The sun., 1898-12-12
THEIR TENTH Anniversary
st. Stephens Lutheran Church
Celebrates the Event in a
Pleasing Manner.
ELOQUENT SERMON BY PASTOR
Appropriate Services Conducted Dur
ing the Day-~The Edifice Now
Owned by the Congregation
Almost Clear of Debt.-Im.
prOveme1ts Made.
ELOQUENT SERMON BY PASTOR

The tenth anniversary of the congre
CATION of st. Stephens Lutheran Church
on Tatnal street above Seventh, was
celebrated in beftting manner yester.
day morning, when an eloquent ami.
versary sermon was delivered by the
pastor. Rev. Frederic Doerr.
Rev. Doerr took for his text "Con-
slider how great the things he has done
for you," which is part of the 9th
verse OF the 18th chapter of Samuel.
lie first told how ten years ago there
seemed to be the need of an English
Lutheran church in Wilmington. A
movement was set afloat which resulted
in the formal organization of the con-
gregation in one of the upper rooms of
the Institute Building on the evening of
December 7, 1888.
"The inception of St. Stephens was
due chiefly to the activity and zeal of
the Rev. William A. Sadtler, now of
Chicago, i'll. A canvass OF the city as
sured him that there were enough Eng
disappearing Lutherans, without a
church home, to warrant the establish.
ment OF an English Lutheran Church.
Seventeen persons were assembled the
night OF the organization. They must
have been just as sanguine as their leader,
for they not only at once elected
church officers, but likewise selected Mr..
Sadtler to have charge of the newly
created pastorate
"The members of the first church
council were: Jacob S. Baetem, Levi A,
Bertolette, Henry F. Robelen Levi A.
Ringwalt and Edwin B. Sadtler. Two
days after the formal organization, the
Rev. William A. Sadtler, at the advice of
the Pennsylvania Ministerium, which
fostered st. Stephens for some time, was
installed pastor.
''The Rev. Dr. Benjamin Sadtler, OF
Baltimore, father of the pastor-elect, and.
the Rev. William Ashmead Schaeffer,
missionary superintendent of the Penn
sylvania Ministerium, performed the in
stallation ceremony.
"On April T. 1885, just four months
after the congregation was organized,
the church building on Tatnall street
became the congregations church home.
est. Stephens from the hour of its
inception to the close OF its first de-
cade, has enjoyed certain and speedy
growth"
The pastor then spoke of the peace and |
harmony which had existed in the
church since its foundation. To this he
ascribed much of its wonderful success.
He also dwelt on the fact that there
were few deaths in the congregation
during the ten years, there being but
fourteen.
Lastly he told OF the financial prosper
!ty enjoyed by the congregation. About
S24, 900 was contributed by the congre-
CATION for all purposes during the ten
years.
After an existence of little over eight
years, it was able to carry the whole
burden. July one year ago St. Stephens
no. longer was mission of the Pennsyl-
vania Ministerium. The minutes of that
;ynodical body show that the congrega-
ion raised about So, 900 during the past
synodical year.
The debt on the handsome church
has been reduced considerably
within the ten years and during the past
year was reduced to $1,000 The interior
1f the church was renovated and beauti-
ie about two years ago. l,5OO pipe I
'rgan was purchased by voluntary con
rlbutlons over year ago. ,
The church was appropriately decorat-
"a. Among the decorations was a pur-
Die BANNER, which is the color for the
Idvent season. On the banner were the ,
ears 1888 and 1898 and the word "Ebe-
lezer," which means "hitherto has the
ord helped u.s. from l Samuel, 7:l2. !
special music was rendered. A neat sum
vas realized from special collection
which was lifted.