishing thereof about $3,000.00. The seating capacity of the main auditorium is 423. In the Sun- day-school building there are three departments, with a seating capacity of at least 600. The main room of the Sunday-school is so constructed that it can be used in connection with the audi- torium, which then affords a seating capacity of about 800. This house, built on a beautiful location, towers heavenward as a monu- ment of self-denial and great sacrifice. When the subscriptions are all paid, there will be an indebtedness of between $7,000.00 and $8,000.00. The property, at a low estimate, is worth $20,- 000.00. The amount of salary now paid the pastor is $600.00, and he is required to find his own home.
The Sunday-school numbers 285 scholars and 30 officers and teachers, and has two departments. A third department will soon be formed.
There are three societies connected with the church, namely, the Ladies' Aid Society, the Christian Endeavor Society, and the Mission Band, all of which are doing good service for the Master.
The present membership of the church is 169, made up of hard-working people, most of whom are of the Lord's poor.
The progress of this work has been slow but steady. For at least eighteen years there were great hindrances. Far to one side of the populous district, with no sidewalks or pavements, and only one street leading to the church, progress was difficult. After a while the old chapel became too small and uninviting ; but, thank God, all these things are of the past, and in the near future this beautiful church will be in the centre of a large popu- lation.
Up to September 20, 1892, there have been received by regu- lar modes of the church, nearly five hundred persons. The pastor up to that time baptized 450 children ; united 462 couples in holy matrimony, and officiated at 744 funerals. He served, in connection with this work, the Shoop's congregation, four miles
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east of the city, and the Oberlin church, four miles southeast of the city, every two weeks for the term of four years.
Hitherto the Lord has been with this work. To Him be all the glory. His servants take courage and go forward in His name.
LVI. CALVARY CHURCH, WEST PHILADELPHIA. BY REV. S. A. HOLMAN, D. D.
Calvary Lutheran church, West Philadelphia, was organized May 10, 1874. The congregation at first worshiped in a hall at the corner of Fortieth street and Lancaster avenue. The church
CALVARY EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH, WEST PHILADELPHIA, PA.
edifice, south-east corner of Forty-third and Aspen streets, was subsequently built by the congregation, and dedicated to the ser- vice of God, December 12, 1875. Recently, an offer having been made for their church, it was sold, and a lot on the south- west corner of Forty-first street and Mantua avenue was pur- chased. A new church is now being erected, which, it is ex-
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pected, will be finished May 1, 1893. The location of the new building is several squares north-east of the old church. It is near the Forty-first street station of the Pennsylvania railroad, and a few squares south of Fairmount Park. The church has a front on Forty-first street of sixty-one feet, and extends back, for the pres- ent, to a depth of fifty-four feet, there being about forty-five feet in the rear of the church on Mantua avenue, over which it is ex- pected, in the future, to extend the building. The church is built of red pressed brick, with the arches over the windows and doors of Pompeian brick. The membership of the congregation is 120 ; scholars and teachers in Sunday-school, 274. Rev. S. A. Holman, D. D., has been pastor of the congregation since its or- ganization.
LVII. ST. STEPHEN'S CHURCH, LANCASTER. BY REV. E. MEISTER.
St. Stephen's German Lutheran church is the youngest Luth- eran congregation in Lancaster. Its house of worship, which is situated on the corner of Duke and Church streets, measures 49x75 feet, and has a steeple and spire 172 feet in height. The congregation was organized July 19, 1874, at which time the necessity of a second German Lutheran church was felt. There were only seventeen families at the above-named time to start the new church. Its first officers and church council were Messrs. Adam Oblender, John Ochs, C. P. Krauss, W. C. F. Sheer, Peter Dietz, Henry Zimmermann, John Landau, Bernhard Kuhlmann, B. F. Adams, A. Grötzinger, Jacob Lutz and William Gelzen- lichter. The congregation is connected with the East Pennsyl- vania Synod and through it with the General Synod. Its first pastor was Rev. W. S. Porr.
In 1880 he was succeeded by the present pastor, Rev. E. Meister. Until 1881 the services were held in the lecture room, and on March 13-16, 1881, the main audience room of the church was dedicated. On Trinity Sunday of the following year the church was completed, and beautified with a large pipe organ. The membership of St. Stephen's now is nearly 400 souls. There is connected with this church an excellent Sunday-school, includ-
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ST. STEPHEN'S EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH, LANCASTER, PA.
ing a flourishing Bible class ; also, under the supervision of the pas- tor, is a Youths' and Ladies' Society, designed to further the in- terest of this young but enterprising congregation.
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LVIII. ST. PETER'S CHURCH, COLLEGE HILL, EASTON.
BY REV. C. R. TROWBRIDGE AND REV. W. H. DUNBAR, D. D.
In 1870 St. Paul's Lutheran church, Easton, Pa., Rev. J. H. Bar- clay, pastor, erected a mission chapel on Porter street, near High street, College Hill. It was a frame building of twenty-four by forty feet, with a recess seven feet wide in front, five feet in rear, and three and six-tenths feet deep. The Building Committee were C. Edward Hecht, David B. Miller, Amandus Schug, and Wil- liam Sweeny, of St. Paul's church. The chapel was finished and dedicated in the fall of 1870, Rev. Dr. F. W. Conrad preaching the dedicatory sermon. This building was afterward changed into and used for some years as a parsonage. It was then sold, and is now used as a private dwelling. In this chapel a Sunday- school was at once established. From the first the work was attended with the most encouraging success. Preaching services were held as those in charge were able to secure some one to break to them the Bread of Life. An occasional sermon was preached by Rev. Dr. Barclay. During the years 1870-1873 the population of College Hill increased with great rapidity. The idea was conceived, and received with great enthusiasm, to or- ganize a congregation. Action was at once taken by St. Paul's Church Council, Rev. H. W. McKnight, pastor, to effect such organization. In July, 1874, a meeting of the people was held in the chapel, at which it was decided to organize the new congre- gation.
On motion of Ephraim Bower, the name adopted was, “St. Peter's Sixth Lutheran Church of Easton." It was originally designated "Sixth," because there were five Lutheran churches in existence in Easton before this one. It was afterward discovered that the colored church was designated "The First Colored Lu- theran Church," and the title of St. Peter's was changed in the charter to the "Fifth Lutheran Church of Easton." The first Church Council consisted of P. A. Shimer, Ephraim Bower, Amandus Steinmetz and James H. Buell, elders; and Edwin Sandt, Isaac Snyder, Noah Deitrich, Daniel Brinker and Van Selan Walter, deacons. These officers were installed in the latter
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part of July by Rev. H. W. McKnight. Rev. W. H. Dunbar was called as first pastor on Friday, August 28, 1874, and preached his first sermon on the following Sabbath. The congre- gation was received into the East Pennsylvania Synod at Pottsville, September 9. On May 1, 1875, the congregation was regularly
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ST. PETER'S EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH, EASTON, PA.
chartered by the Court of Northampton county. The first com- munion was held October 18, 1874. The number communing was twenty-eight. The whole membership was thirty-six.
At the request of some of the good people, it was determined by the Council that a monthly German service be held. The pastor conducted the first German service on Sunday morning,
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October 11, 1874. It was the only such service held. At a meeting of the Church Council, held during the following week, a motion was offered, and without a word of comment, unani- mously carried, that there be no more German preaching. The pastor profited by the experience, and has never attempted to preach German since. We can not but think that, so far as the congregation was concerned, the action was wise.
The congregation having grown with great rapidity, early in the spring of 1875 it was decided to build a new church. A Building Committee was appointed, with power to raise money and to carry on the work. The committee consisted of A. Stein- metz, P. A. Shimer and Ephraim Bower, with William Werkheiser as treasurer of the building funds. A lot on the south-east corner of Porter and High Streets was purchased for $1,500.00 by Mr. John Eyerman, of St. Paul's church, and presented to the congre- gation, upon which it was decided to build. The corner-stone of the new building was laid June 19, 1875. The services were participated in by Rev. H. W. McKnight, of St. Paul's, Rev. Ph. Pfatteicher, of Zion German Lutheran church, Rev. S. Henry, Secretary of the East Pennsylvania Synod, and Rev. Dr. W. C. Cattell, President of Lafayette College. The new church was completed in January, 1876. It is a beautiful and commodious brick building with Sunday-school room adjoining, costing about $12,000.00. It was dedicated January 16, 1876, Rev. Dr. F. W. Conrad preaching the dedicatory sermon.
It is due to Mr. John Eyerman to say that his heart was in this enterprise from the first, and most liberally did he en- courage it. In addition to the $1,500.00 for the lot upon which the new church was built, he paid a subscription of $1,500.00 to the new building ; at the dedication he subscribed $300.00, and paid for one of the large windows. It was his expressed wish that a mortgage of $5,000.00, held by him against the congrega- tion, should be canceled as soon as a remaining indebtedness of $3,000.00 over and above the mortgage was paid. This wish was carried out through the kindness of Mrs. Eyerman after his death.
After the dedication of the new church, a debt of $5,000.00 remained on the building. The panic of 1874 was just beginning
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to be felt. Laboring men were without work, and business men had to husband all their resources to keep themselves afloat. It was a severe struggle for the young congregation to meet its obligations. The sacrifices made for the church during those years are seldom surpassed. Rarely have a people given more liberally and worked more faithfully.
The first communion service in the new church, January 23, 1876, was the sixth in the history of the congregation. The num- ber of communicants was 59 ; the whole number of members, 76. At the next communion, April 16, the number of communicants was 87, and the whole number of members, 116. Rev. W. H. Dunbar resigned in May, 1880.
Rev. H. B. Wile, a graduate of the Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, became pastor in August, 1880. Under his pas- torate the church was freed from debt. In September, 1880, the old chapel was changed into a suitable parsonage. This old chapel-parsonage was sold in the fall of 1885, and the present commodious brick parsonage was erected, adjoining the church. Upon the representations of Rev. Wile, and at the earnest solici- tation of the congregation, the East Pennsylvania Synod gave $1,000.00 towards the debt on the church, and in 1884 the entire burden was lifted. During the summer of 1884, and prior to the meeting of the East Pennsylvania Synod in Easton in the fall, the church was re-painted and repaired at a cost of $450.00. Rev. Wile resigned September 9, 1885.
Rev. J. B. Keller, of Williamsport, Md., was elected pastor in January, 1886, and assumed charge the following March. He resigned in January, 1888, after a term of not quite two years. During his pastorate the membership increased some forty or more.
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