The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1931-12-10
LUTHERANS' ANNIVERSARY
SERVICES ARE CONCLUDED
Celebration of Building of Pres
ent Church in 1906 Is Marked
By Special Meetings
CHURCH HISTORY TRACED

The concluding services in the
18th anniversary celebration of
the building of the present st.
Marks Lutheran church in Oak
land were held on Sunday morn
ing and Sunday evening, the
morning hour being given over
to historical accounts and the
reading of congratulatory let
tiers from former. pastors, and
at the evening service Rev. C. A.
Shilke delivered an address, his SUBJ
ject being "a look back, but greater
look ahead"
Mr.. BENZ. H. Sincell, one of the
members of the church for the past
fifty years, traced the history of the
congregation from the time of the
organization Of the first Sunday
school on April 1, 1929, which was a
union Sunday school, formed by Isaac
mccarthy, a Methodist; Stephen Mer-
rill, Dunkard, and George Loar, a
Lutheran, and which was conducted
in log house located on the Loar
farm now owned and occupied by Mr..
and Mrs. T. C. Bittinger, just south
of Oakland.
The first Lutheran church in Oak
land was erected at the corner of
Fifth and Green streets in 1857. 1t
was a frame structure and served as
the church until 1893, when a new
brick veneer church was erected at
the corner of Third and Alder streets
occupying the site upon which is now
the McIntire building. Fire on JAN
uary 5, 1905, just five days after the
last dollar of Indebtedness had been
paid on the structure, destroyed it.
The fire originated in the Pritchard
building, adjoining, which was also
destroyed.
For a year following Lutheran SER
vices were conducted in the Presby-
terrain church. The cornerstone of the
present Lutheran church was laid on
June "a, 1906, by Rev. Edmund Man
ges, assisted by the Rev. ]. B. Work
man, then pastor of St. PauPs M. E.
church in Oakland, and the building
was dedicated on December 20, 1906.
After the conclusion Of the histori-
cal sketch by Mr.. Sincell a show OF
hands revealed that there were eight
members in the congregation who had
been members of the church when the
original structure was being occu-
pied. These were Mrs. 7. c. Hine-
baugh, Misses BERTHE Cleveland, Eliz-
abeth Leary, Fannie Johnson, Mr.. M
R. Hamill, Mr.. T. C. Hinebaugh, Mr.
H. C. Sincell and B. H. Sincell.
Nineteen were present who had
been members when the second church
was being occupied.
Mr.. John Ault, who was the archi-
tect and builder of the church which
was destroyed by fire, gave a few
"reminiscences, and greetings from
a number of former pastors were read
by George H. Hanst, secretary of the
Church Council.
At the evening service the anthem
"God so loved the world" from Stain
er's Crucifxion, which was directed
by DR.. John G. Robinson at the dedi-
cation of the church twenty-five years
ago, was again led by him.
Services were also held throughout
the preceding week beginning on
Tuesday evening, December 1, with
Brotherhood night, when Rev. Roy
Hashinger, Morgantown, was the
speaker. Wednesday night was in
charge of the young people with Rev
Frank Herzel, Westernport, as the
speaker.
Rev. W. P. Cline, DID,, Fairmont.
W. Va, was the speaker for Thursday
evening, which was Woman's Night
and Rev. Walter B. Brock, of the local
Presbyterian church, gave the address
on Friday night, which was Commun-
ity Night.