The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-02-11
LUTHERAN
GROWTH.
Wonderful Progress Of the
English Branch in the
County in Two Years.
PROSPECT OF TWO NEW CHURCHES
Sect Unknown Until 1896
Sketch of the Work
Among the Churches.

The growth of the English Lutheran
Church in this county during the past
two years has been little short of phenonl-
email. Its progress has been greater than
that of any other denomination. Already
two churches have been organized and
plans are being contaminated for the
founding of two others. Three are to be
in this city and one in Hoboken. Up
to the fall of 1896 an English Lutheran
church was unheard of in this county.
The rapid strides taken since then clearly
demonstrate that there is a big field for
the work.
OF the two churches now in full sway,
neither required aid from the Board of
Home Missions of the General Synod, but
have been self-sustaining since they first
saw the light of day. The Holy Trinity
Church, under the Rev. Eugene e. Nue.
dewitt, is located at Montgomery and
Barrow streets, and the Church of the
Redeemer, under the Rev. John E. Helm
del, in Bamber Hall, on Linden avenue,
Greenville. Both of these churches are
fully organized and in prosperous con-
dition. This statement is fully borne out
when it is taken into consideration that
the congregations are now working for
new homes The down town congregation
has purchased property for its own edi-
flee and the Greenville people have Sc
lected a site upon which they will I'M
| doubtedly build this year.
hi other two churches have not been
| organized but the Hoboken one will
be as soon as a pastor is selected by the
Board of Home Missions, which has ap-
propriated money for his salary. The
third church in this city, will be organized
on the Heights.
The Rev. Eugene E. Neudewitz is really
the promoter of English Lutheranism in
this country and to him belongs the
credit for the successful advancement of
the work. He has been instrumental in
helping to organize all the churches, and
is, at present, busy ~endeavoring to select
a house of worship for the proposed new
church on he heights. He was born in
| Berlin, Germany, and has resided in this
country for thirty-four years. In 1898 he
was graduated from the Gettysburg Theo-
logical College in Pennsylvania, and then
studied at the Seminary in the same city,
from which he graduated in 1896. But
| previous to his graduation, he had visited
| this city and started the English Lutheran
Church project. This was about a month
before leaving Gettysburg for good or in
September of 1896. He was ordained in st.
Johns English Lutheran Church, New
York City.
The first meeting to organize an Eng
fish Lutheran church in this city was held
on September q, 1896. Shortly after this
the old building then but recently vacat-
ed by the Young Mem Christian Associ-
alton on Wayne street was hired. On
October A. 1896, there were twenty-six
scholars and four teachers affiliated with
the new movement. Or November 8, of
the same year, the church was organized
and called the Holy Trinity. Then fol-
lowed a successful period of about six
months, when the trustees of the st. Mat
thew's Evangelical Lutheran Church,
which church owned property adjoin-
ing the old Y. M. c.. A. build
ing, saw the success of the new
movement and decided to GUST them.
This was done when the property
was bought by the German church and
converted into a club house for the young
men of the congregation. Since then a
| handsome new ClluICn lids pccl Dullt Oll
the property adjoining the old Associa-
ton quarters.
Mr.. Neudewitz was then in a dilemma
as to where the services woul be held in
the future, but this difficulty was sur
mounted when DR.. Leonard J. Gordon. one
of the library trustees, consented to let
the old Albert mansion at Montgomery
street and Jersey avenue to the pastor.
An agreement was made that the building
should be vacated when the trustees de-
cided to build the new library. This was
about March /, 1897. In the fall of 1897 the
old MCGEE mansion at Montgomery and
Barrow streets was purchased from Mr..
John Mullins for $4,000. The building is
now occupied by the congregation. Dur
ing this time the church has continued to
prosper and there are now two hundred
and forty children in the Sunday school,
with sixteen teachers to instruct them.
AT a recent meeting of the Ladies' Aid
Society, plans were started for the hold
ing Of a fair in the fall for the purpose OF
raising money with which to erect the
proposed new church. The plans regard
ing the church are indefinite.
While Mr.. Neudewitz was struggling te
build up his own church he saw an open.
ing for a successful church in Greenville
and accordingly went to work to perfect
his plans. With several members from his
congregation, after the present quarters
had been hired, a meeting was held or
May 1 of last year and for five successive
Sundays he preached there. Each service
saw many new faces and after six weeks
the Rev. S. c.. Burger, then but recently
ordained, took charge of the new church
Under. him the church was organized.
Rapid indeed were the strides made un
der Mr.. Burger, but he did not retain hi:
first charge long as he was anxious to d.
foreign missionary work. He is now il
India. Mr.. Burger was succeeded by thu
present pastor, the Rev. John d. Heindel
who took charge about the latter part o
last November. He was ordained in Octo
Der 8 of last year but had succeeded il
reaching this city. These churches wer'
organized while Mr.. Heindel was still il
the seminary, he devoting his vacations
to the work. Under him two churchel
were built in the small town of York
Pennsylvania, which is but a short dis
lance from the Gettysburg Seminary
Since his pa~storates in Greenville begal
the church has progressed still furthe
and at a meeting of the board of trustee