USA > Pennsylvania > Allegheny County > Pittsburgh > The history of the First English Evangelical Lutheran Church in Pittsburgh, 1837-1909 > Part 7
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The title to this property, known as the Nevile B. Craig lot, and located on Dithridge St. near Fifth Ave. never came into the possession of the congrega- tion. After Dr. Passavant's death it was transferred to the Pittsburgh Synod, by whose direction it was sold and the proceeds, amounting to about $8,000, were transferred to the Evangelical Lutheran Mission and Church Extension Society of Pittsburgh, Alle-
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gheny and Vicinity, which organization is still the custodian of the fund.
An offering for the benefit of the American Tract Society in the year 1864 amounted to $50, and the offering for the Christian Commission on Thanks- giving Day realized $230.
June 5, 1865, a committee from the Reformed Pres- byterian Church, Allegheny, the Rev. Dr. Sproull, pastor, inquired whether the congregation would sell the church building, and the price. A price of $30,000 was placed upon the property, including the sexton's house, gas fixtures, carpets, etc., but the matter was never carried further.
October 22, the offering for Synodical purposes amounted to $533.50.
November 6 the Council decided, by a vote of six to three, to submit the recommendation of the Synod for a uniform Order of Service to the next congre- gational meeting. It received extended discussion at that meeting (January 1, 1866), and was referred for final action to a special meeting two weeks later, when it was decided, by a vote of thirty-eight to fifteen, to adopt the recommendation of Synod.
Lengthy resolutions, of which the following is the substance, were also passed at the congregational meeting :
" Inasmuch as a number of members have purchased a lot on the corner of Penn and Hand Streets and have conveyed the same to a committee in trust of this congregation,
" Resolved, That a building committee be appointed to have a church building erected thereon when in their estima- tion a sufficient sum be subscribed to insure the success of the enterprise.'
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The committee, which consisted of thirteen mem- bers, was also authorized to sell the present church property and to control the amount received from its sale.
Sometime in 1865 a City Missionary Society was organized in the lecture room of the church by mem- bers of the Sunday Schools of the First Church, Second German, Trinity Allegheny, and Grace South Side. The purpose was to district the city and establish new Sunday Schools. The only permanent result of the short-lived Society was the organization of St. John's Sunday School May 6, 1866, in a room on the third floor of a building on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Pride Street. In addition to Mr. Hill there were present on that occasion the Revs. G. A. Wenzel, H. W. Roth, and J. G. Goettman, and Prof. Stoever of Gettysburg. Mr. George Hubley was the first superintendent; eighty-five scholars were en- rolled with twelve teachers from the First Church and the German Church. The further history of this movement properly belongs to the following pastorates.
June 18, 1866, Mr. Hill submitted his resignation as pastor, to take effect July 1, assigning as his reason the impaired condition of his health, especially an affection of the throat, his physician having advised him to seek rest and a change of climate. Mr. Hill's communication closes as follows: "May the Great Head of the Church soon send you a man after His own heart to break unto you and the dear people the Bread of Life. With confiding trust in the supreme goodness and wisdom of His overruling Providence I commit the interests of the congregation, as well as
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my own destiny, into His Almighty Hands." His resignation was accepted and a committee was ap- pointed to prepare a suitable address in reply. This was later adopted by the Council and ordered to be entered upon the minutes, but it was not recorded. The Council also decided to continue the payment of the pastor's salary until January 1, 1867.
Mr. Hill came to Pittsburgh to assume charge of the congregation under peculiar and trying circum- stances. He followed a pastor who had been the idol of his people and who had sustained a commanding influence in the community for his general scholarship and his theological attainments. The congregation had yielded most reluctantly to the necessity which prompted Dr. Krauth's removal, and the members were as a consequence disappointed and apathetic.
Mr. Hill was energetic as a pastor and impressive as a preacher, and, notwithstanding the difficulties in his way, he accomplished much for the congre- gation.
It was during his ministry, owing largely to the foresight of Mr. George Black, who recognized the fact that real estate had not yet been included in the general inflation of values and who advocated securing a more favorable site for a new church building when the congregation would be able to build, that the property was purchased at the corner of Penn and Ninth Streets.
The struggle of the War of the Rebellion was absorbing the thoughts and energies of the com- munity and the development of the oil territory pro- duced an excitement only secondary to it. A number of the young men of the congregation entered the
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military service of the country, among whom were Cols. Armor and Sheafer, Messrs. B. F. Weyman, Henry Balken, W. Warren Wattles, George Armor, James Armor, and George H. Smith. The Sunday School presented Mr. Sheafer with a sword. Mr. Hill was intensely loyal and gave decided utterance to his sentiments.
Dr. Hill was born in Hughesville, Pa., July 22, 1826. He graduated from Pennsylvania College, Gettysburg, in 1852 and from the Seminary there in 1854. Before coming to Pittsburgh he had been pastor of St. James's Church, Gettysburg, and St. John's, Hagerstown, Md. After leaving Pittsburgh he served a congregation in Rhinebeck, N. Y., founded the Church of the Reformation, Rochester, N. Y., and was pastor of St. John's, Allentown, Pa., for eleven years, during a portion of which pastorate he was Assistant Professor of Greek in Muhlenberg College. In 1885 he became the financial representative of the Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, and it was largely through his efforts that the splendid site in Mt. Airy was secured and the Dormitory erected for the students when the institution removed from Franklin Street to the suburbs. Muhlenberg College conferred the degree of Doctor of Divinity upon him in 1892. He died in Mt. Airy, March 3, 1895.
These were indeed times that tried men's souls. The great Civil War absorbed the State and a great conflict spread throughout the Church. "American Lutheranism" as represented in the teachings and publications of Dr. S. S. Schmucker and in the posi- tions of the Lutheran Observer was being more and more earnestly contested by the ever-increasing
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forces of sound, confessional Lutheranism. Dr. Passavant's paper, The Missionary, and The Lutheran in Philadelphia were founded to maintain the posi- tions of the conservatives, and in 1864 the Theologi- cal Seminary at Philadelphia was established as a protest and a protection against the radicalism then rampant at Gettysburg. The lines were being sharply drawn; men terribly in earnest on both sides of the field girded themselves to defend their beloved Lutheranism against principles and positions which they regarded fatal to its true development in this country ; the final division in the old General Synod was but a year or two distant; there was growing bitterness and intolerance on every hand.
The First Church, for several reasons, was the un- happy scene of some of these conflicts which later divided the congregation as they did the Synod, and the Church itself. The first difficulties arose from the discussion and adoption of the Synod's recom- mendation of a Service designed to secure more uni- formity in its congregations. This Service itself was exceedingly simple and moderate, including little of a liturgical character beyond the recital of the Creed and the Lord's Prayer. Much sentiment in favor of such a Service had been quietly developed in the congregation by the use for many years in the Sun- day School of the Creed, Lord's Prayer, and various responsive readings. The final adoption of the Synod's Service placed the congregation on the fir- ing line and developed an opposition to conservative usages which had much to do with Mr. Hill's final resignation; and this, notwithstanding the fact that
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he had not been in the least an agitator and had not evinced any partisan spirit.
The General Synod held its last meeting before the division at Fort Wayne, Ind., May 16, 1866. The Rev. Dr. Joseph A. Seiss of Philadelphia, upon his return from this convention, preached in the First Church, repeating the sermon which he had recently delivered before the General Synod. He made a most favorable impression upon the entire congrega- tion and was unanimously elected pastor at a congre- gational meeting July 18, fifty-six votes being cast.
The faction which had opposed the adoption of the Synod's Service and which later withdrew from the congregation was particularly active in urging Dr. Seiss's election and freely expressed its willingness to have him wear the clerical robe and to use the Liturgy, also agreeing to increase the salary if he would come. But he declined the call.
CHAPTER IX Pastorate of the Reb. Samuel Laird, D.D. 1867-1879
HE final division between the conservative and the radical forces in the Lutheran Church occurred at Fort Wayne in May, 1866, when the delegates of the Ministerium of Pennsylvania were denied recognition by the General Synod on the ground that the delegates of the Ministerium who had protested against the admis- sion of the Franckean Synod of New York by the General Synod at York, Pa., in 1864, because of its doubtful subscription to the Lutheran Confessions, and who had withdrawn from that convention in 1864 to report to the Ministerium, had by that action taken the Ministerium out of practical relations with the General Synod. This action on the part of the General Synod was not the real cause of the rupture, but only the occasion of it. The great determining question was the true acceptance of the Lutheran Confessions. The doctrinal position of the General Synod was unsatisfactory to the Ministerium of Pennsylvania, and it was convinced that a General Body should be formed, composed of Synods truly representing the doctrinal position of the Evangeli- cal Lutheran Church, inasmuch as the hope of se- curing this in the General Synod was abandoned.
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Accordingly when the Ministerium met in Holy Trinity Church, Lancaster, Pa., a short time after- wards it issued a call for the formation of a new General Body by those Synods which truly received the Confessions of the Lutheran Church. This action resulted in the organization of the General Council.
A very large part of the members of the First Church of Pittsburgh sympathized with the General Council, but a small faction favored the General Synod. It so happened, however, that at this time, during the vacancy after the resignation of Mr. Hill, six of the twelve members of the Church Council were General Council men and six were General Synod men, and neither side could command a ma- jority. The Council by the close vote of seven to five defeated a motion to invite eight different minis- ters to preach on eight successive Sundays and to nominate a pastor from the number!
At a special meeting, September 24, 1866, a motion to propose for election the name of the Rev. Samuel Laird, pastor of Trinity Church, Lancaster, Pa., failed by a tie vote, though it was decided to invite him to preach for the congregation.
Mr. Laird having declined to preach as a can- didate, it was agreed that two members of the Coun- cil, one representing each side, should go to Lan- caster to hear him. Messrs. William F. Lang and Jacob S. Newmeyer were chosen for this purpose and on their return both reported in his favor.
November 5, 1866, a petition was presented to the Council by Mr. Weyman, signed by one hundred and twenty-six members, requesting a congregational meeting for the election of the Rev. Samuel Laird.
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This was defeated by a vote of six to five, but a motion prevailed to call the meeting "to consider the propriety of calling a pastor and to decide upon the relation of this congregation to the Pittsburgh Synod; it was also resolved that the members of the Church Council waive any constitutional right to nominate a pastor in this instance."
Section I, Chapter II, of the By-laws of the con- gregation required that "no minister shall be eligible to the office of pastor of this Church unless he is a member of some Synod in connection with the Gen- eral Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the United States." The radical faction urged this clause as a pretext in their opposition to the name of Mr. Laird, as he was then pastor of Trinity Church, Lancaster, Pa., a congregation belonging to the Ministerium of Pennsylvania whose connection with the General Synod had been dissolved. In all the unhappy controversy of this time we see that there was no serious opposition to any one person, but simply a bitter factional spirit inflamed against the conservative party in the Church at large.
The congregational meeting was held November 21. It was resolved, by a vote of ninety-three to twenty-nine, to strike out Section I, Chapter II, of the By-laws. It was then decided to call the Rev. Samuel Laird as pastor, by a vote of ninety-one to twenty-six, the election being by ballot. A motion to make the call unanimous failed. The meeting adjourned to meet again in two weeks formally to act upon the motion to revise the By-laws, inasmuch as the former action had been taken without the re- quired definite notification.
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After the adjournment two members of the minority took the keys of the church from the sexton and nailed down the windows to prevent the use of the building, claiming that the action taken at the meeting had been in violation of the Constitution, and that it had deprived the congregation of possession of the church property. A special meeting of the Council was called by them to exact terms which would place the minority in control. This meeting was held Novem- ber 24 in the sexton's house at ten o'clock in the morning, all the members being present. The mi- nority having stated that they had proceeded under legal advice, the response was made that, "As you have appealed to Cæsar, unto Cæsar we will go," and, nothing being submitted for formal action, the Council adjourned.
The church remained barricaded over the following Sunday, although a minister had come to the city upon invitation to supply the pulpit. When the members of the congregation who were not aware of the situation found themselves forcibly excluded from their church, they became very indignant. During the following week, the majority applied to the Courts and a temporary injunction was granted to prevent the minority from retaining possession of the property. Mr. Thomas H. Lane was appointed trustee by the Court and the keys of the church were taken from Mr. Jacob S. Newmeyer, who was a trustee of the Church, and placed in the keeping of Mr. Lane, who was the trustee of the Court. Ser- vices were then resumed and the interruption was ended.
This began a protracted legal controversy. The
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case was dragged through the District Court and, when the minority cause was lost there, it was appealed to the Supreme Court, and again finally decided in favor of the majority of the congregation. The Church Council was equally divided and until another election could be held, every effort to call a pastor or to take any other action involving matters in dispute was futile. An indication of the feeling which prevailed is given in the action of the Church Council, at its meeting December 3. It was necessary to make nominations for the annual election of Church officers and Mr. Weyman's name was submitted for re-nomination as Elder, but the nomination failed by reason of the following tie vote : For the nomination: Thomas H. Lane, Dr. A. Lange, D. Foulke, Washing- ton Beeler, Wm. F. Lang. Against nomination: George Hubley, J. S. Newmeyer, J. H. Lyday, A. Weaver, A. J. Getty.
Mr. Weyman and Mr. J. B. Chalmers did not vote.
December 5 an adjourned meeting of the congrega- tion was held at which it was unanimously decided, ninety votes being cast, to re-consider the action of November 21 repealing the By-law and also the action relating to the election of the Rev. Mr. Laird. It was then decided to postpone indefinitely the election of a pastor and to discharge the committee appointed to extend the call and to arrange the salary.
January 7, 1867, at the annual meeting of the con- gregation it was stated that the Council could not agree upon any nominations for the Church Council. The following persons were therefore nominated by the congregation and unanimously elected, sixty-six votes being cast: Elder, George Weyman; Deacons,
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D. M. Armor, P. W. H. Latshaw; Trustees, Wm. F. Lang, W. D. Beeler, Wm. P. Weyman. Messrs. Lane and William P. Weyman were appointed to invite a Lutheran minister to preach the following Sunday and to install the officers-elect.
Thus the majority of the congregation was finally able to break the deadlock and place the administra- tion of its affairs in the hands of a Council that would really represent it and execute its wishes.
The Council was now constituted as follows: Elders, George Weyman, Dr. A. Lange, George Hubley; Deacons, Thomas H. Lane, J. S. Newmeyer, D. A. Foulke, J. H. Lyday, D. M. Armor, P. W. H. Latshaw; Trustees, W. F. Lang, W. D. Beeler, Wm. P. Weyman.
January 14 the trustees and treasurer were ap- pointed to request Mr. George Hubley, former treas- urer, to transfer to them all books, accounts, papers, and moneys in his possession belonging to the Church. It was also resolved to hold a meeting of the congre- gation January 30 to consider the proposed amend- ment of the By-laws and to elect a pastor, the Rev. Samuel Laird being nominated.
The meeting was held. The motion to amend the By-laws was carried by a vote of seventy-one to three. Mr. Laird was elected by ballot, by a vote of seventy- four to two. Messrs. George Black, Thomas H. Lane, and William P. Weyman, by authority of the con- gregation, visited Lancaster and personally presented the call, which was accepted.
April 1, several young men of the congregation offered to replace the instrument then in use in the church with a small organ. The offer was accepted.
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Subsequently, a proposition was made by Mr. B. F. Weyman, through the pastor, to exchange the organ then in use for a larger and more expensive one, the Church to obtain an interest in the new organ propor- tionate to the value of the old one, Mr. Weyman as- suming the additional cost. The proposition was accepted, and the thanks of the Council were ten- dered Mr. Weyman.
On the first Sunday in May, 1867, Mr. Laird be- came pastor of the Church. It was the Sunday of the Good Shepherd and he took as his text the Gospel for the day, John 10: 11-16. Prior to his coming, a railing had been erected around the chancel and a lectern placed in it, so that the liturgical service could be conducted from the chancel. There was only a partial use of the Liturgy, as the people were not accustomed to the full Service.
Messrs. Hubley and Newmeyer, although holding offices in the congregation, were actively engaged in promoting the organization of a rival congregation and securing the services of a minister; the Council, therefore, requested Mr. Laird and Mr. George Wey- man to wait upon them and confer with them upon the inconsistency of their position. This was done and they promised to send a communication to the next meeting of the Council.
June 7, a lengthy communication was read from Mr. George Hubley, who had been a member of the Council for twenty years, in which he tendered his resignation as an elder of the Church and requested that it be entered on the minutes. His resignation was accepted and ordered to be recorded. The secre- tary was instructed to communicate to him the action
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+ imposition was made by Mr. B. F. Wwwdousb the pastor, to exchange the organ Hos la so Jor a larger anil more expensive one, the ( Bursa in oftain an interest in the new organ propor- Bowie to lite yiye of the old one, Mr. Weyman as- wenin the editional cost, The proposition was accepted, ant the banks of the Council were ten- dered Mr. Wey no
On the few Suoilay in May, 1867, Mr. Laird be exmo pastor of the Church. It was the Sunday of the Good Sigyouril nad os look as his text the Gospel for the day, doby In: TV-16. Prior to his coming, a railing had been greened around the chancel and a lectern placed in it. ilat the liturgical service could be conducted from imlibnicel. There was only a partial use of the Litter at the people were not accustomed to the Fall
Messrs. Hubley and , although holding offices in the congregate. . Atively engaged in promoting the organisantho o a visit congregation and acturing the services , the Council. therefore, requested Mr. I Mw. George Wey- may to wait upon them wiLD them upon the Inconsistency of blivit Llus was done ami they promised to soml w woniention to the Diod meeting of the Com
June 7, o lengthy comomin. bou was read froto Mr. George Iddey, who had Men a member of the Comsol for twenty years, in which he tendered his re leunite as an Mer of the Church and requested that if I mitered on the minutes. His resignation WAS An Ece Bid ordered to be recorded. The secre- tary wos matrnoted to communicate to him the action
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of Council and to reciprocate the expressions of Christian love in his letter. The pastor also pre- sented a letter from Mr. J. S. Newmeyer, containing his resignation. The resignation was accepted and the letter laid upon the table. September 9 the resig- nation of Mr. J. H. Lyday was also received and accepted.
The disaffected faction which withdrew from the congregation after the final decision of the Supreme Court, bought a church property on Hand Street, and secured the services of the Rev. J. W. H. Stuckenberg. The venture there was not successful.
On the fourth Sunday in June Mr. Laird was in- stalled as pastor. The sermon was preached by the Rev. Dr. Joseph A. Seiss of Philadelphia, the service being conducted by Dr. Passavant.
The Council decided that the next Communion, to be held on the first Sunday in October, should be in the morning instead of the afternoon as heretofore, and that the services preparatory to it should be held on the Friday evening preceding.
September 9, it was resolved that the delegate from the congregation to the Pittsburgh Synod be in- structed to vote for the union of the Synod with the General Council.
When the Ministerium of Pennsylvania finally with- drew from the General Synod (Lancaster, 1866) it authorized an invitation "to all Evangelical Lutheran Synods, ministers and congregations in the United States and Canada which confess the Unaltered Augsburg Confession" to attend a convention for the organization of a general ecclesiastical body "on a truly Lutheran basis." This convention met in
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Trinity Church, Reading, Pa., December 12-14, 1866. Thirteen Synods were represented. The Rev. G. Bassler of the Pittsburgh Synod presided. The theses on "Principles of Faith and Church Polity" prepared by Dr. Krauth were discussed and adopted as the basis of the proposed organization.1 Novem- ber 20, 1867, the General Council itself was organized at Fort Wayne, Ind., in the church in which the Gen- eral Synod had held its sessions the year before. The Pittsburgh Synod a few weeks before (October 15) had adopted, by a vote of sixty-three to twenty-one, the "Fundamental Principles of Faith" proposed for the General Council. At this time a small faction consisting of ten pastors and seven lay delegates withdrew, and, claiming the name, were afterward recognized by the General Synod as the Pittsburgh Synod, although the courts subsequently ruled that this was illegal.2
November 11, a formal invitation was extended to the General Council, which it was hoped to organize less than two weeks later in Fort Wayne, to hold its second meeting in the First Church in Pittsburgh in 1868, and this invitation was accepted.
January 6, 1868, the congregation elected Messrs. John Brown, William W. Wattles, and Col. James Sheafer members of the Church Council.
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