Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1893-01-27
Jubilee Anniversary.
JAyrAEy15lsg
Extracts from sermon preached by Rev.
Enoch Smith on the occasion of the Joih
Anniversary of the English Evangelical
Lutheran Church. of this place.

Lutheran Church, Of this place.
Many years ago, when little, oompar :
lively, of the primeval forests had bei n
removed from the virgin soil of this coun-
ty. and long before the val1e and uses Of
petroleum were known, or natural gas u
laminated aud warmed the dwellings oi
it's inhabitants, the town of Butler was
projected aud the county of Rutier formed.
Among those who sought homes here We
such whose religious convictions hao
brought and kept them in connection with
the Ev. Luth. Church. The number may
have been, d0ubtless,vas, small; but tie
| convictions we're just as positive and the
faith Just as precious To these few, a.
though their numbers had run up into the
| rhousaads. The things or God are pure
| and sweet, whether embraced By many or
| by few, and Gods sleepleSs eye Is upon.
| and His angels have care over the one ~
| the liou's den equally as much as upoa ana
| over all the other captive Jews To our
| brothers and sisters in the Lord OF the gen
erations past, who in this town aud county
we're baptised and confirmed in the EV
Luth Church, their faith was honest, earn
est heartfelt; hence they established q con
gregaIion, the official records OF which
| reach back as far as 1913. How long after
| this time the cOngregatiun-odr sister con
| gTegatiOn (the st. Marks Eg. Luth.) re-
| ceiS ed the services Of a regular pastor, OF
| Al what date exactly the organization wa
| effected and perfected, Ihave been unable
TO learn. In those early days, however.
| the language of our Lutheran people II
This vicinity seems 70 have been aluost
wholly German; at least the public mluls
| trations of the sanctuary were then, ana
| for many years succeeding. conducted ~
| that language. ! am unable to give the
names of the several pastors who minister
| ed to thas congregation, from the time OF
its organization 10 the date when our Owl
| was called into existence. ! am, however,
| informed by creditable records that Rev.
Sweit zerbarth. known TO this day in the
annals OF this county, aud by the old an6
| middle aged Lutheran ministers of West
ern Pa, as Bishop Sweijzerb rth, became
pastor of the mother congregation, IN 1871.
and was still its honored under shepherd
| when a gQodly number of the American
4 born in that fold desired, both for them
| selves and their sons and daughters the
use of the English language IN some OF the
| public services of Gods house. But the
| good old Dominic, doubtless honest and
sincere in his views, though certainly III
| error, was not able To see il his duty TO
grant this reasonable request. The same
| mistake had been made by Others before
| MS day, and has been made thousand
/ times since. Our Lutheran Church would
stand higher and occupy different posi-
| tion in this land of seets and schlsms soci-
| ally, financially and numerically atpresent
| mad not this question of language been a
bone of contention, and hampered her
| growth for more than century, but par
| lieularly so within the last 90 years. Had
| the English language been carefully intro
| duced and been judiciously used by our
church for the last 5000 years we would
| have been able to have retained for aud tn
| her many OF her sons and daughters who
| nave luund homes in other denominations
| olour land; bat because our fathers declined
| 90 adapt themselves to the circumstances
| and The demands Of the times-others have
reaped the harvest.
| AT last however the privilege OF holding
| English services in the old German church.
| corner Mexican ond Wayne streets, was
granted, and Rev u. Bassler of Zellenople,
| either himself volunteered, or was called
| by those interested, to preach in the Eng
| ilsh language When he first came 10
| Butler, 1912 the number of his hearers wa
|
some uf the members of the German con
sregation. as the records OF this church will
show. He took up his residence in tue
house of John Mccullough on Washington
ST. This house had been built Tor and
used as the first Jail Of Bntier county, aud
vas only recently removed. IL would ap-
pear also, thar public services were behmes
ned here by the Young divine. On the
10Th day of Jan. 1913, such persons as felt
tne ne d uf .n English congregation, and
we're ready TO unite with it,held meeting
and adapted constitution for the govern
inent OF the new congregation. Officers
we're also chosen, these, however, were not
Installed until several weeks later, Feb. III.
The constitution was signed by 40 iudivid-
uals, % males, % females. | ind on the
list of the present membership OF the con
gregation some of the names stlll handed
down The fathers have passed on before
To their God and Judge; but their children.
nr children's children sill gather around
his altar. May they rightly use that for
which the fathers struggled 50 hard, and
sacrificed so muca TO obtain, then will the
Congregation be made q YET greater power
for good the heart aud conscience VIII be
peaceful. and God will be glortied.
The first communion was held with the
new congregation on the 18th of June,
l843 Pastor Bassler superscribes the list
transferred into the church records with
the words: "Glory to God III the highest.
Fourteen persons were added 10 the con
STrgation, thus making the number o9.
Meanwhile those desiring English preach
ing endeavored TO negOtiste with tue
German Congregation for the use oi their
house of worship. Meetings were held,
and Committees appointed br both parties,
a fad
ference to the ipint use of the German
Church. No agreement however, was
reached and rs solution OF the difficulty
the following action was taken at meet
log held by the English Congregation:
Resolved, That we proceed to build
church" A Committee of arrangements
aud building was appointed. What that
Committee effected, or whatever became
OF it, We have been unable to learn, and
can only surmise that it lay inactive until
the year lS4S, when the matter OF building
was again revived. Where the servlcos
were held for the greater part OF the time
intervening between these years the papers
and books of the congregation do not in
form us, but from other sources we learn,
that they were held in the first Court
House of the county, with au occasional
service in the old German Church or some
other of the church buildings in town. In
the minutes of a meeting held June 10,
lS4S. it is stated that, after public worship
the congregation remained, in order To
come To some conclusion about building
house of worship. Two offers of location
Or which 10 build were made. One by
John Negley, the father OF our present
Trustee, and one by Michael Emrlek, the
father of the Misses Mary and Zelia Emrlck,
members Of this congregation. After
full and fraternal exchange Of views relative
To the advantages and disadvantages oi the
respective stes, il was resolved To ac-
cept the offer of Michael Emrck, and to
him, as one of the Oldest members OF this
congregation said To me very lately, per
haps more than to any other OF the early
members of this congregation, are we ln-
debted for the erection ot Its hrst house ni
worship. Brother Emrick gave the lot IN
lee simple, upon whioa the church stu
stands tthUugh now owned and used by
the Reformed Congregation aud being a
| carpenter by trade did very much OF tue
wood work gratuitously also. He was q
most worthy christian man, loving his
church and laboring quietly and unosten.
tatiously Tor her because he loved his uod
and saviour, and his name deserves honor
able mention In this semi-centenninal OF the
congregation for which he did 50 much IN
the early days ui its existence. Ihe bulid-
ing referred to above, was beguu IN Tue
year lS49, and completed and dedicated IN
September, 1880. For y years II served
the congregation AS place Of worship.
Possibly some of you who are here today
within the precincts of those walls pubic
is vowed laitnfuiuess 10 God and To his
Christi If zn ran Vuu bpuazttv and as IN the