USA > Pennsylvania > Montgomery County > The old Trappe Church, 1743-1893 : a memorial of the sesqui-centennial services of Augustus Evangelical Lutheran Church, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania > Part 5
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Pottstown57 and Limerick now withdrew from the charge, being served after the resignation of Rev. H. S. Miller, at Pottstown, August 20, 1848, and at Limerick, May 1, 1853, by Rev. Geo. F. Miller.
Dr. Wenzel entered upon his pastoral duties August 22, 1852. But the work of building the new church, begun on May 18th, had in the meantime so far advanced that the corner-stone was laid on August 8th, before his arrival. " An immense concourse of citizens and members "
(57) A congregation was here organized and a log church built prior to 1772. The first pastor was John Ludwig Voigt, who assumed regular charge about 1772 and continued as pastor until a short time before his death, Dec. 28, 1800. In 1796 the old log church was replaced by a brick struct- ure, built by the Lutherans and Reformed at a cost of about $6000. John Fred. Weinland began relieving Voigt in 1799 and served as pastor after the latter's death until 1806. He was followed successively by F. W. Geissenhainer, Sr., May, 1807-1808; J. P. Hecht, May, 1809-1813; J. E. L. Brauns (Braunsius), Jan., 1814-1815; H. A. Geissenhainer, August, 1816-Jan., 1821; F. W. Geissen- hainer, Sr., again, assisted by his son Fred. Wm., Jr., 1821-April, 1823; Conrad Miller, May, 1823- July, 1848; G. F. Miller, July, 1848-1861; H. Wendt, May, 1861-Oct. 1864; A. H. Groh, Oct., 1864- Nov., 1865; W. G. Laitzle, Jan., 1866-Oct., 1874. During his pastorate the Lutherans sold out their interest in the old brick church to the Reformed in May, 1871, and built a new church, incorporated as the German and English Ev. Luth. Emmanuel's Church. The corner-stone was laid June 22, 1871, and the church, costing about $33,000, was consecrated Sept. 28-9, 1872. Since 1875 the congre- gation has been regularly served by Rev. D. K. Kepner.
The English Luth, congregation was separately organized by Rev. Conrad Miller and Dr. J. W. Richards in 1834 but used the original brick church also for services. The pastors were J. W. Richards, May, 1834-April, 1836; J. Wampole, April, 1836-Jan., 1838; H. S. Miller, April, 1838-Aug., 1848; G. F. Miller, Aug., 1848-1868. In 1859 the congregation began the erection of a new church incorporated under the name of "The English Ev. Luth. Church of the Transfiguration." The corner-stone was laid August 5, 1859, and the new edifice consecrated Feb. 16, 1861, on which occasion Dr. J. A. Seiss preached the sermon. The cost of the new church was $12,050. The succeeding pas- tors were G. W. Schmucker, June, 1868-1870; (. Koener, June, 1871-1880 ; B. M. Schmucker, 1881- 1889. In 1889 the present pastor, Rev. O. P. Smith, took charge. (A brief history of these congre- gations was published by Dr. B. M. Schmucker in 1882.)
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gathered to witness the ceremony. The sermon in the morning was preached by Rev. J. W. Richards, D. D., of Reading, from Deut. 22 : 8, followed by Rev. John R. Kooken, a German Reformed minister of Nor- ristown, with a short German address. In the afternoon, after delivering a brief address in English on the texts Zech. 4: 7 and 14: 7 (the latter text used by Dr. Muhlenberg at the laying of the corner-stone of the Old Church, May 2, 1743), Dr. Richards laid the corner-stone, assisted by Rev. Kooken. A tin box, 111/2 inches long, 472 inches wide, and 31/2 inches deep, with a double lid, and tipped with brass mountings, was deposited in the corner-stone, containing the following articles : An account of the day's proceedings, an English Bible, Luther's small catechism in English and German, an English and German Lutheran hymn-book, a copy of the Evangelical Review, a German copy of the minutes of the ministerium of 1852, Dr. Richard's sermon, " The Fruit- ful Retrospect," a catalogue and constitution of the Theological Semi- nary at Gettysburg, and a Lutheran almanac of 1852.
The new church was rapidly carried to completion, and on Nov. 5th and 6th the consecration services took place. Rev. E. Peixoto preached on Saturday morning, November 5th, the pastor, Rev. Wenzel, assisting in the service. On Sunday the pastor duly consecrated the new edifice to the worship of the triune God. Services were held both morning and afternoon, Dr. Richards, of Reading, preaching in the morning and Dr. Baker, of Philadelphia, in the afternoon. The collections amounted to $III.04. The total cost of the new church, in which 191,000 bricks were used, was $7, 112.29.
Dr. Wenzel remained in charge of the congregation but two years. Having received a call to Philadelphia, he resigned on August 5, 1854, and preached his farewell sermon on September 17th. He carried with him the love of the people. In answer to an article on " The Old Church, a Dream of the past," which appeared in the Montgomery Watchman, February 27th, of the following year, and which was regarded as a " commixture of truth and misrepresentation, calculated to reflect upon the congregation and Dr. Wenzel," the vestry published the following vindication :
1163332
" Resolved, That we hereby publicly express our exalted opinion of the character of Rev. Mr. Wenzel, the high estimation in which he was held while pastor of this congre- gation, and the sincere regret with which we were called upon to part with him."
This good feeling was heartily reciprocated by their pastor. As his last entry in the record he writes these words : "I part from my people with deep regret, for they have been very kind to me, and though I have been among them but a short time, I have learned to love them with a
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fervor, such as I never felt for any people under my charge. May the chief shepherd of souls lead them safely through life's journey and land them all securely where the wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest."
REV. ADAM SCHINDLER LINK,
of Centreville, Cumberland County, was called to succeed Dr. Wenzel, on September 12, 1854, as pastor of the charge, still consisting of Trappe, Keely's and Towamencin. No change was made in the arrangement and number of services. In addition to the use of the parsonage and lot, the pastor's salary was increased to $525, Trappe paying $278, Towamencin $175, and Keely's $72.
During Rev. Link's pastorate the membership roll rapidly increased. His great power lay chiefly in his emotional appeals, and by the solemn earnestness and at times striking originality of his manner he attracted the people, so that the church was frequently crowded to its utmost capacity. On November 11, 1855, he recorded 206 English communicants, with the note that it was the largest ever held in the Trappe church. But this number was subsequently exceeded, for on March 28, 1858, he enters the names of 255 English communicants, again stating that it was the largest ever held, and adds the prayer that it may prove to have been a season of great refreshing to God's people.
Rev. Link was in strong sympathy with the "new measure" movement, and strenuously advocated it in the congregation. On the third and fourth Sundays in January, 1858, he preached on the subject of " Social Prayer or Prayer Meetings," and as the subject was new and had been previously announced it brought out an unusually large attendance on both occasions. He forthwith introduced prayer-meetings, holding them at the different houses of such members as received the innovation with ap- proval. The majority of the members, however, fearing that it repre- sented a tendency to extreme emotionalism, viewed the entire movement with suspicion, and although it was doubtlessly attended in many instances with signal blessing, it finally produced such a tremendous upheaval in the congregation as to threaten its disruption. A large number, favor- ing the new measures, withdrew and contemplated the building of a church. Indeed, a site for a burying-ground and church was actually selected and purchased in the village. The ground for the parsonage was staked off, a well dug, and the prospective cemetery laid out in lots. The movement which Rev. Link had thus aroused he was unable to control. He did not anticipate any such catastrophe as an actual division, and rather than see it effected, handed in his resignation on December 22, 1858, which went into effect March Ist. Soon after this, the newly-made con-
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tract was canceled, the project abandoned, and the fever-heat gradually abated.
REV. GEORGE SILL
Having preached to tbe congregation by invitation, on February 20, 1859, Rev. George Sill was elected pastor immediately after the service. On February 23d he was informed that he had been unanimously chosen to become pastor of the charge, including the three congregations, Trappe, Keely's and Towamencin, and having forwarded his acceptance on the 26th, preached his introductory sermon on March 27th. At this time an extra English service, every four weeks, was introduced at Keely's, in the afternoon, the services at the other two points remaining as before. The pastor now received a salary of $600, with the use of the parsonage and appurtenances, Trappe paying $325, Towamencin $175, and Keely's $100.
On the 30th of July, 1859, the vestry granted the pastor permission to have a chandelier and lamps placed in the church, so that evening service might be held, on condition that the money for the purchase should be collected specially for the purpose, and that no protracted meetings or anything else outside the regular order of worship and the estab- lished rules and customs of the congregation be introduced. The necessary lamps having been procured, the first evening service was accordingly held on the 16th of October, 1859. Rev. Sill preached from the text Genesis 25 : 34, with "Our birthright" as the theme. At this time Wednesday evening services were introduced and regularly con- tinued for some time.
During Rev. Sill's pastorate the annual commencement of the Female College of Collegeville, Pa., Prof. J. W. Sunderland, LL.D., President, was regularly held in the new church, by permission of the vestry. On August 11, 1861, a sacred concert was given in the Old Church by the young people of the congregation and the proceeds devoted to the Sun- day-school.
A resolution was passed on September 3d, of the same year, author- izing the pastor to withdraw from the " Old Synod " and connect himself with the East Pennsylvania synod if he saw fit to do so. Rev. Sill at- tended the meeting of the East Pennsylvania Synod, held at Harrisburg in the Fall of 1859, and after presenting a statement of the case, the synod deemed it inexpedient to take any action in the matter, and so fortunately the resolution was not carried into effect. The method of voluntary subscriptions having proved insufficient to meet the current ex- penses of the congregation, the renting of pews was introduced by a res- olution on April 23, 1860, and has been retained ever since.
.
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At a congregational meeting, held April 21, 1862, the sad tidings of the sudden death of Rev. A. S. Link, Rev. Sill's predecessor, was an- nounced, and after soliciting subscriptions the congregation sent a gift of $57.25 for the relief of the stricken family.
In 1862, the English Lutheran congregation at Limerick was again brought in connection with the Trappe charge, and was regularly served by Rev. Sill, Rev. George F. Miller being the pastor of the German por- tion of the congregation.
The last few years of Rev. Sill's pastorate were years of great politi- cal agitation, and as in so many places during the civil war it was the means of precipitating trouble. His patriotic enthusiasm scintillated from the pulpit, and the feeling thereby aroused against the pastor, was intensified by his attitude on "Protracted and Prayer meetings." On March 11, 1861, he read a discoursive paper to the vestry on the subject, prefaced with a consideration of the duties and rights of the church- councilmen and pastor. The matter was referred to a congregational meeting when it received a partial endorsement ; the vestry, however, laid the congregational report on the table, and thus, though acting un- der the impulse of a zealous spirit, the measures which Rev. Sill pro- posed to introduce militated against him.
The provision for the annual election of the minister, practiced from the beginning of Weinland's pastorate, as early as 1800, enacted as a by-law on April 14, 1816, but for the most part remaining a dead-let- ter, was now revived, and at the election held April 6, 1863, Rev. J. Kohler, whose name had been proposed without his knowledge or con- sent along with Rev. Sill's, was elected. The experience of the congre- gation fully verified the opinion expressed by Dr. Mann, in his report as President, at the meeting of Synod at Reading in 1863, where the matter came up for consideration, that a " by-law, which was an instru- ment to depose at a yearly election, without any formal charge or trial, any minister of the congregation, was calculated seriously to detract from the dignity of the ministerial office and seriously to disturb the peace of the congregation." The First District Conference, to whom the subject had been referred, at the meeting held at Pottstown, July 28th of the same year, in the report of the sixth committee, earnestly recommended the congregation, as was subsequently done, to erase this the eleventh by-law from the Statute book, as being a provision altogether, as far as the committee were aware, unknown in the usages of our church. They at the same time recommended that as far as possible the congregation should practically retrace their steps and place themselves in the exercise of mutual forbearance and confidence in the same relative positions they held three years before. This, however, under the circumstances, was
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deemed impracticable, and Rev. Sill having accepted a call to White- marsh, Montgomery County, terminated his engagement with the con- gregation on October 1, 1863. During his pastorate no formal complaint was ever made against his character or behavior in office, and two of the congregations of the charge expressly testified to the conscientious fidelity with which, under the manifest blessing of God, he had con- ducted his ministry among them.
REV. JOHN KOHLER, D. D.,
who did not consent to the former irregular election, and who, after having preached to the congregation on October 25, 1863, desired that another election should be held, was accordingly on November 29th, unanimously elected as pastor.
On several Sundays during the brief interim after Rev. Sill's with- drawal, the pulpit was supplied by Dr. J. Fry, then of Carlisle, and Dr. Wenzel of Philadelphia, a former pastor.
On January 1, 1864, Dr. Kohler entered upon his pastoral duties. A change was now made in the charge. Towamencin withdrew, and the two Limerick congregations, English and German,58 were once more united with the Trappe charge. Rev. Kohler preached at Trappe in Eng- lish every two weeks and German every four weeks, and English and German alternately at Keely's and Limerick every four weeks, observ- ing the chief festival days in the three congregations alternately.
In October, 1864, special efforts were made to liquidate the debt still remaining on the church, amounting to $1500. The congregation was accordingly assessed so as to pay the debt in two installments, the first after January 1, 1865, and the second during the following year. The entire indebtedness, however, was not fully paid off until some years later.
On the 23d of October, 1867, the seventh Jubilee of the great Refor- mation was becomingly celebrated. The church was beautifully and tastefully decorated with evergreens and flowers. The wall to the rear of the pulpit bore the inscription in evergreen, " The Seventh Jubilee of the
(58) Built as St. James' union church, the corner-stone of which was laid April 17, 1817, by Dr. Jacob Miller, and the church consecrated on Whitsunday, 1819. The first pastor was Rev. Henry A. Geissenhainer, 1818-21; his successors were Dr. F. W. Geissenhainer, Sr., assisted by his son Fred. William, Jr., 1821-23; Dr. Jacob Miller, 1823-29; Conrad Miller, 1829-37; Henry S. Miller, 1838-52; George F. Miller, 1852-69, except from March, 1861, to the following April 6th. The first English service was probably held by Dr. F. W. Geissenhainer, Sr. The English portion of the congregation was separately organized by Jacob Wampole, and served by him from 1827-34; his successors were J. W. Richards, 1834-36, Jacob Wampole, again, 1836-38 ; Henry S. Miller, 1838-52; George F. Miller, 1852-61; George Sill, 1862-64. During this period the English and German congregations were united under Henry S. Miller, and again finally united and served by John Kohler, 1864-74; O. P. Smith, 1874-89, during whose pastorate in 1875-76, the new church, costing $10,000, was built of stone and rough cast ; Nelson F. Schmidt, 1889 to the present time.
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Great Reformation," and on either side the dates 1517 and 1867. In the morning, after Dr. Fry had conducted the liturgical service, Dr. J. A. Seiss preached the sermon in which he set forth the great blessings re- stored to the church by the great reformation. Dr. Krotel followed in a short address in German. The pastor opened the services in the after- noon, when Dr. Krotel delivered an address in English, and Dr. Seiss closed the exercises with a few appropriate remarks. Services were again resumed in the evening, Dr. Fry delivering the main address. All these services were largely attended. The thank-offerings contributed for the benefit of the Theological Seminary and Muhlenberg College amounted to $500.50, the names of all contributors being entered in a blank memorial volume specially prepared for the occasion. Revs. Henry S. Miller, a former pastor of the congregation, and L. Groh, were also present at these services.
During the Summer of 1871 the parsonage was extensively repaired and renovated at a cost of $701.54. In April, 1870, the double row of maple trees leading from the street to the church was planted, and now having grown up into the full stature of well developed maples, afford delightful shade and enhance the appearance of the grounds.
Dr. Kohler, during his pastorate, discountenanced the new measures hitherto more or less prevailing, and had no sympathy for any meretricious, emotional forms of service. He endeavored to place the congregational worship on a solid basis by introducing part of the liturgy, but in this he was obliged to encounter many more obstacles and deeply rooted preju- dices than did Dr. Muhlenberg in the early days. He was, however, un- willing to compromise his conscience for the ease and comfort he might otherwise have enjoyed, and was ready to suffer reproach in advancing what he deemed of vital importance to the church. But the consequences of a tendency for years in an opposite direction were not to be so readily counteracted. Dissatisfaction arose, and again the odious and trouble- some by-law, No. II, on the annual election of the minister, which, on November 30, 1863, had been unanimously repealed, was illegally ap- plied. On May 8, 1873, the First Conference convened at Trappe, when the existing difficulties were duly considered and apparently adjusted. However on the 27th of September Dr. Kohler resigned the charge and accepted a call to Stroudsburg.
On December 14, 1873, Rev. S. A. Ziegenfuss was unanimously elected to succeed Dr. Kohler, but declined the call.
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REV. OLIVER PETER SMITH.
While yet a student in the Lutheran Theological Seminary of Phila- delphia, Rev. Smith was elected on March 29, 1874, to become pastor after his ordination. Having been regularly ordained by the Ministerium at Lancaster on June 2d, he was installed on the 10th, and at once assumed the charge of the three congregations. According to the requirements of the call, he preached every Sunday at Trappe, one service every four weeks being German, and one of the English services being held in the afternoon. After May, 1879, the German service was transferred to the afternoon, and the English afternoon service to the morning, and in the Fall of 1885 an extra English service was introduced on the morning still left open. At Limerick and Keely's Rev. Smith held service every two weeks alternately English and German. On the 23d of May, 1874, an improved set of by-laws, both in form and substance, having been drafted by D. Y. Custer and J. T. Miller, was adopted by the congregation and printed in pamphlet form. In June, 1877, the envelope system for benef- icence was introduced in the congregation and has been regularly contin- ued.
The church as it then stood did not contain many necessary arrange- ments and conveniences, and this being more and more felt, it was at length resolved, on March 18th, to have it entirely remodeled. Subscrip- tions for the work, amounting to $3000, were soon reported. The work of reconstruction at once began and on January 14, 1879, the newly re- modeled building was solemnly rededicated. Services were held on Satur- day and Sunday, morning, afternoon and evening, a number of clergy- men having been engaged to preach and assist in the services. The building was finished in fine modern style, chaste and churchly, with entirely new furnishings, the special new features being the basement, recess for chancel and pulpit, and semi-circular pews on a slightly inclined floor. The total cost of remodeling was $6,658.88, of which sum $803.25 was contributed by the ladies of the congregation for furnishing the church with carpet, cushions, etc., $107 by the Bible class for chairs and table in the basement, and $80 by the Sunday-school for a new cabinet or- gan. The debt remaining on the church was $ 1716.68, but this was speedily liquidated. At this time, in January, 1879, Mrs. Samuel Gross Fry (now Mrs. Charles Gross,) presented the congregation with a handsome silver communion service. In April, 1881, the valuable gift of a large marble baptismal font was received from Messrs. F. S. Gross of Lee, Mass., and C. H. Gross of Philadelphia. The congregation is also indebted to the generosity of the Gross brothers of Lee, Massachusetts, for the marble walk, laid in 1889, leading from the gate to the church. During the
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Fall of 1881, repairs and alterations were made at the parsonage at an expense of $376.97
The year 1883 was the memorable quarto-centennial of the birth of the great Reformer. This event, which was so universally and enthusi- astically celebrated on October 23d, was duly observed by the pastor, assisted by a number of Lutheran ministers, with highly interesting and appropriate services in both the old and new church. The memorial offerings of the congregation contributed this year for the new Seminary at Mt. Airy, including the collections at this service, amounted to $365.05. The remaining sum of the congregation's apportionment toward the new Seminary, $ 130, was finally paid on January 1, 1889.
On June 30, 1884, the pastor sustained a severe blow by the early death of his cherished help-meet. Mrs. Laura Affie Smith, nee Barnes, was deeply mourned by the congregation to whom she had endeared herself by many lovable traits of character. She was buried in the cemetery connected with the church.
In 1887 the first district Conference was invited to convene at Trappe and participate in the celebration of the centennial anniversary of the death of the Patriarch of the church. Special services were held in both churches, and a collection of $74.50 was gathered, $31.73 contrib- uted to Muhlenberg College, and the remainder to the seminary.
Rev. Smith's ministry at Trappe was singularly blessed. The pre- judice against the liturgy still existing when he assumed charge, was by judicious tact gradually allayed. Peace and harmony were fully restored and maintained, and the congregational life and work much advanced, but as the three congregations were gradually expanding, the work re- quired was more than one man could perform, so that Rev. Smith be- came convinced of the necessity of dividing the charge. A call to Pottstown afforded the opportunity and became the occasion of effecting such a division. Rev. Smith resigned the charge on February roth, which went into effect May Ist, thus bringing to a close the longest and one of the most successful pastorates since the time of Muhlenberg.
DIVISION OF THE CHARGE.
By a unanimous vote on March 10, 1889, the congregation resolved to call and support their own pastor, Limerick (St. James') and Schwenksville59
(59) The Old Keely's church (New Jerusalem union church), still standing but no longer used, is located about a mile West of Schwenksville. On February 14, 1756, a deed was drawn up by Valentine Keely and his wife Susanna, to Hieronimus Haas and John Kepler, miller, members of the Trappe Lutheran church, for one acre of land for a burying ground, the erection of a school- house and the maintenance of a German school. But as the framers of the deed died shortly after- wards, it was never executed. A purchase was, however, effected on the part of the Lutherans by George Michael Bastian, John Kepler and Valentine Krause, members of the Trappe church, and for the German Reformed by Martin Keeler, Henry Keely and Valentine Sheelich as trustees. It was also stipulated that if a house of worship should be erected thereon, it was to be held jointly by
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