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 The Cornerstone Center, 178 Bennett Avenue, New York, NY 10040 Phone/Fax: 1-212-567-5948 |
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| A friendly household of faith, we are America's oldest Lutheran Church: 343 years of faithful witness to the Lord Jesus Christ through the ministry of Word and Sacrament. Chartered December 6, 1664. | |
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A Timeline of a History of St. Matthew 1643: In the settlements in the Dutch colony are Catholics, English Puritans and Lutherans. 1648: "Congregation of the Unaltered Augsburg Confession of Faith" is formed and sends a delegation to the Consistory of the Lutheran Church at Amsterdam, Netherlands, to request a pastor. July 1657: Pastor Ernestus Gutwasser arrives in Manhattan. Is prevented from performing Pastoral duties by Dutch authorities in the colony and later deported in 1659 (June 19) back to Holland. 1660 - 1662: Swedish Lutheran pastors from Delaware, Lars Lock and Abelius Zetskoorn, serve congregation, due to absence of Dutch pastors from Holland. April 25, 1664: British takes control of the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam and renamed it New York. Dec 6, 1664: "Congregation of the Unaltered Augsburg Confession of Faith" receives Charter from first British Governor, Richard Nicolls.Feb 1669: Pastor Jacobus Fabritius arrives in New York and obtains permission from Governor Lovelace to become the pastor of the Lutherans in New York and Albany. Lutheran churches along the Hudson form a single parish and are served by the pastors of the New York Church. 1671: Bernhardus Arensius is installed by Fabritius as pastor of congregation. Pastor Fabritius leaves for Delaware after having difficulty with the congregation. Pastor Arensius d. 1691. First church building is erected on Broadway, outside the city wall, where Trinity Episcopal now stands July 1673: Dutch recaptures New York and demolishes the building May 22, 1674: Deed is given for land South of Rector Street and Broadway. New building is erected and serves congregation for more that 50 years. 1691: Pastor Arensius dies. 1701: Rudman, Swedish pastor, at the end of his ministry in Pennsylvania and Delaware, is called to serve the Dutch churches in Manhattan and Albany. He works on Justus Falckner into responding to the call of God in entering into the Holy Ministry. Nov 24, 1703: Justus Falckner is ordained by Rudman in Gloria Dei (Old Swedes’) Church, Philadelphia. (first Lutheran minister ordained in America) Dec 2, 1703: Falckner is called to serve congregation in New York. Died 1723 at age 51. Sept 22, 1725: Wilhelm Christoph Berkenmeyer of Hamburg, Germany arrives in New York to serve congregation. Ordained on May 24, 1725 Trinity Church June 29, 1729: New sanctuary (stone edifice), named Trinity Church, is dedicated, replacing the old "cattle shed" of a building at Rector St and Broadway. This building, Trinity Church, is later destroyed by fire in 1776. 1732: Berkenmeyer’s tenure ends when he suggested a division in the New York parish Dec 9, 1732: Michael Christian Knoll, 36 years old, serves as new pastor. 1750: Domine Knoll resigns as pastor from the "ancient Lutheran Church" due to internal wrangling and the issue of use of language (Dutch vs. German) 1750: Henry Melchior Muhlenburg, "patriarch" of Lutheranism in America is called to serve the "Old Church" 1750: Pastor Johann Albert Weygand is ordained by, and served under Muhlenburg (temporary charge) 1752: Church school is started by Pastor Weygand May 22, 1753: Congregation calls Johann Albert Weygand to be pastor. Died 1770
Christ Church
1750: Dissatisfied
German members withdraw from congregation on the issue of
language and purchased brewery on Cliff Street, site of
Christ Church 1752-1756: Philipp Henrich Rapp is called to be pastor of Christ Church 1756- 1757: Johann George Wiessner is called to be pastor of Christ Church 1759-1761: Pastor Johann Martin Schaeffer is called to Christ Church 1763-1767: Pastor Johann Georg Bager is called to Christ Church. Started building project at Frankfort and William Streets. Resigns before its completion. 1767-1773: Magister Johann Siegfried Gerock serves congregation. Previously tried to bring about reconciliation. May 1, 1767: New building of Christ Church is erected and dedicated at Frankfort & William Streets. Was later popularly known as "The Old Swamp Church." Sold in 1831 1762: Attempts to heal rift between "old" Trinity Church and "new" Christ Church are unsuccessful Dec 1773: Frederick Augustus Conrad Muhlenburg, son of the "patriarch" is called to serve Christ Church. Leaves pastorate for his safety because he sided with the colonies during the revolution. Flees to PA.
Trinity Church cont’d 1770: Pastor Bernard Michael Houseal is called to Trinity. Leaves congregation on Nov 23, 1783 with British troops after the revolution. Sided with the British. 1771: During Pastor Houseal’s pastorate last services in Dutch are held in the Old Church – Trinity 1776: Trinity Church and parsonage on Rector St and Broadway are destroyed by fire during the revolution. Valuable church records are saved. Congregation gathers for worship in Scotch Presbyterian Church on Cedar Street.
Congregations Reunited Jan 7, 1784: Congregations of Trinity and Christ reunite under Dr. John Christopher Kunze, of PA Synod, (son-in-law of H.M. Muhlenberg) under the corporate name of "The United German Lutheran Churches in New York City." Aug 1, 1784: Pastor Kunze is called to be pastor of the "united" congregation. Occupies the Chair of Oriental languages at Columbia University and serves as a trustee. In 1789, is appointed an interpreter for the Congress, which was meeting in NY Oct. 1786: Pastor Kunze is the first president of the New York Ministerium at its founding, after an earlier attempt in 1775 by Frederick Muehlenberg was sidelined, probably because of the war. Trinity Church is never rebuilt and services are held in Christ Church
English Church 1795: George Strebeck, a student of Kunze’s, assists with the forming of an English congregation in meeting the needs of the overwhelming majority of English speakers in the congregation. Pastor Kunze, publishes "A Hymn and Prayer Book" in English for use in Lutheran Churches "as use the English language" - the first Lutheran Hymnal compiled in America. Two years later Strebeck, also issued an English Hymn and Prayer Book. June 25th, 1797: The English Lutheran Church in the City of New York is organized. (This is the corporate name, although it was subsequently known as Zion Church.) Strebeck is called to be pastor. Land is rented on Pearl Street, opposite City Hall Place, and a frame church is built. Four years later, larger stone church is built at corner of Mott and Park Street. English Church, however, is not recognized by Lutheran consistory in Rhinebeck. 1802: Parsonage and school house are added. 1804: Strebeck leaves with some members of Zion to form St Stephens’s Episcopal Church 1805: Ralph Williston is called as pastor. In 1810 he becomes an Episcopalian and soon the entire congregation followed him. The congregation dissolves on Tuesday, March 13, as per the mother church's resolution, that Zion Church become a parish of the Episcopal Church. July 24, 1807: Pastor Kunze dies at age 63 1808 – 1814: The united Congregation calls Dr. Friedrich Wilhelm Geissenhainer from PA. He resigns from pastorate in 1814 and returns to PA 1814: Pastor Frederick Christian Schaeffer is called to congregation at age 22. He is the first minister of American birth to serve the Church. An excellent orator, he preachs to a crowd of 5000 on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the Lutheran on Oct 31, 1817. Dec 22, 1822: After more that 20 years of striving for a separate English church, a new building is erected and dedicated on Walker Street, east end of Broadway, and is named Saint Matthew’s Church Dr. Friedrich Wilhelm Geissenhainer, on Schaeffer’s recommendation, is recalled from PA to work in the German congregation of Christ Church at Frankfort Street Nov 10, 1826: St. Matthew’s Church at Walker Street is sold for $22,750.00 after the German congregation refuses to help with the debt reduction of the church. Building is soon resold at the same price to the corporation of the United Lutheran Churches (Christ and old Trinity). 1827: Pastor Schaeffer resigns and founds the Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. James on February 20, 1827. At the time of his death, Mar 26, 1831, he was president of the New York Ministerium. Congregation has two churches - St Matthew (English) and Christ Church (German) Dr. Friedrich Wilhelm Geissenhainer’s son, Frederick William Jr. is called to preach in English at St Matthew’s, Walker Street, while Friedrich Wilhelm Geissenhainer Sr. continues serving the German congregation at Christ Church, Frankfort St, until 1831, the year he died. 1831- 1838: Christ Church is sold (1831) due to the size of the growing congregation. Both groups, Christ Church and St Matthew’s, hold services at the more spacious St. Matthew’s Church, Walker Street. Later the mother Church acquires the name of the English congregation and is thereafter known as St. Matthew's Church. 1838 – 1868: Parish is served by Rev. Carl F.E Stohlmann, who was called from Erie, PA on Dec, 1838. May 1840: English services are no longer held due to German immigration and the huge turn- out for the German services. Aug 1841: Pastor Geissenhainer, Jr. resigns and forms St. Paul’s German Evangelical Lutheran Church, now located on West 22nd Street. A lawsuit against the mother church by the English speaking members is decided in favor of the Church.
Assistant
pastors during that time include: There is a branch Sunday School at Stanton and Essex Streets during the 1840s. 1847: St Mark’s, a branch church, is started on Sixth Street, subsidized by Trinity, the Old Church. Pastor Held is in charge of St. Mark’s until 1855 St James’ Church, St Luke’s on 42nd Street, and at least 13 other congregations receive substantial help by the mother church during this period. 1866: Corporate name of church is changed to "The German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Saint Matthew in the City of New York." In 1910, the words, "The German" are dropped. May 3 1868: "The German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Saint Matthew in the City of New York" acquires and dedicates the First Baptist Church on Broome and Elizabeth Streets after selling the Walker Street building. Pastor Stohlmann dies on the day of the dedication of the building after serving congregation for 30 years. 1868 – 1869: Pastor Baden serves the parish
May 1869: Pastor Georg Vorberg
is called from
Rochester, NY. During his
pastorate April 2, 1873: Pastor Vorberg dies July 21, 1873: Pastor Justus Ruperti of Gestendorf, Germany is called 1874-1894: Rev. Edmund Bohm serves as director of school. There are 300 students. He also serves as Director of Concordia Collegiate Institute from 1881-1895 1874: A kindergarten is added. Sunday School numbers more than 1000. The branch Sunday school at Varick and Canal Streets numbers 90 Feb 1876: Pastor Ruperti resigns because of ill health May 21, 1876: Pastor Johann Heinrich Sieker is installed as pastor of St Matthew. Serves for 28 years until his death in 1904. 1879: School building is erected on Elizabeth Street 1881: Concordia Collegiate Institute of the Missouri Synod is begun and housed at Broome Street school building. St Matthew provides finances to cover most of the expenses of the operation. In 1893 Institute moves to Hawthorne, NY 1885: St Matthew, being the most conservative of Lutheran churches in the east, leaves the New York Ministerium and joins the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and other States, now the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod (LCMS). § St Matthew contributed significantly to the growth of Lutheranism in New York,New Jersey, New England, and on Long Island. § Churches that benefited from St Matthew’s generosity include:· Redeemer, West 44th St· Saint Stephen’s, Union Avenue · Bethlehem, East 62nd St · Holy Trinity of the Bronx.
Assistant
Pastors during Pastor Sieker’s pastorate:
1904: Pastor Johann Heinrich Sieker is succeeded by his son, Otto Sieker, who, since 1894 previously served as his assistant. 1906: Congregation purchases building at 145th St & Convent Ave to serve as a branch of St Matthew. Professor Martin Walker is given charge of the "uptown" church. English is again used in worship, in addition to German. 1909: Church House is added - includes a chapel for Sunday School, six classrooms for church school and various meeting rooms. 1910: Pastor Walker accepts a call to Buffalo. Pastor Otto Ungemach is called to serve the uptown church 1913: Broome Street building is sold. Congregation moves to 145th St. Chapel is maintained at Broome Street for convenience of members in lower Manhattan 1914: Pastor Ungemach accepts call to PA. Pastoral assistance is provided from Concordia College, Bronxville. 1918: Pastor Adolph Wismar succeeds Otto Sieker; serves St Matthew until the merger with Messiah Lutheran Church in 1945 Sept 1931: German services are discontinued
Dec 25 1931: Congregation celebrates 25 years of
ministry in Washington Heights. Jan 24, 1942: Fire damages the church at 145th Street. May 17, 1942: Church is rededicated after renovation. Mar 15, 1942: Pastor Henry Kroll-Hemkey is installed at the assistant pastor and serves without compensation. 1943: St Matthew decides to move to a new neighborhood. Atlantic District begins a Negro Lutheran mission at the Convent Avenue location Spring 1944: Merger talks with Messiah are held. Oct 22, 1944: Formal opening of Saint Matthew’s at the former Presbyterian church building at Park Ave & 85th Street, after merger with Messiah seems impossible. Jan 14, 1945: Rents Norwegian Lutheran Church, Wadsworth Ave & 178th St March 1945: Rents Chapel of Fort George Presbyterian Church, St Nicholas Ave & 186th St Sept 30, 1945: Farewell sermon by Pastor Adolph Wismar. Accepts a teaching position at Valparaiso University, IN. Oct 1, 1945: Saint Matthew merger with Messiah, 202 Sherman Ave, New York City. Oct 7, 1945: Pastor Alfred Trinklein is installed as pastor of Saint Matthew, succeeding Pastor Adolph Wismar Feb 20, 1946: Purchase two-storey building at 200 Sherman Ave for $63,000.00 Oct 17, 1948: Rev Oswald Hoffman is installed as assistant pastor at St Matthew 1948: John S. Damm, Seminary student at Concordia, St Louis serves as acting principal of school. Jan 1949: Robert Schnabel is called to be principal of school. Leaves in 1952, accepting a call from the Central District Nov 1956: Thanksgiving Day - Laying of cornerstone of new sanctuary at 202 Sherman Avenue, NYC June 16, 1957: Dedication of new sanctuary. 1080 members and friends in attendance. Schlicker Baroque Organ of 10 ranks is installed at dedication at a cost of 10,000.00 - a gift from Mr. & Mrs. Chester Eldelmann, in memory of her mother. July 23, 1967: Pastor Trinklein's retires from pastorate after 22 years at St Matthew. July 30, 1967: Pastor Paul Schulze is installed as Pastor of St Matthew. Serves congregation for 23 years, until his retirement in 1990 Feb 1991: Pastor James McDaniels is installed. Serves until August 1993 April 1995: Pastor Steven Massey is installed. 1997: Parish becomes vacant and is served for a brief period by Chaplain Kelly-Ray Merrit Nov 1998: Vacancy continues. Parish is served by ministerial student, Peter Debra. Dec 3, 2005: Rev. Peter Debra is ordained and installed as Pastor July 2006: Congregation moves from Sherman Avenue location to The Cornerstone Center on Bennett Avenue, having had to divest property. For a Timeline of the History of Messiah Mission Church, click HERE Back to HomepageResearched by the Rev. Peter Debra |
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© 2007 Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. Matthew A congregation of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod |
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